| Subject: Backup by simply transferring user folder to a removable drive? |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management |
| Date: 5/5/2008 8:43:22 PM |
| From: "Bob" [Email Address Protection] |
I am running Vista Home Premium on my box. Will this idea of mine work to back up my computer. I have my computer set up in a simple way. I have my administrator account I named "Bob" that I use only when absolutely necessary. I set up one user account named "Bob1" (Wow, that's original!! - LOL) using all default settings and permissions. "Bob1" is my main and only user account I use all the time and it all runs excellent with this simple configuration. There is nothing in the administrator account I need to backup. Here is my plan. I have not done this yet. I first backup my outlook calendar to a "todays_date.pst" file and put it a folder named "backup" in "Bob1" account folder. I do not use outlook for email. I use "Windows Mail" as my only email application. I use "Windows Contacts" exclusively for contacts. I am a simple user. All the rest of my working files and all other files that are important to me are in the "Bob1" user folder. So next I highlight the "Bob1" user folder and copy and paste the whole thing to a USB hard drive and go to bed and in the morning my computer is backed up. Lets say my hard drive fails and I replace it. I install vista. I install ms office. I copy and paste my user folder backup into my main user account. I reinstall my calendar in outlook from my .pst backup file. I then reestablish user preferences in vista and office, etc.. Now all is restored the way it was before my hard drive died. Would this backup method work? I do not mind reinstalling each piece of software individually, I actually would prefer it. If this backup method would not work the way I describe, how do I modify this method so it will work? My goal is a fast method to back up just my files and data quick. In the event of hard drive failure I reinstall the operating system and then each individual software application I use and then reinstall the data and files. I currently use Acronis True Image Home 10.0. The dirty dogs run three processes at computer start up. I emailed them and told them I only need to backup every one or two weeks, why have three processes running all the time? They answered that those three processes are needed and gave me a complex method to get around it that I do not want to spend five hours figuring it out. Besides, I just don't trust a restore from an image backup. I just want to get away from trusting commercial backup software. I just cannot be comfortable with trusting years of irreplaceable files to commercial image backup software. A low-tech manual file backup described above seems much more reliable because it is the same process I use every day moving files around my computer. Thanks for the help. Bob |
| Back |
| Subject: Re: Backup by simply transferring user folder to a removable drive? |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management |
| Date: 5/6/2008 12:38:47 AM |
| From: "Bender" [Email Address Protection] |
Try SyncToy v2.0 available from Microsoft. You can search their site or go here http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C26EFA36-98E0-4EE9-A7C5-98D0592D8C52&displaylang=en If you wanted to test your backup plan you could simulate it inside of a Virtual PC session. Install a fresh copy of Vista and restore from your backups and see how it would work out. "Bob" <bobbREMOVE-CAPSus99@CAPSyaREMOVE-CAPShoo.com> wrote in message news:eNIzWtyrIHA.3632@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > I am running Vista Home Premium on my box. Will this idea of mine work to > back up my computer. I have my computer set up in a simple way. I have > my administrator account I named "Bob" that I use only when absolutely > necessary. I set up one user account named "Bob1" (Wow, that's > original!! - LOL) using all default settings and permissions. "Bob1" is > my main and only user account I use all the time and it all runs excellent > with this simple configuration. There is nothing in the administrator > account I need to backup. > > > > Here is my plan. I have not done this yet. I first backup my outlook > calendar to a "todays_date.pst" file and put it a folder named "backup" in > "Bob1" account folder. I do not use outlook for email. I use "Windows > Mail" as my only email application. I use "Windows Contacts" exclusively > for contacts. I am a simple user. All the rest of my working files and > all other files that are important to me are in the "Bob1" user folder. > So next I highlight the "Bob1" user folder and copy and paste the whole > thing to a USB hard drive and go to bed and in the morning my computer is > backed up. > > > > Lets say my hard drive fails and I replace it. I install vista. I > install ms office. I copy and paste my user folder backup into my main > user account. I reinstall my calendar in outlook from my .pst backup > file. I then reestablish user preferences in vista and office, etc.. Now > all is restored the way it was before my hard drive died. > > > > Would this backup method work? I do not mind reinstalling each piece of > software individually, I actually would prefer it. > > > > If this backup method would not work the way I describe, how do I modify > this method so it will work? > > > > My goal is a fast method to back up just my files and data quick. In the > event of hard drive failure I reinstall the operating system and then each > individual software application I use and then reinstall the data and > files. > > > > I currently use Acronis True Image Home 10.0. The dirty dogs run three > processes at computer start up. I emailed them and told them I only need > to backup every one or two weeks, why have three processes running all the > time? They answered that those three processes are needed and gave me a > complex method to get around it that I do not want to spend five hours > figuring it out. Besides, I just don't trust a restore from an image > backup. I just want to get away from trusting commercial backup software. > I just cannot be comfortable with trusting years of irreplaceable files to > commercial image backup software. A low-tech manual file backup described > above seems much more reliable because it is the same process I use every > day moving files around my computer. > > > > Thanks for the help. > > > > Bob > > > |
| Back |
| Subject: Re: Backup by simply transferring user folder to a removable drive? |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management |
| Date: 5/10/2008 10:58:10 PM |
| From: "SG" [Email Address Protection] |
SyncToy v2.0 is Beta and although it may be fine to use I would not recommend it. I use and do recommend SyncToy 1.4 for Windows Vista http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E0FC1154-C975-4814-9649-CCE41AF06EB7&displaylang=en -- All the best, SG Is your computer system ready for Vista? https://winqual.microsoft.com/hcl/ Want to keep up with the latest news from MS? http://news.google.com/nwshp?tab=wn&ned=us&topic=t Just type in Microsoft "Bender" <imnotgivingmynametoa@machine.net> wrote in message news:uuqR5w0rIHA.5068@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > Try SyncToy v2.0 available from Microsoft. You can search their site or go > here > http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C26EFA36-98E0-4EE9-A7C5-98D0592D8C52&displaylang=en > > If you wanted to test your backup plan you could simulate it inside of a > Virtual PC session. Install a fresh copy of Vista and restore from your > backups and see how it would work out. > > "Bob" <bobbREMOVE-CAPSus99@CAPSyaREMOVE-CAPShoo.com> wrote in message > news:eNIzWtyrIHA.3632@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >> I am running Vista Home Premium on my box. Will this idea of mine work >> to back up my computer. I have my computer set up in a simple way. I >> have my administrator account I named "Bob" that I use only when >> absolutely necessary. I set up one user account named "Bob1" (Wow, >> that's original!! - LOL) using all default settings and permissions. >> "Bob1" is my main and only user account I use all the time and it all >> runs excellent with this simple configuration. There is nothing in the >> administrator account I need to backup. >> >> >> >> Here is my plan. I have not done this yet. I first backup my outlook >> calendar to a "todays_date.pst" file and put it a folder named "backup" >> in "Bob1" account folder. I do not use outlook for email. I use >> "Windows Mail" as my only email application. I use "Windows Contacts" >> exclusively for contacts. I am a simple user. All the rest of my >> working files and all other files that are important to me are in the >> "Bob1" user folder. So next I highlight the "Bob1" user folder and copy >> and paste the whole thing to a USB hard drive and go to bed and in the >> morning my computer is backed up. >> >> >> >> Lets say my hard drive fails and I replace it. I install vista. I >> install ms office. I copy and paste my user folder backup into my main >> user account. I reinstall my calendar in outlook from my .pst backup >> file. I then reestablish user preferences in vista and office, etc.. >> Now all is restored the way it was before my hard drive died. >> >> >> >> Would this backup method work? I do not mind reinstalling each piece of >> software individually, I actually would prefer it. >> >> >> >> If this backup method would not work the way I describe, how do I modify >> this method so it will work? >> >> >> >> My goal is a fast method to back up just my files and data quick. In the >> event of hard drive failure I reinstall the operating system and then >> each individual software application I use and then reinstall the data >> and files. >> >> >> >> I currently use Acronis True Image Home 10.0. The dirty dogs run three >> processes at computer start up. I emailed them and told them I only need >> to backup every one or two weeks, why have three processes running all >> the time? They answered that those three processes are needed and gave >> me a complex method to get around it that I do not want to spend five >> hours figuring it out. Besides, I just don't trust a restore from an >> image backup. I just want to get away from trusting commercial backup >> software. I just cannot be comfortable with trusting years of >> irreplaceable files to commercial image backup software. A low-tech >> manual file backup described above seems much more reliable because it is >> the same process I use every day moving files around my computer. >> >> >> >> Thanks for the help. >> >> >> >> Bob >> >> >> |
| Back |
| Subject: Re: Backup by simply transferring user folder to a removable drive? |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management |
| Date: 5/11/2008 6:51:58 AM |
| From: "Hank Arnold (MVP)" [Email Address Protection] |
SG wrote: > SyncToy v2.0 is Beta and although it may be fine to use I would not > recommend it. > I use and do recommend SyncToy 1.4 for Windows Vista > http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E0FC1154-C975-4814-9649-CCE41AF06EB7&displaylang=en > > I use Karen's Replicator with great results (XP & Vista)... -- Regards, Hank Arnold Microsoft MVP Windows Server - Directory Services |
| Back |