Backing up computer

Thank you mjf. I wonder how come notices of your replies didn't come to my email when I checked that box. So to start with I would need rewritable DVD's? I do have CD-R. I cannot afford an external hard drive. I remember on xp I think it was it just went back and backed up automatically and you could go to a restore point ifyou did something screwy to your computer. Nothing like that, huh? Don't worry about talking down to me, even your explanation I had to figure out.

Thanks.

If you haven't run backup previously, you won't see a "backup now" button. From start/search, type "backup"
and hit enter. If you have previously run backup, this is where you will see the "back up now" button. If you have *not* yet run back up, you will see a button called "set up backup", instead. You need to have an external drive or DVD drive connected before you do the setup. It is strongly recommended that you backup to an external drive. I know you said you can't afford one but backing up to disks is questionable, at best. Do whatever you can to get yourself an external drive. In the mean time, there's always the on-line alternative.

mjf said:

USB 2 externals, smallish (500GB) is fine for you I think.

I've been using a Verbatim Insite 500GB drive every day all day for almost a year now and it has performed flawlessly even when I take it on the road with me. It has already outlasted several WD drives and a Seagate 1.5 TB drive I had in the past performing the same functions...



And its Read and Write benchmarks are acceptable for a USB drive...



~Maxx~
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mjf said:

PattiChati said:

Thank you mjf. I wonder how come notices of your replies didn't come to my email when I checked that box. So to start with I would need rewritable DVD's? I do have CD-R. I cannot afford an external hard drive. I remember on xp I think it was it just went back and backed up automatically and you could go to a restore point ifyou did something screwy to your computer. Nothing like that, huh? Don't worry about talking down to me, even your explanation I had to figure out.

Thanks.

When you can afford it, look out for sales. With a thing called USB 3 coming, the USB 2 drives should drop even more. USB 2 externals, smallish (500GB) is fine for you I think. Get the ones without the software on them, they tend to be cheaper. The portable 500GB WD Elements (Western Digital) for doing your backups is a nice little unit. I'd leave it unplugged most of the time - it will last longer.

As for DVDs in the meantime. I haven't had a problem with DVD+R but don't see why DVD-R wouldn't be as good. I'd steer away from the R/W as I've read they are less reliable for backup use. Generally buy the 50 spindle packs since they'll work out cheaper. Of course don't consider CDs.

With DVDs make a smaller number of images say 2-3 and check that the software says something like "image successful".
Remember I spoke about images are different from the general file backups (reread). Do your file backups - you will feed the same DVD for quite a while probably as it keeps adding your incremental backups. Buy one of the special marker pens for writing on the topside of your DVDs.

To get to the page I talked about - type Backup and Restore in the bottom search box.

PS: I asked the Administrator to remove your personal email address you sent. Anyone in the world can see it. Communicate through the Forum.

If I used DVD's, you would just keep using different ones, correct, you couldn't reuse them. Also, if I used a usb flash drive, what size would I know to get?
I tried backing it up on my computer but it woudln't let me, said it wanted a DVD or usb

mjf said:

Patti advised she's not ready to buy an external HDD yet.

I'm hoping that Santa will see fit to leave an external HDD in Patti's stocking this Holiday Season because I'm sure she deserves one!

~Maxx~
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