While we're discussing backups...
Just a quick thought. I saw at least one person mention RAID, and
another mention multiple copies of the same data. A true backup copy
is off line. RAID does not protect you from an accidental delete,
virus, etc... Multiple copies only spreads the risk around.
I backup to a USB hard disk. I plug it in, backup, unplug it, de-
cable and park it in a filing cabinet. The disk spends 99.99% of
it's life powered off. It should last a decade or more like this,
but I buy a new disk to replace it every 5 years, regardless if it
needs it or not. Really critical stuff goes on a CD-R, stored flat
in a jewel case, and goes in the safe deposit box.
Rob
KC6OOM/5
On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:47:12 -0500, Robert Vassar rvassar@rob-vassar.com
wrote:
I backup to a USB hard disk. I plug it in, backup, unplug it, de-
cable and park it in a filing cabinet. The disk spends 99.99% of
it's life powered off. It should last a decade or more like this,
but I buy a new disk to replace it every 5 years, regardless if it
needs it or not. Really critical stuff goes on a CD-R, stored flat
in a jewel case, and goes in the safe deposit box.
My laptop is may main computer. My "backup" procedure consists of cloning the
C: drive using a freebie utility called "xxclone" (http://www.xxclone.com).
This one is one of the best cloning programs that I've tried and being free is
a double bonus.
The target drives are the same brand and size as what is installed in my
laptop. The bare target drive is connected via a USB-to-EDIE interface cable
that I picked up somewhere on the net for about $20. I use 3 drives in
rotation so that I have 3 generations of drive snapshots at any given time.
That has saved my cookies more than once when I realized after the last clone
that I'd deleted something vital. The three "backup" drives stay in my
fireproof safe inside zip-lock bags. The zip-lock bags are vital. I learned
the hard way during a house fire that even though the fireproof safe protects
the media from heat, it doesn't protect it from the acidic smoke and steam
that are drawn into the cool interior.
If the drive in my laptop fails, I don't have to do a restore. I simply get
the latest clone drive out of the safe and install it in my computer and I'm
instantly back up and running with the machine state being that of the last
snapshot.
I do a weekly clone and a daily differential backup to my linux file server
running SAMBA using another freebie utility called SyncBack. A flash drive is
another option for those non-networked computer users.
http://www.2brightsparks.com/. Even when I've been very active, a week's
worth of changes easily fits on a 4 gig flash drive.
I still have the occasional nightmare when I think about tape backup. More
accurately, the time wasted verifying each tape and even then, having the tape
not read about half the time when it was needed. Never again!
John
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
What do you call a blonde's cranial cavity? Vacuum chamber?
In regard to the below info, I downloaded xxclone and it does appear to be
the type of backup program that I have been looking for, BUT I can not get
my C: drive to come up in the source or the target window. I am running XP
on a COMPAQ Presario if that helps. Could anyone tell me why I can not see
my C: drive. It has my start up info and WINDOWS on it.
Bruce
---- Original Message -----
From: "Neon John" jgd@johngsbbq.com
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement"
time-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] While we're discussing backups...
On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:47:12 -0500, Robert Vassar rvassar@rob-vassar.com
wrote:
I backup to a USB hard disk. I plug it in, backup, unplug it, de-
cable and park it in a filing cabinet. The disk spends 99.99% of
it's life powered off. It should last a decade or more like this,
but I buy a new disk to replace it every 5 years, regardless if it
needs it or not. Really critical stuff goes on a CD-R, stored flat
in a jewel case, and goes in the safe deposit box.
My laptop is may main computer. My "backup" procedure consists of cloning
the
C: drive using a freebie utility called "xxclone"
(http://www.xxclone.com).
This one is one of the best cloning programs that I've tried and being
free is
a double bonus.
The target drives are the same brand and size as what is installed in my
laptop. The bare target drive is connected via a USB-to-EDIE interface
cable
that I picked up somewhere on the net for about $20. I use 3 drives in
rotation so that I have 3 generations of drive snapshots at any given
time.
That has saved my cookies more than once when I realized after the last
clone
that I'd deleted something vital. The three "backup" drives stay in my
fireproof safe inside zip-lock bags. The zip-lock bags are vital. I
learned
the hard way during a house fire that even though the fireproof safe
protects
the media from heat, it doesn't protect it from the acidic smoke and steam
that are drawn into the cool interior.
If the drive in my laptop fails, I don't have to do a restore. I simply
get
the latest clone drive out of the safe and install it in my computer and
I'm
instantly back up and running with the machine state being that of the
last
snapshot.
I do a weekly clone and a daily differential backup to my linux file
server
running SAMBA using another freebie utility called SyncBack. A flash drive
is
another option for those non-networked computer users.
http://www.2brightsparks.com/. Even when I've been very active, a week's
worth of changes easily fits on a 4 gig flash drive.
I still have the occasional nightmare when I think about tape backup.
More
accurately, the time wasted verifying each tape and even then, having the
tape
not read about half the time when it was needed. Never again!
John
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
What do you call a blonde's cranial cavity? Vacuum chamber?
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.7/1629 - Release Date: 8/23/2008
1:16 PM
On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:51:35 -0400, "Bruce Lanning" belanning@verizon.net
wrote:
In regard to the below info, I downloaded xxclone and it does appear to be
the type of backup program that I have been looking for, BUT I can not get
my C: drive to come up in the source or the target window. I am running XP
on a COMPAQ Presario if that helps. Could anyone tell me why I can not see
my C: drive. It has my start up info and WINDOWS on it.
No idea other than the brand name. Compaqs have a rep for stuff like that.
Are you running XP? All bets are off if Vista is involved.
I've installed xxclone on a number of client and friends' computers and never
had a problem. It just came up and ran.
Did you try pressing the disk management button to the right of the source and
target slots? That brings up windows disk drive management package. What
does it show? Is your C drive an NTFS volume that is showing healthy?
Have you turned off any services, particularly windows shadow volume copy
service? Some "optimization" websites recommend turning that service off but
doing so disables just about every backup or clone package that runs in
multi-user mode.
Do you have any virus bloat-ware like Norton running? If so, it might be
interfering with disk detection. I have the freebie Avast package on my
machine and before that AVG (release 8 turned into bloatware so I had to
change) running with no problems but given the amount of problems I've had in
the past with Norton and MaCaffee, I'd be looking there.
Have you tried since rebooting the machine? Kind of an obvious question but I
had to ask.
As a last resort, you might drop them a support note and ask if they've had
any reported problems with your model computer. Maybe they'll have a patch or
a work-around.
John
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Multitasking: Reading in the bathroom!
There have certainly been some amusing replies. My only point was
that if it you are storing stuff on "spinning rust", you can't call
it a backup if it's still spinning. Power it off and de-cable it.
How much further you go after that to protect it depends on your risk
requirements. I did like the zip-loc bag idea.
I live in lightning and tornado country. Less than an hour's drive
from Jarrell. :-(
Thanks John and sorry that I am so late in thanking you for your response to
my question on xxCLONE. I have tried all of your recommendations to no
avail. Guess I will write to the authors of the software. Thanks again for
your input.
Bruce
----- Original Message -----
From: "Neon John" jgd@johngsbbq.com
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement"
time-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] While we're discussing backups...
On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:51:35 -0400, "Bruce Lanning"
belanning@verizon.net
wrote:
In regard to the below info, I downloaded xxclone and it does appear to be
the type of backup program that I have been looking for, BUT I can not get
my C: drive to come up in the source or the target window. I am running XP
on a COMPAQ Presario if that helps. Could anyone tell me why I can not
see
my C: drive. It has my start up info and WINDOWS on it.
No idea other than the brand name. Compaqs have a rep for stuff like
that.
Are you running XP? All bets are off if Vista is involved.
I've installed xxclone on a number of client and friends' computers and
never
had a problem. It just came up and ran.
Did you try pressing the disk management button to the right of the source
and
target slots? That brings up windows disk drive management package. What
does it show? Is your C drive an NTFS volume that is showing healthy?
Have you turned off any services, particularly windows shadow volume copy
service? Some "optimization" websites recommend turning that service off
but
doing so disables just about every backup or clone package that runs in
multi-user mode.
Do you have any virus bloat-ware like Norton running? If so, it might be
interfering with disk detection. I have the freebie Avast package on my
machine and before that AVG (release 8 turned into bloatware so I had to
change) running with no problems but given the amount of problems I've had
in
the past with Norton and MaCaffee, I'd be looking there.
Have you tried since rebooting the machine? Kind of an obvious question
but I
had to ask.
As a last resort, you might drop them a support note and ask if they've
had
any reported problems with your model computer. Maybe they'll have a
patch or
a work-around.
John
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Multitasking: Reading in the bathroom!
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.7/1629 - Release Date: 8/23/2008
1:16 PM
Hi Robert:
I tried to comment on this using another computer and think it did not get posted.
The only backup that's trustworthy is one that's tested to confirm that it
works. For example if you clone your C: drive to a new hard drive then swap
hard drives. The removed C: drive becomes the backup and you have a new (and
larger C: drive to continue working).
A backup that's not used immediately may be completely defective when needed.
A friend was using RAID (his concern was hard drive failure, which in my
experience is the most common problem) and when the RAID software said
something was wrong he was not able to recover using RAID. He paid a disk
drive recovery service $4,000 to get his data from the dead drive.
Note that cloning a drive copies everything so all your applications, data and
registry info gets copied. Any backup that's not a bootable version of your
complete system may be missing something needed to be used.
Have Fun,
Brooke Clarke
http://www.prc68.com/P/Prod.html Products I make and sell
http://www.prc68.com/Alpha.shtml All my web pages listed based on html name
http://www.PRC68.com
http://www.precisionclock.com
http://www.prc68.com/I/WebCam2.shtml 24/7 Sky-Weather-Astronomy Web Cam
Robert Vassar wrote:
Just a quick thought. I saw at least one person mention RAID, and
another mention multiple copies of the same data. A true backup copy
is off line. RAID does not protect you from an accidental delete,
virus, etc... Multiple copies only spreads the risk around.
I backup to a USB hard disk. I plug it in, backup, unplug it, de-
cable and park it in a filing cabinet. The disk spends 99.99% of
it's life powered off. It should last a decade or more like this,
but I buy a new disk to replace it every 5 years, regardless if it
needs it or not. Really critical stuff goes on a CD-R, stored flat
in a jewel case, and goes in the safe deposit box.
Rob
KC6OOM/5
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.