Organizing and Backing Up Files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill Tobin
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Bill Tobin

We are a five person graphics design firm and have the usual problems
organizing and protecting our data. We have lost data from user error,
crashes caused by hardware failure, conflicts from software installation and
power surges. We haven't suffered any catastrophic loss, yet.

Finally, we have made the decision to get some professional backup software
to protect against both minor and catastrophic loss and want to store the
backups offsite. The backup software we have selected will protect us
against the corruption or loss of the OS, any software programs and add-ins
we have installed.

Does anyone know of a "best practice" strategy so we can set up a method of
backing up the data to one machine that we could designate as a combination
backup/fileserver? For example, is it possible to set up one machine where
all the data would reside and then backup the data from it onto DVD's and
store the DVD's offsite? We aren't in the position to buy an actual Win
Server right now. Thanks for any and all suggestions.
 
Hi yellowpike,

Good article. That is the kind of article (as well as some problems we've
had) that led to the decision to backup all of our OS, programs and data.
However, what I'm looking for now is the best way to organize just the data
so that we have an easy system to follow. I'm looking to set something up
where all the data can be backed up from one HD while retaining each user's
data on their own machine, if that's possible.
 
More to the point.
Here is a paste from the book "Windows XP Inside Out". I recommend it
highly.
I just hope they don't knock on my door for copyright infringement......
Most of the Advanced options are self-explanatory. The most confusing option
is the choice of five backup types:

a.. A normal backup backs up all selected files and clears their archive
attributes (so that subsequent differential or incremental backups copy only
those files that have changed since their normal backup).
b.. An incremental backup copies selected files that have changed since
the most recent normal or incremental backup and clears these files' archive
attributes. If you perform a normal (full) backup every Monday, you can
perform an incremental backup on Tuesday through Friday. As part of each
incremental backup, the Backup Utility will pick up only those files that
have been changed since the last backup, which should take significantly
less time than a full backup. In case of data loss, you would restore the
normal backup and each succeeding incremental backup.
c.. A differential backup copies selected files that have changed since
the most recent normal or incremental backup but does not clear the files'
archive attributes. Subsequent differential backups continue to copy all
files that have changed since the most recent normal or incremental backup.
If you perform a full backup on Monday and a differential backup on each
succeeding day of the week, you could restore your data by using the full
backup and the most recent differential backup.
d.. A copy backup copies all selected files but does not clear archive
attributes. A copy backup is useful as a way of archiving particular files
without affecting your overall backup routine.
e.. A daily backup copies all selected files that have changed on the
current day, without clearing the files' archive attributes. This procedure
represents a way of backing up a particular day's work without affecting the
overall backup routine and is best used as part of a Scheduled Task that
runs late at night, after you've quit work for the day.
yellowpike
 
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