back up program dejour
 

i currently use pc backup pro. i am having some difficulties with it. it is just not simple enough for me. i just got an offer to "come back" to acronis for the same cost as backup pro.

i quit using acronis true image a couple of years ago because it was too confusing, and i really did not know if i was backing up my computer.

anyone comment as to if acronis is now easy to use. surely the existance of these terabyte externals should ease the difficulties. i do have one of those now.

If you mean, backing up the files one physical hard drive to another one, the easiest is a batch file such as this:

xcopy D:\ F:\ /m /s /i

The file name is backupdf.bat since it backs up drive D to drive F

I keep it in a directory called:

c:\program files (x86)\backup

I go to the command prompt, then run this batch file to reach that directory:

cd c:\program files (x86)\backup
cls

This works well for me as the only thing on the D drive are data files, no programs.

Acronis is not difficult to use but they give you a ton of choices, and those choices add complexity.

Why not just use the one built into Windows 7? It's perfectly adequate and its free.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...up-and-restore

That said, I'm using Acronis on my last remaining Windows 7 notebook, I guess because I already paid for it and have it set up. It works fine for me. If I was setting it up now, I wouldn't pay for it. I would just use the one built into Windows 7.

-David

if i have a win7 bu, and the hd goes south, can i install a new hd and all programs will run, or do i have to reload programs.

i thought with acronis i would not have to reload programs.

You need an image file to do that. If the program creates such a file, then yes.

You need to do a system image, and update it when you install new programs. Win7 backup does that. Make sure you have bootable media somewhere. (Create startup disk). There's a FAQ at the link I gave you.

Also, there's this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...m-image-backup

You can do something like make a system image monthly and do file backups daily, weekly, etc.

-David