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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cheeky Kid who wrote (73511)	12/31/2010 8:33:25 PM
From: Sexton O Blake	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110653

How many images have you restored? I have restored hundreds of images since 1999. Congratulations. But what has that got to do with anything? I said I have done 10 full restores of my OS. Maybe 20. Yeah I have done HUNDREDS of specific data restores, but I was only dealing with core boot restores unrelated to playing with demos and trying to reset the clock or to keep the system clean. You said: When using True Image I just use the full image feature, never anything else. I know others use incremental images, but PMS Witch told me she had one fail. I only do full images and have been doing that since 1999 when I first started to use imaging software to back up my computer. Your comment is saying "I only do full - I hear other's failed with incrementals - I only do full." GREAT. If it works for you fine - I said that. For me? I have used Acronis for YEARS and have followed the same strategy and have restored my systems each time without fail. That includes any backup FULL+INCREMENTAL. I am not sitting idly by waiting for my system to fail on Monday night and "praising the Lord" that I have a full image - quite amazingly done that very morning. Instead I am spending my life doing what needs to be done and ensuring I am moving the images to a safe place routinely. When needed I will restore and expect Acronis to do the job. Maybe I am wrong - but I am hearing a STRONG VISCERAL REACTION to incrementals and I believe you are making a blanket generalized comment that they are not good. I am here to say NOT TRUE. Period. That is the only point of my response. To qualify I have only restored images from another HDD device - via USB or off a second HDD attached to the same unit. In all cases I have restored using Acronis and have by default used whatever was backed up - and that would include an incremental. Quite frankly the media has no bearing since a full or incremental can equally fail. When spanning tapes or CD/DVDs - yes you can lose the media and your restore will be jeopardized. I know that risk and have opted for an offline HDD. It is possible it too might fail - as such I make sure I have a backup left either on another machine or other HDD on my same PC. Years ago I wrote off diskettes and have done that recently with all DVD-RW/CD-RW media. I weighed the costs and time to deal with backing up to DVD's and decided an investment in an offline HDD backup system was the best choice. All optical devices are unreliable crap - there - a blanket generalized comment. Personally I would NEVER rely solely on an optical disc. I believe in round the clock daily backups. I have weekly(full)+daily(incrementals) of my BOOT and Daily/Weekly/Monthly backups of my DATA. All completely automated. My system is up 24/7 but that is because of my TV recordings. Years ago I would have it backup data before the end of the end of the day and power itself off. Then it would wake up at 7AM and then do some initial backups followed by the normal 10am image backup. (Same thing today - but doesn't turn off). Now then - there is NO question whatsoever that the longer you go with a single FULL followed by repeated incrementals the greater chance of failure in restoring (since the odds of "losing" an incremental increases). The good thing about Acronis is - each incremental starts a new image file - and you can restore up to as far as you want - either the base FULL or up to a certain date. If you are to show me that people using Acronis have reported nothing but problems with all their incrementals then your post (of which I replied to) would have greater weight and I would actually take that into account. So let us cut to the chase --- let me ask the question a different way. It is New Year's Eve and you are half drunk and you are going to explain your backup strategy. Assuming you do your usual a FULL IMAGE BACKUP on Sunday January 2nd, please explain: a) Your next full image backup date; b) Your backup processes in between - Tuesday-Sunday; c) I don't know you - so lets assume there are 4 people in your family using your machine at any given time. Please explain your backup methods. I am not hearing something being done Tuesday-Sunday - I might be wrong. Please explain what you would do. Now if it is "you and you alone" then you can give YOUR version how it may differ without (c). Enquiring minds Cheeks - Cheers! blake