? about backups

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D

D

Hi

I create a nightly normal backup of system state and other stuff I'd like to
save off to another drive. This creates multiple backups in one catalog
which over time gets to be rather large (70 gig) and I was wondering if
there was a way I could just delete some of the earlier backups from within
the catalog rather than deleting the whole catalog when it gets to large for
the disk.

Thanks
 
This is what I do. First, I create a backup consisting of everything I wish
to back up. Once saved, that serves as the template and I open it each time
I wish to run backup. Then, each time I run it, I save the backup file it
creates with a new name, usually corresponding to the date and day of the
week. I save that to a general backup folder. The following day, if I run
another backup, I first move the backup I've already made to a folder I call
backup files, then open the previously created "template," save it with the
new date and this keeps my backup sets separate.

I always have the most recent copy both on my current system for quick
retrieval as well as on a separate computer I use for saving backups as well
as for testing. You can burn it to DVD or, if small enough to CD or another
drive, I'm just using my situation as an example of saving backups to my
system as well as to some place off this hard drive.

In any event, this keeps volumes from getting too big and I rotate and
delete the oldest backups as time goes on.
 
What backup program are you using? If it is the Windows Backup.exe found
under System Tools, then notice that after you select the location for the
backup file you have an Advanced button on the "Completing the Backup or
Restore Wizard" box. Click the Advanced button and you will find a drop
down menu that allows you to choose the type of backup (5 choices). Choose
the Daily option and this will only backup changes from day to day
(incremental). This should greatly reduce the space used for the backup
files.

Personally I prefer BackUpMyPC and Retrospect 6.5 as back up programs.
 
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