Thinkpads Forum

I recently bought a new R52 (love it) and after using the IBM/Lenovo software installer to update my programs...it subsequently gave me an error that windows was unable to load (not sure what happened...but this is fixed now).

Luckily I had used the IBM Rescue/Recovery to backup my data a few days before. The restore worked OK, but I'm very nervous about keeping backups on my internal hard drive (fear of full hard drive failure). So, I bought an external 250 GB hard drive...just formatted it and it's ready to go.

I'll get to the point:
I have an external USB/firewire hard drive and will be buying Acronis True Image 9 very soon (I've never used Acronis before). With this software and hardware setup, what's the best way to create backups (which is crucial for my work)?

OPTION 1:
Use IBM R&R to backup to the internal hard drive and also let R&R save a backup to my external hard drive (any problems with this?). Then use Acronis to make another backup to my external drive.
With this scenario, are there any problems (such a booting) with having 2 types of backup on my external drive? (should I partition the hard drive?)

OPTION 2:
Same as above, except partition my external hard drive; one partion will contain the R&R backups, and the other partion will contain the Acronis backups.

Yes, I did review previous posts on backing up and on the Acronis software, but wasn't able to completely answer my questions.

Lastly, I'm not familiar with 'partitioning' hard drives...is this necessary?
If it is necessary, which do you prefer...Partition Magic or Acronis Disk Director?

Thanks in advance if there is anyone with advice...

For what it's worth, I do things a little different (and at the expense of taking a longer time if and when a restore is needed).

Basically, I don't worry about imaging or backup up software. I have all CDs and installers readily available, so the only thing I am diligent about is backing up actual data files, documents, etc. For this, I use Synchronize It! (http://www.grigsoft.com/winsin.htm) to mirror/sync my data with three external USB hard drives. One of those drives (a 1.8") get carted around with me everyone. The 2.5" drive I have gets taken to my office once a week for a full mirror to my desktop.

Again, downside: if my hard drive in my X40 bites it, I have to spend the time re-installing all software and tweaks, etc, but I'm happy with that.

I also use Outback Plus 5 for backing up Outlook/Firefox data (http://www.ajsystems.com/obp5.html).

With all this, I've not bothered with RnR or True Image, although that being said I am about to get another USB external 2.5" drive so I may investigate imaging a fresh install on my older 20GB 2.5" external.

Regarding partitions, you have to have at least one partition on the hard disk to write data to it. Generally speaking, the hard disk has to be partitioned and formatted before it can be used. I believe it is true that some programs will do this automatically, for instance the Recovery Disc set will do this I understand.

Assuming you have XP, you can use an XP install disk to partition and format a hard drive. To do this you have to boot from another drive - either floppies, a CD, or second hard drive. You can't partition or format the drive that you just booted up from (exception: Partition Magic and some other special partitioning programs are able to do this).

I have not used Acronis, so I can't really tell you about that imaging software.

I just read on another thread that if you have two bootable copies of XP SP2 on one computer, it is necessary for each copy to have it's own license, or you will damage the OS on one of the drives. This does not apply to backups, only bootable drives.

You are on the right track. Very good that you are planning a backup stategy, and are putting the backups on another media.

Spalding's Six Commandments* of Backup

1. Back up early.
2. Back up often.
3. Back up to external media.
4. Keep backups off-site (separate location, in case of fire).
5. Keep your external media on a UPS if you have any risk of surges, spikes, brown-outs, black-outs or other disasters that threaten uninterrupted power. (Even if you don't ... $50 for a small UPS for that USB hard drive is chump change.)
6. Lastly, do the backup solution that is convenient for you, and doesn't disourage you from backing up regularly.

If you don't know what partitioning is, and don't need it, don't worry about it.

*[edit] (tongue-in-cheek)

Hmmm...I do all of the above save for #5. That's a great idea. Sometimes our electricity supply can be a bit dodgy.

Pretty much optional, but having spent a combined 12 years in the South, I've learned from experience to keep most all my LAN on UPSs - modem, router, laptop/server, external drive(s), and then finally a monitor (no longer needed now that my primary "system" has an LCD screen).

I really not sure it's wise to use Acronis.

With R&R you can backup your system to external HD. Also you can backup in network place.

If you take care about safety your system
1) make backup of ALL system-related folders (WINXP Program Files Documents and Settings)
2) then put schedule (for ex. each day) backup for folders you are using everyday like Documents and Settings - in this case you can be sure that you can restore your system and it will not take too much space.

Most good backup programs allow backup to external drives, network shares, or CD/DVD (provided you have burning software installed; some Acronis reviewers on Amazon choked on that).

I use Ghost 9.0 myself, works fine and dandy to a USB drive, except that it hardly ever does an incremental backup. But since backups happen in the wee dark hours, I don't really care.

davidspalding wrote:Spalding's Six Commandments* of Backup

1. Back up early.
2. Back up often.
3. Back up to external media.
   .....

I have at stick-on attached to my desktop PC that I got at a industry trade show in the early 1980s..... its been worth keeping the stick-on that long!

"A backup is like a spare tyre, don't go far without one!"

Cheers,

Bill

I've just taken my backup solution to the next (ridiculous?) level: added another external 3.5" HDD. Basically, I've got four mirrors (20GB 1.8"; 20GB 2.5"; 120GB 3.5"; and 160GB 3.5" - each named after a Belgian city: Brugge, Antwerp, Knokke, and Hasselt) of critical data (not programs) at home at any one time, plus a weekly mirror done at my office. The two 3.5" contain Thinkpad-related files, drives, and software. They also hold our digital photos.

For redudancy, I'd rather have two 160GB drives than one 300GB drive. And, a 40GB HDD in my X40 is plenty large enough. Even with the 2.5GB of music I've ripped using Sony's SonicStage (for use on my NW-HD5 network Walkman), I still have almost 18GB free.

Have also ordered a powered 7-port USB hub and a new Belkin 8-port mains surge protector for the lot.