Windows backup software

[navychop]

Which backup software would you recommend for use today for a laptop? Not just data backup, but perhaps a total system image that can be used to reinstall. Or would it always be better to reinstall Windows and then reinstall/reimage? Willing to pay, doesn't have to be free.

Ghost?

 

[lparsons21]

Windows has a disk imaging tool builtin. You can set it to make a set of DVDs for system maintenance and complete restore. Takes awhile, but when I had my last W7 box, it was the first thing I did after all the updates were installed.

 

[dfergie]

Check on Acronis, it is the software that used to come with seagate drives...

 

[navychop]

Windows has a disk imaging tool builtin. You can set it to make a set of DVDs for system maintenance and complete restore. Takes awhile, but when I had my last W7 box, it was the first thing I did after all the updates were installed.

Guy claims his (elderly) laptop only has a CD burner. Looking to go to thumb drive or EHD.

 

[navychop]

Check on Acronis, it is the software that used to come with seagate drives...

Thank you. But they're getting killed over their current version on Amazon. Gotta keep looking.

 

[Ilya]

Guy claims his (elderly) laptop only has a CD burner. Looking to go to thumb drive or EHD.

Windows Backup and it's "Create a system image" feature in particular works with EHD just fine. Highly recommended (assuming you have Windows 7).

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[mike123abc]

Windows 7 pro/ultimate also lets you set up an image backup over the network. It is really nice to be able to restore and get the image over the network.

 

[TheForce]

Windows 7 pro/ultimate also lets you set up an image backup over the network. It is really nice to be able to restore and get the image over the network.

For my wife's and my laptops, I use cloned matching hard drives. Get them prepared and when disaster strikes, with a Dell, I remove 4 screws and slide the old one out and slide the new one in. Then immediately make another clone for the next time. Very fast recovery. The system I use was sold by Dell for this purpose at one time. It is Apricorn hardware and software. The drive cloning process with that also creates the proprietary partitions on some Dell laptops as well. Many laptops are special in this way compared to a desktop. Backups can get complicated unless you clone the partitions properly.

 

[navychop]

OK, more detail. It's a HP Pavilion DV6000 running Vista. No fancy W7 tricks here.

 

[Ilya]

OK, more detail. It's a HP Pavilion DV6000 running Vista. No fancy W7 tricks here.

Sorry, didn't realize you are still on Vista. System image is a Windows 7 feature. For Vista you will have to use 3-d party tools.

 

[harshness]

Imaging with modern versions of Windows probably isn't a great thing. It doesn't take long to trash an installation and reinstalling is quick and easy (as long as you have a slip-streamed installation disc).

I stick with backing up the data and if the machine blows its top, I use the opportunity to shed a bunch of crap that I don't use anymore.

 

[lapwlover]

[FONT=&quot]Trust backup software on the market, such as todo backup ,nova, macruim .They are more versatility software than windows built-in tool. Schedule backup set, incremental backup, differential backup. Personally, I use todo backup free in my vista.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Differential/Incremental backup and automatic backup[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Save PC to a safe place - FTP, CD/DVD, Network[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Restore system to dissimilar hardware[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Explore backup contents & selective restore[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] it is terrific![/FONT]