Solved Need a new Backup & Storage program

[XP VM User]

Hi everyone!

I have been a faithful user of Norton products for years (despite some problems I and others have had) as I like some aspects of their products which I could not find elsewhere (*see below for what I need).

I have used Norton Ghost 15 on Windows 7 Professional since I got it in 2010 (hopefully my system info was attached to the bottom of my post like the others here--its been a while since I needed help). Suddenly, (last year!) it vanished from all locations on the Computer. I don't know why, the site of course is closed down as Norton does not sell it anymore, I could not make a copy of it as it was purchased from their online store. I thought I downloaded a file to save when I got it, but searches of computer files everywhere come up empty... the link on the desktop I always used says it goes nowhere.

Of course Norton is not helpful as they have a new product SSR (see Link at end of this question for data sheet) which does a lot more than just Norton Ghost, and according to their website I have to remove all traces of Norton Ghost before installing it (might be a problem in future if the computer can no longer locate any remaining pieces of Norton Ghost 15 to remove, the SSR might not work, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.)

Purpose of this post:

I would like to find a different backup/restore program which works successfully, without failing, on Windows 7 x64 Professional and wondering if anyone here has any favorites.

I already waded through the postings on the native Windows backup program that comes with Windows 7, too many difficult situations for me, and no help other than here....

I have several requirements for a backup system that would be similar to the one that Norton Ghost provided me over the years, over four devices, and I can't find on searches of ratings of backup programs on the web.

First: It must have a "human" at the end of a telephone that I can call for help. Like Norton/Symantec, I would let them have remote entry to the computer where they usually fixed any problem and it was free for as long as I owned the latest version of Norton Ghost i.e.: very low price, very easy to ask for help when I did need it and none of this back and forth for weeks on Forums asking for help! (I have nothing but praise for this Forum. I like this Windows Seven Forum the best as you are usually responsive faster than anywhere else in cyberspace), I just feel more confident having the instant fix provided by Norton/Symantec that I would lose if I do not use their products anymore.

Why am I not using SSR? I found on ratings and review websites for year or so now its been out, so many complaints , so many losses of entire data from the computer and back up drive when trying to restore it (I hope I never have to but that is what a backup program is supposed to do and I'm suddenly facing some very bad viruses and other programs in the news lately so I realize I must find something that works and I've not backed up for a year now, since Norton Ghost 15 vanished.

I used Norton Anti-Virus program and malwarebytes.com ones and computer has been clean and all Trojans, etc protected and stopped so I don't know why or how my paid/installed Norton Ghost 15 program vanished. (It is still working on another computer with a different OS so I can't transfer that one to Windows 7 as the one I downloaded from their shopping cart site is for that OS only). So the only one affected by the loss is the laptop with Windows 7, having no current backup process.

I know too much information, lets go back to my attempts to find a suitable program using searches of web. I also searched your site here, but it seems that most of the discussions of the backup systems (if they are not the native Windows 7 backup) are all done back in 2009!! or so. I'm trying to find out if there is a more modern, up to date backup system program I can get (does not have to be free, I would want some of the extras as I described below at * to be included.

One thing that I hate about Acronis and other similar one button solution backup systems I have used and do not use now, is that once you backup to the external hard drive, its all a matter of total "faith" in the system that everything backed up. So unless you have a blank drive sitting around for fun, and lots and lots of time to waste, you can't test out if the program actually made a successful copy without copying the whole drive, programs plus data!!! back to a new one and try it out in the computer to see if it boots up (MBR is always a must to save in case original drive is damaged in laptop!! by accident or a computer virus [or worse as I read recently!])

So why all this discussion?

Because one thing about Norton Ghost 15 (and all prior Ghost backups), that I love is the ability to use windows explorer on the laptop to explore and check the sizes and number of files in each subject area i.e. My Documents, Downloads, etc etc, confirming that the size and number of files were copied successfully to the external hard drive. And even, if I mess up ONE file of data for some reason or other ----always happens, I can go back in time without using Windows Restore which deletes all updates etc and its a pain to re do all of them over again---I can go back to the backup drive and just copy and paste (even if compressed!) using the Norton Ghost 15 program, one or more files back over the same damaged file and keep right on going with what I'm doing within minutes after its damaged, without calling for help on phone, or writing long long (yes I do write long!) messages for help in these Forums here (or the Norton Forum)... This is essential for me to be happy with a backup program!

Also I usually have to compress it to save space of course and I do make sure I have several copies of the backup on the external drive, erasing the oldest one before doing a new one, or new incremental as I usually had Norton Ghost 15 set to do and prefer to have it done so the drives (both in laptop and external) do not have to run extensively to do anything but backup on a schedule just the new or changed files!

So I've searched a lot of new free and paid programs and of course I know not everyone is "happy" with what they are using, but trying to get a program again that has:

(here is the * point):My personal preferences/requirements for a backup program:

1. Ability to view anytime, from either Windows Explorer or the backup programs' own system the contents of the backup drive, uncompressed so I can read titles of files and sizes so I can personally guarantee and self verify... that the sizes match and files were saved that the program said they were saved.

2. Ability to transfer back just one file (or a bunch of associated files/folders) without going through a whole restore entire Hard Drive process, so I can replace as little as a single file I accidentally messed up in saving or deleting or whatever I did to it (I do have Recuva, et al. lots of restoration programs, and of course I try those first, but I delete and find out I did the wrong one days and days later, when its all been overwritten, etc so nothing left to restore, so I'm forced to go to the backup drive and copy a file back again.

3. Ability to have a phone (with a human!) and possibly remote access to my computer to set up the schedule for backing up drives or doing anything else on the backup program that I might need assistance with. 24/7 like Norton is preferred, but I'll take the 9-5 Mon-Fri, if the program is as good as ratings say, then I should not need to use it often.

4. Free or Paid version is ok, as some of the features I would like to have I know they charge for.. I've read so many problems with free sites (like CNET) that I used to use, which now forcibly install toolbars that I have to go to a different Forum site to get detailed instructions on how to get rid of that, so getting a "free" program today is rife with problems and secret spyware, tracking, programs that I of course agreed to install when I chose the free program....Sorry, shareware and freeware are no longer that free anymore!! (File Hippo I know about, but for backup programs I want something more robust than I find there, like my old Norton Ghost15, but with a current legitimate license to use, so I can call Norton with a problem, and File Hippo et al. will not give me a license and as I said before Norton stopped supporting Norton Ghost 15.

Finally......... thanks for reading all of this for those who did... I appreciate the advice and will search and follow your links to see what other programs are out there that I might be able to use... of course I'm very careful about clicking on links due to recent news articles, but somehow I have to click on them to find a program to do backups!

Thanks!
XP VM USER (sorry about the name I got stuck with it from my first post)

http://static.symanteccloud.com/estore/Datasheets/en/Product/SSR-Products/symantec-system-recovery.pdf

 

[oscer1]

Hi you can check out macrium reflect and see if it something you might be interested in. Macrium Reflect Backup and Hard Disk Imaging for Windows 7, Vista, XP and Server 2003/2008

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Instead of one backup program, I suggest you use two together. Assuming you keep your OS and programs on a separate drive or partition (highly recommended, btw), I strongly suggest using Macrium Reflect Free to image the OS and programs (here is a good tutorial on how to do so). By imaging your OS and programs separately from your data, image size is kept to a minimum, making keeping multiple copies easier. Short of cloning (extremely inefficient for backups), imaging is the only way to restore your OS and programs and still have them be functional.

For backing up data, especially large amounts, imaging is slow, inefficient, and takes up far too much room. Folder/file syncing programs, such as FreeFileSync, are far more efficient. A folder/file syncing program acts like a cloning program in that it essentially will give a duplicate of the drive you are backing up but, unlike cloning, you can backup just a partition and, once the initial backup has been done, it takes far less time to make backups since only files that have been added, changed or deleted are affected. A folder/file syncing program in mirror mode works by comparing the source drive or partition to the destination drive or partition for files that have been added, changed, or deleted, then copies and deletes files as necessary on the destination drive or partition as necessary to make the two drives or partitions essentially identical. I used to clone my data drives once a week and it took about three hours to clone a 2TB drive with a bit over 1TB of data on it (imaging takes even longer, btw). Using FreeFileSync, it takes me only about an average of five minutes to make a backup (depending on how much data I've added between backups) so I can now do multiple daily backups.

Another feature of FreeFileSync is I can send deleted data to a versioning folder or HDD (I use a separate HDD). That way, I'm protected from losing data due to accidental deletions.

 

[whs]

Free Macrium is the best and never fails.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Free Macrium is the best and never fails.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Does Macrium or any of the usual suggestions provide phone support, which the OP says is a requirement?

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Forgot to comment about phone support. Most phone "support" I've encountered was pretty much worthless. With Macrium Reflect, there are plenty of people here on Seven Forums, such as whs, who have considerable experience using it and will be happy to help you out if needed. A few of us have experience with FreeFileSync and also will be able to help you out. Overall, I've found the help here is much better than any I've received elsewhere.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Does Macrium or any of the usual suggestions provide phone support, which the OP says is a requirement?

No. The paid versions of Macrium Reflect have access to their user forum but I've found the help here to be just as good, if not better. Again, I feel phone support is overrated.

 

[whs]

Does Macrium or any of the usual suggestions provide phone support, which the OP says is a requirement?

Phone support is like calling the sanitation department when you have a heart attack.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

That is funny because it's true. (Homer Simpson)

I don't care who you are; that there is funny. (Larry, the Cable Guy).

:roflmao: (Jeannie)

 

[XP VM User]

A very big thank you to everyone who replied! I'm reading and making separate notes to reply where needed..... Appreciate all the advice so far!

Still have questions, will post soon (its COLD here)...fingers moving slowly! (I'd talk to type but my teeth chattering too much!)

 

[XP VM User]

Reply #1

Hi Oscer1, and Lady Fitzgerald:

You both mentioned Macrium Reflect Backup and Hard Disk Imaging for Windows 7, Vista, XP and Server 2003/2008-- I came across that one in my searches... looked promising but the few rating sites had unusually low numbers of users (12 or 25) (usually 4 or 5 stars for each user total so excellent ratings) but I was worried that having so few users for this, and all reviewed it great but if all reviews are great, why so few users reviewing compared to 100's for other companies? Not complaining there... just wondering... Its a UK company I found out from your link (thanks!)

And 30 day free trial (but no prices listed, so does anyone know what am I getting trapped into for cost---Laptop is a relative's computer (more about that later in other posts), so not my wallet that will get hit for this....

 

[XP VM User]

Reply #2

Image backup you can try these: EaseUS Todo Backup, CloneZilla, paragon.
Sync backup software: Goodsync

I didn't forget about you Elen, just responding to the others while I now go off to check your listing of choices to see what they have to offer me.... will report back!

 

[XP VM User]

Special thanks to whs

Thanks whs for your additional information:

Free Macrium is the best and never fails.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

and posting here on Windows Seven Forums with tutorial.... (thanks for your link---hope it works if I get and use Macrium) will save me hours of uploading that iso....

 

[SIW2]

There are several. They all work fine. None is perfect, to say it never fails is a huge exaggeration. However, problems are extremely rare and more often due to difficulties on the source/destination drive.

I have been doing this for a very long time. I started the whole macrium thing way back on the Vista Forums.

That is not to say it is the best for you.

I use Aomei Backupper mostly now, it is fast and has an excellent GUI. I have never had any problem with it. It is also small and unintrusive.

Another possibility is Easeus. Works fine, but it is huge with a couple of hefty services running - reminds me of Acronis.

Paragon is worth looking at also. It has some unusual features, which may appeal.



You can take a look at some of the free versions first.

 

[Layback Bear]

Hi XP VM User.

I also use Macrium Reflect Backup and it just plain works.

I don't know where you are looking at reviews at but these are my thoughts and the reviews I went by.

1.Lady Fitzgerald the backup Queen of the century.

2. Whs who has forgot more about computer than I will ever know.

Another real plus is the tutorials on this forum that can guide one through every step of the way. If one stumbles with the tutorials; we are open 24/7/365 if help is needed.

 

[XP VM User]

For everyone about OP's request for Phone Support:

ignatzatsonic wrote:

Does Macrium or any of the usual suggestions provide phone support, which the OP says is a requirement?

Forgot to comment about phone support. Most phone "support" I've encountered was pretty much worthless. With Macrium Reflect, there are plenty of people here on Seven Forums, such as whs, who have considerable experience using it and will be happy to help you out if needed. A few of us have experience with FreeFileSync and also will be able to help you out. Overall, I've found the help here is much better than any I've received elsewhere.

Phone support is like calling the sanitation department when you have a heart attack.

LOL I do agree with Lady Fitzgerald, whs: BUT (and its a big one with me) But read below:::

My years of experience doing backups ( and on my XP system not listed here--- I have had RAID 0 (I hear you Lady Fitzgerald, Quoted: Backup, backup, backup! And RAID is NOT a backup! and I will respond to that phrase later on), and other backup systems to backups as I never wanted to lose stuff, but let me describe the scenario that I personally frequently (!) found myself in.

While using Norton Ghost (various versions, so depending upon the version what broke or went wrong would be different), I'd get in a situation, where at 8 pm at night, after running all day in background, doing an incremental backup, it says backup failed! Now I have two choices:

According to the ones who say phone help is "overrated" no good, I can always go "online" to get help.....but what if that computer tells me its "Jammed" can't go online as too many operations running for the RAM memory to handle, too many page handles open, [yes I've got a whole book of error messages I've saved over the years from trying other systems other than Norton, which is why I kept coming back to Norton products even when other people didn't like it...]

So let me ask you, with the computer "jammed up" in a constant saving mode listing it as failed, HDD light spinning on and on solid, and I'm stupid afraid to "pull the plug" and crash the computer just to get it to reset so I can go "online" for help.... what do I do (pretend I don't have any other computers at home at 8 pm....)

Leave it running all night? Until I can go to get a library/friend? computer to post my message to the forum help site?

Then go back every hour? or two? to check on my message??? (I'm serious here..... its happened for various reasons (i.e. blackout etc) but all long stories)....

I don't want to excessively run the HDD while its in an endless loop stuck there and I found out sometimes (to my horror) that if I forcibly stop the copying process mid-stream---it damages the copy already made (to which the incremental storage was being added) so I have to begin that huge copying process all over again! Again using up the poor HDD (and my not having money growing on trees... to just run and replace HDD's or fans every time they break down---I know how, but I don't trust myself to actually DO the replacement so it costs money and have to lose the computer time as well to take it to a repair shop....

ALL this is happily and very easily fixed!

How you ask?

By a simple 8:00 pm phone call, and about 10 min wait time, and without showing them the screen, I just verbally describe in a few minutes (faster than I can type!) its overload page handles error messages, failed save process error messages or anything else, and without their coming into the computer remotely, I get instant service by an expert who knows their program and exactly what went wrong and guides me through the steps (I can press buttons if I can read to them what the screen says)---and VOILA! (yes happy face) The computer is fixed, they can go in remotely, reset the Norton Ghost, pick up where it left off (they have the command codes and all fixes for the registry if needed! No fumbling around trying to Reg Edit myself to get rid of pieces of programs left hanging from the process...

I'm sorry, but to me that is worth its weight in gold...

(I complained to Symantec about the bad reviews, but they had no comment for me to make me feel better about trying SSR with 24/7 phone support).

(That said, I understand completly what Lady Fitzgerald suggested about having TWO backup systems.....I never did as I always was told by Norton especially NOT to do that,, but if I don't have Norton running the show I guess its ok to have two (I was also warned never to have two Anti-Virus systems as they clash wth each other (I learned it the hard way)..... even if one has features the other does not! I have to make those hard choices....

So for all those wondering why do I want phone help option, when there are so many other Free Forums and places to go under the backup software's own web page, you don't get the idea. That concept is that while I carefully read what others say... I carefully follow the instructions, but when my screen shot DOES NOT EQUAL what the poster or Forum said it should.... then what do I do? I'm stuck in middle of a process! [guess I should make this a separate question here one day] computer is buzzing along and I'm again running outside to find another working computer connected to the Internet in order to write back to the Forum hoping that someone in the world is awake (I operate my computers on/off 24/7 even if others don't') and reading the Forum and would have the time and energy to reply back to me with what do I do when the screen shot does not say what it should say (and of course since I'm not at home with the faulty computer, how do I go back and forth running home to read the screen, then running back to the outside computer to enter the data and post it in Forum, etc, in order to solve the problem!

Thanks for reading all of this, I'll post some of these now so I can get replies, and check out the Macrium Reflect Backup and Hard Disk Imaging for Windows 7, as one backup, but I should still have someplace I can call instantly to get help, so where else can I go for a backup program?

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...to say it never fails is a huge exaggeration...

Depends how you look at it. To say that it never fails, meaning for everyone, could be a huge exaggeration. However, for those of us here on Seven Forums who use it frequently, saying it never fails is reasonable. In my case, I have never had it fail to restore an image. I had an image fail to verify only one time (out of a couple years of making at least one image a week); I just immediately made another one and it verified. One of the beauties of Macrium Reflect is being able verify an image after making them instead of waiting until you need it only to have it fail to restore.

 

[whs]

I think you worry too much. And here is the free Macrium version (left column) that I use since 5 years. never had a problem. That's why I made the tutorial. Trust me, it's a very good program. When I was teaching it in my computer club, we must have made 100 recoveries - none ever failed.

Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

 

[XP VM User]

Quick short reply

Thanks SIW2 for your reply

and thanks to Layback Bear great response as usual (I remember you from my earlier problem(s)... and despite your comments below your avatar "3 brain cells" you have much more than I do especially where computers are concerned so that places the other two you mentioned even higher up the scale then....

I was busy typing so I did not see your reply until I posted mine... Layback Bear, so when you say

we are open 24/7/365 if help is needed.

please see my post above about phone support, I'd be interested in what you think of that....