Just backing up ?
What's the quickest way to backup all the files and folders from an internal hard drive to an external USB2 hard drive please?
Chris,
Much would depend upon what you want to achieve.
If I were to have computer problems, my first goal would be to able to replace my hard drive should there be a need.
This need would dictate that I have a backup capable of creating a disk replacement.
Therefore, my choice of backups would be one that could be used to replcate my hard drive onto a new or olddisk.
The type of backup which best fits that need is the "disk image" or "disk mode" backup. The best part of this type backup is that it includes everything including all files, folder, partitons--everything.
The first backup can be a full backup and if the task is properly configured, the next backups can be incrementals or differential bacikup of smaller sizes which backup only the changes since the last backup. There is a variety of options so you can choose what best fits your needs.
Check out signature link #2 -especially the first few pictures which illustrate that the choice of backup types is the "disk Image" or "disk mode" backup. This link #2 illustrate how to create a backup task which in turn can create the actual backup. Illustration #7-8 shows how to select custom storage locations. Illustrations 11-Full, 11-Inc and 11-Dif show how to configure the different tiypes of backup styles depending upon your storage space and frequency of backups.
The next link by Acronis also illustrates selecting just single partitions.
http://kb.acronis.com/content/44743
This video by user Les Seiler could also be helpful.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/48911
Thanks Grover, I would add, that I don't need to copy the OS, just files, folders and complete settings and information for Outlook 2003. I have Acronis True Image Home vers 11 - would this do the job I need please? I remember a few months ago , trying TI and ended up with a TBI file, which completely lost me.
TrueImage would be stroing the files in a *.tib file so can only be read by TrueImage.
Perhaps you might want to consider having a duplicate folder elsewhere and keep the 2 copy inside those folders.
This method just keeps a plain 2nd copy of the file.
There are several programs which can do this. When wanting to plain copy a whole bunch of files or folders, etc,
there is the free Replicator by Karen Kenworthy.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/karens_replicator.html
The program was written prior to Win7. I use it with XP Pro.
This can be scheduled and after first run, can be configured to copy just changed files to the storage location.
I find it very good and very fast and very versatile.
Thanks for that, but when using Karens tools (she is sorely missed), for this on almost 1TB, it seems to get stuck. I was under the impression that I could do this with Acronis? By the way, I have True Image 2013 and True Image Home 11 - should I have both, do I need both?
I responded as to what might have been the "quickest" way.
True Image will also work as a backup tool for backup creation time.
You can only have one version installed at any given time. To me, 2013 would be more up to date.