Using the Back up
I am new to this but have the Acronis 10 backup system. I have completed a full backup of the computers hard drive to a 1TB external hard drive. The hard drive is divided into two partitions such that one is used purely to do the full c drive back-up with everything on it. The other partition I use as a storage/backup of my photos. Question is that now I have done a full backup, I wish to do this on a regular basis but am not sure whether the incremental or differential backup process is best for this as I cannot really understand the difference between them.
It is just a home computer running Win XP and as mentioned I want to run a scheduled backup at intervals of say once a week. So which one would be best in this circumstance?
Thank You....Paul.
Thanks for that. How often would you recommend doing a full backup on a home computer and when this is done, I take it that its in effect another snapshot of the entire system rather than a replacement of the first backup you do with new additions so to speak.
So the first backup or slice as they call it would be shown with the date and then the next backup would be a completely separate entity....another slice or snapshot on a given date.
Is that how it works? If so, I guess you would delete the original or one before once a new one is done.
Differences between the Incremental type backups & Differential type backups when a partition or disk backup (archive) is created.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/3733#comment-3652
Whether or not you delete old backups is a matter of choice but most of the regulars would discourage such a practice. Often time, you do not discover you are missing a file or go looking for some information and find you have overwritten or deleted. Keeping the old backups can provide that information.
I have multiple tasks set up on my home computer.
One task runs full disk backup(3 partitions) once a week and retains several months of weekly backups. Storage drive is an external esata.
Another task runs one full disk backup once a week and then 6 incremental backups. I retain several months of this type backup. Storage drive is to an 2nd internal disk.
Another task runs one full disk backup once a week and then 6 differential backups. I also retain several months of backups. Storage drive is to a 3rd internal disk.
I use 3 very simple batch files to maintain a revolving set of backups. Each task is set to being on different days so I am never more than 2 days away from a full backup plus I have the daily backups of everything.
How often you should perform your backups depend upon how much your data changes and the type of data.
Hopefully, your comments about picture storage on the external drive implies that this is duplicate storage and you have the original and other copies stored elsewhere. There have been too many horror stories about lost family photos caused by backups not being done.
Should you have a disk failure or want to move to a larger system disk, it is a full disk backup (disk option checked) of all partitions on the system disk that will help you the most. Remember, it is best to have alternate storage locations for your backups. Duplicate external drives are less expensive every day. Check item 7G in my signature link below. Also index item #12 gives you a sampling of what others do with their data.
Very valuable advice so thank you for that. When it comes to restoring data say after a computer hard drive crash / malfunction, can you simply then replace that failed drive, hook up your external back up drive and in effect transpose all of that backed up data directly back onto the new replacement and have it up and running, or are there additional things you need to do in order to get the system back on line.
I keep all my personal data on a separate internal hard drive, with a backup (made, not with Acronis, but with MS Synctoy) on an external hard drive. I use Acronis to back up my system hard drive (including the two other Dell partitions that are on that drive) and do a full image backup whenever I have made a major change, e.g. installed or uninstalled software, updates for Windows or software, etc. (in practice about every ten days or so). I keep two or three full backups on my second internal hard drive. I always validate them immediately after creating them, using either the Acronis recovery CD or BartPE with the Acronis plugin.
XP SP3, Acronis True image home 11.8101.
or are there additional things you need to do in order to get the system back on line.
Your intended procedures are fine. Is is best if your backup being used was created with the disk option checked. The disk option backup includes all partitions on the system disk. Look at your Windows Disk Management graphical view to see the partition structure of your current hard drive. Recovery or diagnostic partitions should not be enlarged during a restore or cloning.