Solved Looking for a good Backup utility

[AussieColin]

I've been running Nero BackItUp for about a year now, using an incremental backup of selected folders from my C drive to a USB drive. I just tried to do a restore from it and failed and I'm looking for something better.

I was never very happy with the user interface in Nero; it seemed to make it unduly difficult to setup the backup and did not (IMHO) adequately explain the choices it was asking me to make at various points. I had however assumed that it was working correctly - it certainly seemed to be "doing its thing" once a week. Unfortunately this seem not to be the case!

I just tried to use the restore facility to restore a single file that I had inadvertently overwritten. I wanted to retrieve a version from the previous week's backup. This has proven to be apparently impossible to do. Despite the fact that the Desktop folder is most definitely one of those selected for back up, the file is not listed. What is in the folder seems to vary according to which of the increments I choose. I certainly have NO desire to go back through nearly a hundred increments to try to find the one that contains it and the main undated version does not. Since the file has only been there for a month or so it should be in the most recent half dozen. It's not. Each one only contains two or three files when I have around fifty on my desktop.

I figure I'm lucky to have found out with only one file that it's a crap program; basically I am NOT impressed and am looking for something better. You guys are the experts, so can someone suggest something? I don't mind a fee as long as it's not too exorbitant; shall we say <$100? I'm after reliability and, most critically, ease of use. An intuitive and helpful interface. I'm running Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

Any thoughts?

 

[marsmimar]

A lot of folks recommend Macrium, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2012, EaseUS Todo 4.0, and Acronis. Macrium, Paragon and EaseUS have free versions as well as paid. Acronis is pretty much a paid version but they do offer a free limited function version if you happen to have (I think) a Western Digital hard drive.

 

[AussieColin]

A lot of folks recommend Macrium, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2012, EaseUS Todo 4.0, and Acronis. Macrium, Paragon and EaseUS have free versions as well as paid.

Thanks. If it means getting a better piece of software then I don't mind paying. Which one do you feel is the best (easiest to use)?

 

[marsmimar]

I'm using Macrium and EaseUS, each to a different external hard drive. I figure the chances of both images failing at the same time is pretty remote compared to using just one imaging tool all the time. But that's just me.

The learning curve on both is relatively easy and they both have good tutorials.

 

[AussieColin]

Thanks. I'll check them both out.

One question: You say "imaging tool" - does that mean that you're backing up the drive as a whole rather than on a folder by folder basis? I'd prefer the folder approach; does that make one of the two more attractive?

 

[marsmimar]

I'm doing both. I do daily data backups and full system images once a week. But I'm thinking about doing just system images on a daily basis. I've been testing out an eSATA connection since Christmas and it's doing remarkably well. A full system image takes about 30 minutes (compared to when I was using USB 2.0 and it was taking about 90 minutes.)

Personally, I prefer a full system image. If your computer ever goes down for the count because of a virus or otehr problem, your system image will contain everything on the hard drive at the moment the image was made. If you have a lot of programs, special personalized settings in the operating system, etc you can be full restored in less than an hour with a full system image.

 

[AussieColin]

I'm doing both. I do daily data backups and full system images once a week.

LOL. I'm not quite that paranoid; I just do a data backup once a week. Still better than many of my friends though. Most people just don't seem to grasp the need for any backup at all!

Thanks.

 

[marsmimar]

Not a problem. Hope you find something to your liking.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Thanks. I'll check them both out.

One question: You say "imaging tool" - does that mean that you're backing up the drive as a whole rather than on a folder by folder basis? I'd prefer the folder approach; does that make one of the two more attractive?

Here are some "folder" backup programs for you to check out:

SyncToy

Karen's Replicator

Second Copy

FolderClone

GFI Backup Home Edition

Syncback

Allway Sync

I think all of those are free except Second Copy.

For imaging programs, I am using Macrium Reflect Free Edition and EaseUS Todo Backup 3.0, in an alternating fashion.

I'd recommend you avoid "incremental" backups if possible. They just add another layer of complexity.

 

[kado897]

FreeFileSync will back up folders. FreeFileSync | Free Security & Utilities software downloads at SourceForge.net

Macrium Reflect free will do images. Link in my sig. The paid version also does file and folder backup.

 

[Nehmo]

MS Backup worthless?

The posters so far have not recommended the Windows-included backup utility. Why? Is there something wrong with the Windows backup? Why are the after-market apps preferable?

 

[JimLewandowski]

I am one of the few who has no issues with the standard, built-in Windows Image (and Backup).

 

[kado897]

You are right of course. There is little wrong with the Windows Backup utility if used correctly. I assumed the OP had tried it and didn't like it.

 

[AussieColin]

I'd recommend you avoid "incremental" backups if possible. They just add another layer of complexity.

Really? My backups seem to run at about 250Gb in size, even with compression set to a higher level than the default. If I do one of those a week I'm going to very quickly run up large costs in storage, so it seemed to me that the incremental backup idea was something I didn't have much choice about.

Thanks for the recs - on the basis of earlier comments I'd already installed EaseUS Todo Backup Free 4.0 and it does seem to be a bit easier to use than Nero. I need to do some testing by trying some selective restores and I'll keep yours in mind just in case.

 

[AussieColin]

The posters so far have not recommended the Windows-included backup utility. Why? Is there something wrong with the Windows backup? Why are the after-market apps preferable?

Hmmm... To be honest I can't say. I'd just received the impression from various sources that the Windows backup utility was not as good but I have to admit that I'd not tried it.

Something to bear in mind if my current experiment with EaseUS Todo doesn't pan out. Thanks.

 

[seavixen32]

I've used Windows 7's backup utility and got on fine with it.

I think a lot of the reluctance to use it is that legacy Windows utility programs are sometimes not all that good, so people are reluctant to use any that Windows have to offer, but I do feel Windows 7 is a lot better in that respect.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'd recommend you avoid "incremental" backups if possible. They just add another layer of complexity.

Really? My backups seem to run at about 250Gb in size, even with compression set to a higher level than the default. If I do one of those a week I'm going to very quickly run up large costs in storage, so it seemed to me that the incremental backup idea was something I didn't have much choice about.

Do you have your data on the same partition as the OS?? If so, you might consider splitting them up into separate partitions. And then backup the OS partition using an image and backup the data partition using a folder-by-folder backup application--probably on different schedules.

Here is my method:

C partition for Windows and programs only; about 30 GB occupied; D partition for data only; 415 GB occupied.

C partition backed up once a month, using an image program with standard compression; full backups, not incrementals; each image takes up about 13 GB. Takes about 6 minutes.

D partition backed up daily, folder by folder, not an image; the backup occupies 415 GB; when the backup is run, only new files or files that have been modified since the last backup are backed up; takes about 1 minute.

All backups are to an E drive with a single partition.

If you use weekly full image backups of C and C contains 250 GB of Windows and data, then the space required would grow quickly as you say. However, if you put data on a second partition and back it up ONLY folder by folder, your full images of what is left (C without data) would be much smaller--maybe only 15 GB or so. Then you have to decide how many historical images of Windows/apps you have to keep.

I keep three full images: an early original, this month, and last month. Total occupied space for all 3 is now 37 GB.

I agree with you that full images of large partitions take up a lot of space--but you can avoid that by not imaging your data. If you use folder by folder for a separate data partition, you have only a one-time large backup. Each subsequent data backup adds very little.

Imaging can be problematic under the best of circumstances. There are posts on this forum of issues with incrementals and I prefer to keep it simple when possible. That's why I don't entrust my data backups to imaging at all.

 

[AussieColin]

I'd recommend you avoid "incremental" backups if possible. They just add another layer of complexity.

Really? My backups seem to run at about 250Gb in size, even with compression set to a higher level than the default. If I do one of those a week I'm going to very quickly run up large costs in storage, so it seemed to me that the incremental backup idea was something I didn't have much choice about.

Imaging can be problematic under the best of circumstances. There are posts on this forum of issues with incrementals and I prefer to keep it simple when possible. That's why I don't entrust my data backups to imaging at all.

I think you're right that I need to look more carefully at the way that I'm doing it. I am maintaining separation of data to a large extent but not completely. Something else to work on I think: I've been caught enough times to want to get it right.

 

[AussieColin]

I've used Windows 7's backup utility and got on fine with it.

I think a lot of the reluctance to use it is that legacy Windows utility programs are sometimes not all that good, so people are reluctant to use any that Windows have to offer, but I do feel Windows 7 is a lot better in that respect.

You're quite right - despite the fact that I'm very much more impressed with Win 7 than with previous versions I still tend to automatically dismiss things like the built in backup, firewall and so on and go for the commercial alternatives. Too many years of working with the problems of earlier versions I guess. So, I guess I'll check out the Windows one too.

 

[Nehmo]

You are right of course. There is little wrong with the Windows Backup utility if used correctly. I assumed the OP had tried it and didn't like it.

The correct inflection of the word is "trying", not "tired". I've been trying to backup a Windows 7 Home Premium system for months. I have a thread about it going nowhere, and I'm about to give up on the Windows utility by trying Macrium Reflect, which I just installed.

The problem I'm having with Windows Utility backup is that it fails and gives error code
0x80070003
Looking it up gives this Windows backup or restore errors 0x80070001... Support page
"...In the Command Prompt window, type DIR /AL /S and then press Enter. The list of JUNCTION (one type of reparse point) list is displayed...

"...Locate the reparse point you found, right click the reparse point icon and click Properties.
In the General tab, confirm the folder Type is Mounted Volume and then delete this folder..."

But when I look in the Properties of these Junctions, they are not identified as Mounted Volume. Also, I don't want to delete these folders.

And this leads me to learn about Junction Points. I'm currently reading
Application Compatibility: Junction Points and Backup Applications
and
Junction Points in Vista

While I'm learning, I'll try the 3rd party thing. Eventually, I'll get it, but the trouble is I have so many other things to research and do. I had thought backing up would be simple. It's just copying files, isn't it?