Best method for backing up to external hard drive

[jooleyen]

I looked through the tutorial section on how to perform a backup, but I'm afraid the problem is not knowing which method to use based on what I want to accomplish.

So here it goes.
I have a 500GB internal hard drive which I run my OS from on my laptop.
I also have a 640GB external hard drive which I like to use for extra videos and stuff that I don't want on my main drive.
I want to back up my computer's hard drive onto my exteral drive. I also want to keep all of my preferences for my programs. BUT, I also want to keep folders on my external hard drive that I maintain myself like my extra videos and stuff that isn't on my main drive. Every time I perform a backup, I would like my external drive to only update those files that have changed on my main drive and keep everything else.

I have Acronis True Image 2010 and am not sure which setting I should use in it or if the program is completely unnecessary in the first place.

So what should I do and which software should I use?
Thanks in advance.

 

[pparks1]

In order to keep your applications and your preferences...you will need software like Acronis which can "image" your computer.

For your data files...and your extra movies and such...I would suggest something like robocopy with the /mir switch. This mirrors everything on the source drive with the destination drive. This way when you delete from C:\data it also deletes from F:\data.

Here are some examples lines you could put in a batch file.
robocopy C:\users\stanley\music H:\Backups\laptop\Music /mir /dst

robocopy C:\users\stanley\Downloads H:\Backups\laptop\Downloads /mir /dst

robocopy C:\users\stanley\pictures H:\Backups\laptop\pictures /mir /dst


As requested, robocopy only updates, copies or deletes files that are new, changed or removed.