backup type question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eli Aran
  • Start date Start date
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Eli Aran

hello
I got this new program to do backup jobs for my files and folders
I understand the the most practical and useful type of backup to do is
INCREMENTAL backups (daily)
the result is that the location (folder) of the backup files is getting more
and more files each day.
though the file size of each new incremental backup is obviously smaller
than the one of the previous day, still there are more and more backup
files.
my questions are:
1) will I need to keep all the incremental backup files - say after two
months - in order to be able to restore files?
2) since I am currently having a problem with hard disk space, did I choose
the best method for my backups?
I recently accidently deleted a partition and lost the data it contained so
I decided to start backing up as frequently as possible the remaining files
and the new daily additions.
I configured the backup program to backup (selected) files from drive C to
drive D, and (selected) files from drive D to drive C
my biggest concerns are the the space the backups are taking gradually, and
the uncertainty of the right method of backup for restore sake.
thank you for your advice.
 
Eli said:
hello
I got this new program to do backup jobs for my files and folders
I understand the the most practical and useful type of backup to do is
INCREMENTAL backups (daily)
the result is that the location (folder) of the backup files is getting
more and more files each day.
though the file size of each new incremental backup is obviously smaller
than the one of the previous day, still there are more and more backup
files.
my questions are:
1) will I need to keep all the incremental backup files - say after two
months - in order to be able to restore files?
2) since I am currently having a problem with hard disk space, did I
choose the best method for my backups?
I recently accidently deleted a partition and lost the data it contained
so I decided to start backing up as frequently as possible the remaining
files and the new daily additions.
I configured the backup program to backup (selected) files from drive C to
drive D, and (selected) files from drive D to drive C
my biggest concerns are the the space the backups are taking gradually,
and the uncertainty of the right method of backup for restore sake.
thank you for your advice.
Click to expand...

the best method is to do a full backup once a week and incremental backups
in between. Then every week you can delete the previous week's backups. And
are you backing-up to a separate HDD or a partition of your only HDD?
 
thank you for you quick reply
I will do what you recommended me.
I am backing up to a separate drive located in a separate HDD
this is true both about backing from C and for backing from D
 
Eli said:
hello
I got this new program to do backup jobs for my files and folders
I understand the the most practical and useful type of backup to do is
INCREMENTAL backups (daily)
the result is that the location (folder) of the backup files is
getting more and more files each day.
though the file size of each new incremental backup is obviously
smaller than the one of the previous day, still there are more and
more backup files.
my questions are:
1) will I need to keep all the incremental backup files - say after
two months - in order to be able to restore files?
2) since I am currently having a problem with hard disk space, did I
choose the best method for my backups?
I recently accidently deleted a partition and lost the data it
contained so I decided to start backing up as frequently as possible
the remaining files and the new daily additions.
I configured the backup program to backup (selected) files from drive
C to drive D, and (selected) files from drive D to drive C
my biggest concerns are the the space the backups are taking
gradually, and the uncertainty of the right method of backup for
restore sake. thank you for your advice.
Click to expand...

REad these for some much needed help:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/backup.mspx
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/registry.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup
 
Something you may want to consider is switch at some stage to an online
backup service like Carbonite. I am using Carbonite now and for $5 a
month I get backup with unlimited storage. The solution is easy to use.
If you go to Techcrunch you trial the service for a month for free.

http://www.techcrunch.com/

Carbonite is one of the site sponsors.
 
hello
I got this new program to do backup jobs for my files and folders
I understand the the most practical and useful type of backup to do is
INCREMENTAL backups (daily)
the result is that the location (folder) of the backup files is getting more
and more files each day.
though the file size of each new incremental backup is obviously smaller
than the one of the previous day, still there are more and more backup
files.
my questions are:
1) will I need to keep all the incremental backup files - say after two
months - in order to be able to restore files?
2) since I am currently having a problem with hard disk space, did I choose
the best method for my backups?
I recently accidently deleted a partition and lost the data it contained so
I decided to start backing up as frequently as possible the remaining files
and the new daily additions.
I configured the backup program to backup (selected) files from drive C to
drive D, and (selected) files from drive D to drive C
my biggest concerns are the the space the backups are taking gradually, and
the uncertainty of the right method of backup for restore sake.
thank you for your advice.
Click to expand...

I like Gordon's suggestion.

Reason: When using incremental backups, the success of restoring depends on
the whole set being error free. If there is a problem with one of the
parts, the whole backup is rendered useless.

When a fresh full backup is created once a week, you have that as a "safety
net" if the incremental set gets trashed.

So I'll just add this: Keep two weeks of backups to increase the coverage
of the safety net.
 
Eli said:
1) will I need to keep all the incremental backup files - say after two
months - in order to be able to restore files?
Click to expand...

Depends on the software used. With most Windows backup utilities, yes, you
will need to keep around all backups in an incremental set to be able to
restore. (This is different with faubackup on Linux, which takes advantage
of most non-Windows filesystems to use hard links, allowing faubackup to do
incremental backups that do not depend on the previous backup when it comes
time to restore; I would love it if there was free[1] software that could
do this for Windows)
2) since I am currently having a problem with hard disk space, did I
choose the best method for my backups?
Click to expand...

Yes, but probably not the best procedure to manage said backups.
I recently accidently deleted a partition and lost the data it contained
so I decided to start backing up as frequently as possible the remaining
files and the new daily additions.
I configured the backup program to backup (selected) files from drive C to
drive D, and (selected) files from drive D to drive C
my biggest concerns are the the space the backups are taking gradually,
and the uncertainty of the right method of backup for restore sake.
thank you for your advice.
Click to expand...

It's not really much of a backup if you're going from one internal hard
drive to another. If your data is really important to you, go out and
invest a little money in a high capacity portable hard drive that gets kept
in a fire safe or offsite when not in use.


[1] If the license prohibits modification and doesn't come with the source,
it's not free, and automatically is considered crap by default: System
restore tools need to be 100% trustable and I need to be able the tool
should it break.
 
Sharon said:
So I'll just add this: Keep two weeks of backups to increase the coverage
of the safety net.
Click to expand...

I would also keep a full backup of a fresh install around just in case. Who
knows? You might have to restore from backup and discover your two weeks
of backups backed up a well hidden trojan or other some kind of rootkit as
well and aren't any good; having a fresh install backed up will save you
time when your data is a total loss...
 
I would also keep a full backup of a fresh install around just in case. Who
knows? You might have to restore from backup and discover your two weeks
of backups backed up a well hidden trojan or other some kind of rootkit as
well and aren't any good; having a fresh install backed up will save you
time when your data is a total loss...
Click to expand...

It's better to have too many backup sets than not enough. :)

You've made a good point - any backup set that is not clean is not very
useful.
 
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