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Keep it simple with full (nonstop) backup - help me please

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Here is what I am trying to do, I want to have a clone of my c drive so if it fails I just have to plug in the backup drive. In the past I used 2cd copy and it worked. I have been told Acronics is a much better program. I have tried reading the manual but I cannot sort it out and cannot find out if I need to run nonstop backup at the same time.
There are so many settings and choices. Right now I have it scheduled to run a backup every 4 hours, incremental, create new full after 4 incremental, delete previous archives, exlude nothing, no compression, normal performance, maximum write speed, number of backups 4, storage period 30 days, And I have on non stop backup
Talking to tech support is pretty much worthless.
I like the nonstop backup as I am working all day.
Can any of you direct me to a the correct settings or a link to the correct settings.
I also have been running out of room on backup drive.
I have about 350 gig on a 750 gig c drive and a 1 tet backup drive.
True Image Home 2010 build 6.053
You can email me direct too at slatergeneral@hotmail.com

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Robert,

Cloning and non stop imaging are two separate things in this context.

Cloning will copy the exact drive structure of your current disk to a new hard drive. The new drive can be larger than the current drive and the 'clone' can take up the whole drive or just the same amount of space as the old one took. It is also possible to clone to a smaller drive, but a smaller drive will need to be as large as the used space amount of the old one.

Non stop imaging (NonStop Backup) will image the used sectors (information) of your current hard drive and store it as a file on another partition or drive (another drive is better). It will then check to see if any of these files have altered throughout your time on the computer and image the differences - so if you download some emails, or instal/uninstalll a program these changes will be stored in a file.

Over time, you would if neccessary be able to restore your hard drive to any point in time if you needed to.

Think of a clone as a static image - as your drive is at this very second would be how the second drive would be.

Some (but not many) clone their drives on a daily basis and swap them in their machines on a daily basis. For this you would really need to install removable drive trays.

To avoid corruption of images some businesses or home users might have 7 drives and rotate them over a week - a clone is less likely to suffer from corruption and you'd know straight away if there was a problem - however that is an expensive route! :)

I suggest something like the following, if using the NSB feature.

1. Make a complete disk image to another drive - internal or external (preferable). Then follow below.

- Select Incremental or Differential - the first one of these will automatically be a FULL

- Make an incremental or differential every two days to this drive

- Select schedule, then daily and select Every 2 days - enter a time that suits you.

- Tick Create a new full backup, and choose after 3 inc/def. Don't select delete previous archive at this time, see further down this post.

-Select Automatically consolidate after 6 days.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Switch on NSB, select another partition or hard drive - NSB will do everything else for you.

Things to note:

If you run a defragger between full images, then the next incremental or differential will be the same size as a FULL, this also includes NSB.

If your defragger has a scheduler (W7 has and so have other 3rd party ones) make sure the schedule isn't timed to go off when an image is being made (you can't do anything about NSB here) as your system will grind to a halt and you could end up with a very large image file. If you perform defrags manually then make them just before the full image is to be run.

Difference between inc/dif - incrementals will leave you with a number of small files. Diff's will just produce one file with the differences between the full image and the time the changes were imaged.

From a recovery point of view, incrementals will require every file in the chain to be present to restore the image. The advantage is you can go to any point in time covered by the archive. Disadvantage is one incremental becomes corrupted and at best you will only be able to restore the full image at worst none!

Differentials will only let you restore the state the disk was in when the full was made plus whatever the differences that are present in the current differential. The advantage is that you are less likely to suffer corruption (only becuase you have less image files in the chain) and it will take up less disk space. The disadvantage is that you don't have a series of files allowing you to restore different points in time.

In a nutshell, if you are using NSB, then you don't really need to image every 4 hours, unless you have very important work or you are thinking of taking a degree in paranoia :) .

If you do want to continue the 4 hour schedule, make sure you set it to consolidate the images every let's say 10 - 12 hours (to save disk space).

One VERY important thing. Make a RESCUE CD and CHECK that you can BOOT your PC from it and that it CAN SEE all your disk drives. This is most important (as if you couldn't guess) if the CD doesn't work on your system you won't be able to restore any images. If you find that is the case, come back here and further advice can be given.

Excellent info frm Bodgy. I'll add 2 cents here.
I recommend making backups rather than clones because you can usually save many backups on one drive. If you clone, you get just one per drive.

Restarting with a clone is faster but presumably you aren't going to be restoring very often so balance that against having a series, a history of backups through time instead of just one moment.

Thanks for the info. I will make some changes. I want to clarify. In the past I first used norton ghost to make a clone of my c drive. then I use a program called second copy to update new and changed files daily. I have had several hard drive failures over the years and with the method above I was able to switch drives in minutes and only lost that days work.
I went to Acronis as it has high reviews and seems to do all I need especially nsb.
Now that said, I can see I don't need to start by cloning the drive, I understand that. The first time I run the backup it makes a full backup. I have used no compression as I can access the files, this way if something does happen and I cannot use the program to restore I can still access my data.
Thanks about the image every 2 days while running nsb, I could not find that in the manual.
With nsb is it even neccessary to run any other type of backupu?
If I do use both methods I believe you are indicating I should put nsb on a differant partition but on the same backup drive.
On all of my computers I have either a second internal or an external dedicated backup drive.

Thanks again
Robert

If you put a backup on the same hdisk as the one is is backing up, even if you use diff partitions, you will not be able to access the backup if hdisk fails. If you put backups on the same hdisk you run the risk of not being able to restore when the hdisk fails. All hdisks suffer one of two fates: either they wear out and stop working correctly or you disposed of them before they wear out (say, you get a new computer). As mechnical devices, such fate is certain.