Windows XP Backup Wizard Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter joed
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joed

Instead of buying an expensive HD backup program, what is lacking in
Windows XP's own backup wizard plus system recovery disk?

Will not these utilities recover my entire OS as it was, including all
my programs and data?
 
Instead of buying an expensive HD backup program, what is lacking
in Windows XP's own backup wizard plus system recovery disk?
Click to expand...

The main lacks are with stuff like direct burning to CD and DVD
burners and some of the more exotic backup destinations. Lacks
browsing in the backup if you want to extract just a file or two.

Weak on specifying the backup of a subset of files and have that
subset specification saved and scheduled for repeated backups.
I think that is rather dangerous, so I dont think the lack of it
matters much, but some may feel otherwise, particularly if you
have a specific need to backup just some stuff at a high rate
and say do a more general backup at a lower frequency.
Will not these utilities recover my entire OS
as it was, including all my programs and data?
Click to expand...

Yes it will, its just a bit cruder in some areas, particularly
on the support for some types of backup destination.
 
The main lacks are with stuff like direct burning to CD and DVD
burners and some of the more exotic backup destinations. Lacks
browsing in the backup if you want to extract just a file or two.

Weak on specifying the backup of a subset of files and have that
subset specification saved and scheduled for repeated backups.
I think that is rather dangerous, so I dont think the lack of it
matters much, but some may feel otherwise, particularly if you
have a specific need to backup just some stuff at a high rate
and say do a more general backup at a lower frequency.


Yes it will, its just a bit cruder in some areas, particularly
on the support for some types of backup destination.
Click to expand...

I think I'll stick with XP's methods. I like the price. :)

I just found out about and used the ASR backup w/boot disk option. (XP
is brand new to me.)

What I'm mainly worried about is losing *everything* in a disk crash.

I do have some other program which will back up my data files and
allow quick access.

Thanks for answering.
 
I think I'll stick with XP's methods. I like the price. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, and I meant to say that the lack of output device support
isnt necessarily that big a deal, I dont normally write directly to
a DVD burner myself with backups, because its a nuisance to
have to sit there changing the blanks when a fresh one is needed.

I dont actually use the browse of the backup much at all either,
basically because with the stuff I do want to step back a version
with I actually keep the backups on the hard drive with a
completely separate backup mechanism of my own too.
I just found out about and used the ASR backup
w/boot disk option. (XP is brand new to me.)
Click to expand...
What I'm mainly worried about is losing *everything* in a disk crash.
Click to expand...
I do have some other program which will
back up my data files and allow quick access.
Click to expand...
Thanks for answering.
Click to expand...

No problem, its one of those things well worth
discussing, tad late to find out once the hard drive
dies the downsides with some approaches to backup.
 
snipped

No problem, its one of those things well worth
discussing, tad late to find out once the hard drive
dies the downsides with some approaches to backup.
Click to expand...

I learned a hard lesson once. My C: drive went down on a Saturday. No
problem. I had everything backed up with Drive Image to the D: drive.
Not wanting to fight the Sunday crowd at Best Buy, I planned to wait
until Monday to replace the C:

Sunday night my D: drive crashed - with *everything* on it. About 3
years of stuff GONE!

Moral of the story: Never wait until Monday. : )
 
I learned a hard lesson once. My C: drive went down on a Saturday. No
problem. I had everything backed up with Drive Image to the D: drive.
Not wanting to fight the Sunday crowd at Best Buy, I planned to wait
until Monday to replace the C:

Sunday night my D: drive crashed - with *everything* on it. About 3
years of stuff GONE!

Moral of the story: Never wait until Monday. : )
Click to expand...

Or never rely on just one backup, anyway.

I always have more than one for the stuff that is
irreplaceable and not on the same media either.
 
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