Backups: Word to the wise

[TaxBird]

I just had a hard drive failure. I was using Iomega's REV drive for backup. Seems the crooks rigged the software so that if you use compression in your backups (default setting, by the way) you cannot restore your data to a new hard drive. Nowhere in their documentation do they mention this as an issue or warn of it in any way. The only way to get your data back is to submit to their data recovery service for $2,000 per cartridge. I have two cartridges.

Needless to say, I'll not be taking those crooks up on their offer to rob me.

Thankfully I'm a paranoid so-in-so and I have two other sources of backup from which I was able to restore.

As for my in house backup solution, I have switched to Western Digital's "My Book" and like it just fine - even got .5T for less than I paid for my Iomega thing.

[Bees Knees]

I use a DOS command to backup all my data files to my laptop computer everyday.

xcopy "c:\bees knees backup folder" "q:\bees knees backup folder" /I /E /Y /K /H /C /R /D

c:\bees knees backup folder is the folder on my office computer’s hard drive where I direct all of my software programs to store their data files.

q:\bees knees backup folder is the network drive for my laptop computer as it is mapped through the network from my office computer.

/I /E /Y /K /H /C /R /D are the DOS commands for copying all files that have changed since the last backup, and ignoring any data files that are currently in use by the computer.

Copy and paste the above commands into a Notepad document (changing the names to fit your hard drive folders and network drive letters) and save it as backup.bat

Then double click on the backup.bat file name whenever you want to transfer data from your hard drive to your laptop hard drive. Your laptop computer now has all your data files stored on it.

[RJM]

Thanks Bees, I printed this out. I was a DOS junkie in the 80's but have forgotten all but the most routine commands. I really liked the old DOS-world, where everything was simple and logical. The only drawback was that you had to become conversant in the command language. The gooey Windows environments are just a "black box", where not many novices can navigate and understand the logic. -Bob

[John of PA]

Must test Restore

I stopped using any backup type software or system long ago. Always a major issue whever I would try to restore something (as a test). I just backup by doing copy/paste to a flash drive. That way I can sleep that if I ever had to restore, it would be a simple copy/paste. Of course, for Lacerte and Quickbooks, I use the menu Backup/Restore commands. If your using backup software, be sure to test the restore procedure now and then. I wonder how many of you backup offsite? If you work out of the home, you can put the backup disk in your car trunk.

[Bees Knees]

Copy and paste does the same thing my DOS command does, except it copies all the data files each time you do it, which could take longer. My DOS routine only copies files that have changed since the previous backup, which speeds up the process, especially if you have allot of data on your hard drive.

[TaxBird]

I stopped using any backup type software or system long ago. Always a major issue whever I would try to restore something (as a test). I just backup by doing copy/paste to a flash drive. That way I can sleep that if I ever had to restore, it would be a simple copy/paste. Of course, for Lacerte and Quickbooks, I use the menu Backup/Restore commands. If your using backup software, be sure to test the restore procedure now and then. I wonder how many of you backup offsite? If you work out of the home, you can put the backup disk in your car trunk.

See, this is what's deceptive about it. I did test it...just not on a new hard drive. Who would have thought that? Before now, not me.

And I have too much 'stuff' to fit on a flash.

[geekgirldany]

I purchased BounceBack and I do not think it is backing up correctly. I purchased a 500gb external hard drive and I recently checked some files. My quickbooks files had not been updated since Oct 30. I am probably doing something wrong but it asks me every three days to backup. It appears that it is but isn't. I think I am going to do the DOS backup. Thanks Bees for posting that.

[dsi]

Scary. I have been backing up to an external Maxtor hard drive. I never thought about trying to restore it to another computer. I think it's time to put it to the test. I have two computers that are identicle, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[ChEAr$]

Bees,

your Xcopy command harkens me back to the good old days (back when I had to
write my own tax software in fact.)

Anyway, I've not used that one in a long time, so I'm wondering if it still works
when file names are not (now) limited to 8 bytes (plus three of course) and can
contain space?

IMWTK.

[Gretel]

I use a DOS command to backup all my data files to my laptop computer everyday.

I did this with Windows 98 but was not able to do it with XP. My son helped me to set it up but since he is a Linux freak he had not idea what to do with XP. I believe the letters for the demands where a little different though.

Where do you find the time to know so much about computers?

[Bees Knees]

I'm wondering if it still works when file names are not (now) limited to 8 bytes (plus three of course) and can contain space?

I use Windows XP. I've never had a problem with the long names and spaces. It copies every file that is not currently in use by a software program.

[Bees Knees]

Where do you find the time to know so much about computers?

My brother-in-law is a tech for Honeywell. He wrote the batch routine for me.

[John of PA]

here at TMI

Gabriele,
I find the time to learn about computers here on this message board. and Lacere's message board. I's a good way for us sole pratitioners to stick together, as we need each other.