Backup Or Not Backup That Is The Question

[Beggar]

When I read some problems here I am always wondering why the people just don't restore a backup. Perhaps they do not have a backup I guess. But why not? It is hard to understand the reasons for me especially if they hesitate to make a clean re-install after problems.

I can restore my small system partition within minutes and the whole running 2 TB pretty quick too. I have almost a mirror as backup. And all new software is tested at least 1 month before it goes into the next backup after a restore of the last one. I never needed a re-install of a system in decades and I use it almost on a daily basis with endless software.

So why don't some people care about their data or only at the time when the data are gone?

What is the reason why YOU do not have a (working) backup? Please help me to understand.

[OriginalPoster]

Laziness would be my excuse, though I do save a ghost image of my system maybe a couple of times per year.

BTW, I've seen people who do frequent "mirror" backups get burned too. The scenario goes something like this - a corruption or lost files occurs, the problems go unnoticed for a while, a backup is done, then the problem is found, and then a backup is done only to find that the backup copy has the same problem.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Paranoid, I guess. I back up data to two (2) external HDD and keep them in different locations than my PC.

Mac

[Parvis]

What is the difference of back-up on external HDD and backing up data on Solid-state Memory?

[singa-traz]

What is the difference of back-up on external HDD and backing up data on Solid-state Memory?

Cost.

[Beggar]

Paranoid, I guess. I back up data to two (2) external HDD and keep them in different locations than my PC.

Mac

I don't think it is paranoid. I think it is the only way to go. I postponed this always and have only one backup. But if my hut burns down everything will be gone. And when I restore my backups I hope so much that my backup disks will not die exactly at this moment. On my disks is everything - all my photos, all the videos I made, all my documents. There is no other version anymore for all this data apart from documents where you need the original.

You motivate me to make copies at least of my most important data and put them in my bank safe. I hate it so much to go there... I will do it next year. Hopefully

[pjclark1]

Just copy the data you generate to a USB memory stick.

Most people produce very little themselves, letters, photos, emails, mp3s.

Pointless to copy the whole drive.

[Beggar]

The scenario goes something like this - a corruption or lost files occurs, the problems go unnoticed for a while, a backup is done, then the problem is found, and then a backup is done only to find that the backup copy has the same problem.

I have backup versions for at least the last 12 months. The system partition I backup with True Image. For the other partitions I create a mirror (exactly the same program and data structures) with the freeware Lazy Mirror. So I can swap the original and the backup disks immediately. In Lazy Mirror you can define an archive where old versions of files are kept automatically. Perhaps something for you?

http://www.xs4all.nl/~wstudios/LazyMirror/index.html

If anyone knows a better software like this please let me know. It has room for improvements but I did not find anything else with such archives.

[T_Dog]

Thanks to the Chiang Mai Computer Club, I got turned on to Super Duper for Macs. I do a monthly back-up which is bootable. Recreated files a few months ago on a new drive and it was pretty cool to use an old back up file and then see the same desktop items come up from the past. If you use a Mac, Super Duper with an external Firewire drive is a really easy way to go.

[Gary A]

I have a small 40GB external drive that I copy my documents to and a 160 GB internal that I use for a full backup. You just can't be TOO careful.