*** Latest Updates 1/28/04, 1/29/04, 1/31/04, 2/2/04, 2/5/04, 2/7/04, 2/10/04
Feature |
Windows |
Both |
Unix |
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Data Insure 6.2 |
Second Copy 2000 |
True Image 7.0 |
Unison 2.9 |
Amanda 2.4 |
Mondo 1.6 |
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Scheduled Backups |
6 |
Y* |
Y |
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Full System Backup |
7 |
3 |
Y* |
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Network Drives |
2 |
Y* |
2 |
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Offsite Backup |
Y* |
No |
No |
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Keep old Versions |
Y |
Y* |
8 |
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Include / Exclude |
Y |
Y* |
1 |
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Failure Alert |
Y |
Y* |
4 |
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Exact Copy |
Y |
Y* |
5 |
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Cost |
$10/mo/GB |
*$30/user |
$50/user |
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* My choice for best implementation of this feature. Includes ease-of-use and capability.
1) Can select individual partitions on a drive, but not directories or files.
2) Can access only drives connected to the local computer ( including USB drives ).
3) Cannot back up all system files or files currently in use.
4) Must log on as Admin, and open program to see status of scheduled tasks.
5) Uses the Full / Incremental method, not an exact copy of the file hierarchy.
6) Once per day max. Not for hourly backups. Also, this program does not allow you to define multiple independent backup tasks, each with their own schedule.
7) The only problem is cost. This program has one of the best “snapshot” methods for files in use. It keeps list and tries again later.
8) You can go back as far as the most recent full backup, and select an incremental backup following that time.
It seems there is no single program which does everything I need, including hourly backups of my personal files, offsite backups of critical files, and a full system backup for disaster recovery. Now that disk storage is cheap, there is no reason one program couldn’t do it all.
*** I'm having to use all three programs above to provide a reliable backup of the computers in my small office. I use Data-Insure for nightly offsite backup of files that are critical to my business, and changing every day. I use Second Copy to run hourly backups for selected user files on all computers on the network, including my Linux boxes (network access via Samba). Finally, I have a separate install of True Image on each Windows computer, just to do a full-system backup. I don't yet have a solution for system backup of the Linux boxes, but I may do this with just a cron script, since Linux isn't fighting me over copying system files.
*** My system is a typical small office - a new eMachines desktop PC, model T2698, $900 at Best Buy. It has the following configuration:
Windows XP Home Edition, with all the latest patches
Phoenix Award BIOS W6777E7 V3.4 102803
Two internal hard disks ( Maxtor and Western Digital )
One external hard disk, on a USB 2.0 interface.
A 100Mbps LAN with two other computers having files to be backed up:
An HP Pavilion Notebook PC
An old Dell Pentium II running Linux (network access via Samba)
A 256Kbps DSL internet connection
One unusual setup is that I am running a multi-boot OS loader - XOSL. Windows is in the first partition of the first drive, to ensure minimum disturbance of this snarling dog. :>) XOSL is in the second partition, and as far as I know, has done nothing to disturb the original Windows install, except to substitute its own master boot record.
www.backmeupoffsite.com $10.99/mo for 250MB + $10/mo/GB
For files which need the ultimate in safe backup.
An excellent, easy-to-use program and service. Tech support is great.
*** I'm able to keep the total under 250MB by tweaking the filters to bypass directories that are not-so-critical.
*** Data-Insure could be a complete backup solution if there was an option to use a local drive for selected backups. They do offer a full system backup, but storing this huge amount of data offsite is unnecessary and wasteful. I hope podbi.com is listening.
Setup Option:
Ask before proceeding with any automatic backup, allowing it to be deferred.
If the backup is deferred, try again in [ 2 hours ].
1/19/2004 12:40:01 PM Can't back up file C:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\UsrClass.dat.LOG - it is in use by another application. An attempt will be made to snapshot the file later
http://www.centered.com $30 single user license – my longtime favorite.
Simple, versatile, perfect in every way, except it won’t do a full system backup. This is a program for keeping a second copy of your *personal* files up to date in a safe place (an external drive, another computer on the network, etc.) Unlike other backup programs that accumulate multiple incremental backups, this one maintains a complete ready-to-run copy of the directories you specify. It runs in the background without interrupting your work, so you can set it to run every hour.
It has some interesting options that I find very handy. 1) Exact copy – deletes files from the backup that are no longer in your original directories. This keeps your backup copy from growing without limit. 2) Keep old versions of deleted files – allows you to set how many old versions to keep. Like a “recycle bin” but you never have to “empty the trash”. This can be very handy to recover from mistakes, and I have found that the archive of old copies never gets too large. 3) Include and Exclude filters – customize with as much detail as you like. In a perfectly organized file system this would not be necessary, but given Microsoft’s tendency to mix user and system files, it is very handy to exclude a few ‘ntuser’ files and avoid spurious error messages. ***4) Ability to copy files over a local network. Anything you can add to "Network Places" in Windows can be copied, including files on a Linux box ( if you run Samba to make Linux look like Windows on the network ). A neat trick is to run Second Copy to gather critical files from various computers on the network, and copy them to a directory scheduled for offsite backup.
*** Second Copy could be a complete solution if only it would backup an entire partition. It might take a lot of work to implement the “snapshot” techniques used by other programs, but I would be happy if the program simply popped a warning and put a reminder in the system tray. The warning could say “Second Copy needs to do a system backup. Please log off all user accounts.” I hope Centered Systems is listening.
*** For recovery from losing a hard disk, or corruption of your data by a virus or failed program. Goal is to be fully recovered within an hour, and lose no more than one hour of current edits. The ideal system recovery program has not yet been written. This would work like a RAID system in keeping a second copy of everything on a second disk, but would work with a remote disk, and would provide some protection from viruses and other software problems.
*** RAID is not a good backup solution, because it addresses only one threat, the failure of a single hard drive. It is no protection against fire, theft, software problems ( viruses, crashes, etc.) or simply a user error requiring restoration of an earlier version.
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage $50
This is the one I finally chose for full system backup. I think I have it working correctly, but I won’t know until I use if a few more weeks, and try a few more complete system restores. It was a bit of an ordeal to get it working right. The user interface is very nice, but small deviations from the correct path can result in serious problems, lots of strange error messages, etc. Also, tech support is not much help. They do respond quickly ( unlike last year when the comments below were posted ), but basically their advice is to “pray harder”. There is no publicly available bug list ( unlike what I am getting used to with open-source programs ).
With some usability testing, and a few added features ( see Second Copy 2000 ) this could be the ultimate backup program. I hope Acronis is listening. They need to spend a few days sitting with users working with this program for the first time, and fix whatever it is that new users are doing wrong, *** or add some sections to their User Guide to explain how to work around the craziness of Windows drive letter assignments (if that is the problem). Adding some of the nice features from Second Copy will be a lot easier than Second Copy figuring out how to implement snapshots of files in use.
If you look at the User’s Comments on these programs on CNET ( see Notes below ) http://reviews.cnet.com/4505-3514_7-20201621-2.html?legacy=cnet&tag=rev-rev it looks like even the one with the smallest percentage of unhappy users ( True Image ) is a failure for 1/3 of the users who posted comments. ( See sample comments below.) The reviewers seem to be blissfully unaware of the problems. I suppose they are easily dazzled by a nice GUI, and very little time to actually test the product. Or maybe with all their expertise getting programs to run the first time, they don’t see what other users see. Or it might be that this is a skewed sample of users, since happy campers are not likely to be visiting these websites. Also, the review and complaints were for version 6.0, and Acronis now has a version 7.0.
*** After a two weeks using this program, I am still having problems with scheduled backups failing to run ( see Bugs below ). This may be related to drive letters being changed every time XP reboots, but I have not been able to reproduce the problem. At the very least, Acronis needs to put an alert in the system tray when a scheduled backup fails to run.
Reviews
CNET - Ken Feinstein 8/11/02
Editors Rating: 8/10
Users (137): 66%
""The Jury's In - The Rest of the Story""
"GUI Guy" on 18-Jun-2003 06:07:06 PM
In my prior review "The Jury's Out..." I reported that I'd let you know how Acronis True Image 6.0 (ATI) worked out after I had some more experience with it - as a "Non-Techy," "Mac Man," or "GUI Guy," and certainly not a "DOS Dude." Well the "Jury is In." The product does work pretty well on a Win XP OS with a MS network. I used ATI to create an archive image of my entire HD (all partitions - OS, Apps, Data) on a Dell Latitude C810 Notebook to a shared drive on my Dell Dimension 8200 over my network. I then restored the archived image back to my notebook with little problem. You can do this either within Win XP, or via the Rescue Media Builder CD running with a GUI interface in DOS. But Beware - if you restore the image to a new hard drive, you will have to run MS Sysprep to prepare the old hard drive for imaging on a new hard drive, which Win XP will see as a new system and assign a new security ID (SID), and will run a new setup routine on the new hard drive to force the user to activate the new system with MS. To avoid a full setup, and run only a mini-setup, and avoid assigning a new SID (unless you're going to use the old hard drive on the same network with your new hard drive), you must run Sysprep. The problem - the ATI user manual doesn't mention the need to run Sysprep. If you don't run Sysprep, you'll have to reinstall / repair Win XP, and reinstall all your apps. In addition, both the Acronis and Microsoft web sites have very poor documentation regarding how to use Sysprep if you're a GUI Guy like me! You can find some documentation if you go to the "professional" pages of the Microsoft site, but you'll still be challenged if you're a "GUI Guy." Of couse, as a "GUI Guy," I learned all this from "days and days of trial and error experience." Hopefully, you'll do better - good luck. "And now you know the rest of the story." Are we having fun yet?!?
"The Jury Is Out - Wait 'till it's in!"
GUI Guy on 18-Jun-2003 06:03:34 PM
I don't know whether it's because I'm a "GUI Guy" and not a "Techy," or whether it's because this product is a fraud, but I must advise potential users to avoid this product, until Acronis and Microsoft can help me get it to work. Then we'll see, what I think - I'll let you know. I purchased it to image an old HD on my Dell Laptop C810 to be archived over my network to a Dell Dimension 8200 connected via an MS netork, and to restore the image to a new HD on my Dell Laptop. Sounds simple enough given the positive reviews by CNET and many of these users. But not so fast GUI Guy's! It may be OK if you're a "DOS Dude," but not for "GUI Guy's" like myself - at least not unless Acronis's help desk can work some magic over the next few weeks via their slooooow email support and incomplete responses. Sure, it very elegantly creates an archive in Win XP on either a network drive, or CDR's - seems pretty slick - just like the ads, the user manual, and CNET indicate. But when you go to restore the image you realize "there's more to the story - a lot more!" I have been unable to restore the image from the archive created in Windows. Moreover, when I contacted Acronis, they reported that "oh, you must run SysPrep to prepare your old HD to be able to create an archive that may be restored on a new HD, using Acronis's Rescue Media Builder CD, not Windows XP!" Well, you "Techy's" may know what they're talking about, but "GUI Guy's" don't. SysPrep is an arcane Microsoft Utility located in the Deploy.cab on the Win XP installation CD. And, oh yes, you must be a "Techy", or "DOS Dude" to use it. Because if you are a "GUI Guy," when you go to reboot your system after using it, you won't get past the Windows Welcome screen, and then you're transported direcly to an "asteroid out there." Just don't plan on using your restored HD before you get back, because your keepers will be reinstalling your OS and your apps. Apparently, SysPrep helps the user circumvent the Microsoft activation security codes, so you can clone the Win 2000 and Win XP OS's to other HD's. Now, if running SysPrep is such an critical and integral part to the imaging and restoring procedure, why isn't it mentioned in the user's manual, by CNET, and by all you "DOS Dudes," who recommended this product!?! Huuuhhh??? Or, are you really Acronis reps? But, why didn't CNET alert the public to this "minor point" - their credibility is shot!" And I haven't even mentioned the difficulties getting the Rescue Media Builder to see your network PC / HD and archive files on your network. "And now you know the rest of the story" - at least until Acronis can turn me into a "DOS Dude." The jury is still out - better wait until it's in!!!
"A crony's false image"
perfect_user on 29-Aug-2003 10:43:22 AM
Pros: The only good thing about this product is its gui interface.
Cons: The following are a list of negatives things that I encountered in the 6.0 version: 1) often crashes and aborts before the backup has been completed. 2) the software doesnot offer any continuation of backup when it aborts during backup due to poor CDR quality. (I ended up wasting a dozen CDRs and still never successfully backup my Hard Disk) 3) doesnot include a data integrity check of backup data. 4) poor company support with no call in support by phone. 5) Boot disk creation requires more than 5 disks if you use the floppy option. 6) The estimated number of CDRs required for backup is way off. When the number of estimated disk was 4, I ended up having to use almost 10 disks and the program aborts and crashes at the ninth disk wasting all the CDRs that I had already used. Finally, I give CNET a "2" for making a poor editor choice recommendation. I ended up purchasing Norton Ghost 2003 which worked great the first time I used it. Norton Ghost 2003 does support Firewire, CDR, and DVD write capabilities in contrary to what CNET stated in the review for Norton Ghost. Also, Norton Ghost offered data integrity check for the backup data to ensure the backup is going to work before you really need to use it. The boot disk for Norton Ghost is only one floppy compare to the six floppy disks requried by True Image.
1) Scheduled backups fail to run, and no alert is posted.
I have not been able to reproduce this problem, but here are some notes on my most recent attempt:
1/31/04 Problem with scheduled backup ( Task Daily C ) not running.
Messages in popup window and in log say:
E00640065: Cannot resolve the source path.
E00640066: The task script is corrupt.
Backup failed.
Cannot find partition with path \local\hd_sign(DE67DE67)…
Condition prior to scheduled run:
Fresh reboot. One user (not Admin) logged on.
Steps to correct problem.
Log on as Admin. Change backup drive to X:
Reschedule. Log off Admin. Fails again. Same messages.
Log on as Admin. Re-select the source partition.
Reschedule. Close TI, but remain logged in as Admin. Fails again.
Reschedule. Leave TI open. Fails again.
Rename the task. Reschedule. Fails again.
Start Now. Fails again.
Select a different partition to image and a different filename.
Full Backup. Start Now. Runs without error!!
Change back to C: partition, original filename (FullC.tib), incremental backup.
Start Now. Runs without error.
Try to reproduce the error.
Change the backup drive letter to J: (anything but the expected X:)
Start Now. Runs without error !! The script says backup to X: but somehow
the file is written correctly to J:
Reboot. Start Now. Fails with a different message in log:
“User name or password is incorrect for ‘remoute’ resource
X:\acronis\FullC.tib”
Change drive letter back to X:
Reschedule. Stay logged on as Admin, with TI open. Runs OK.
Reboot. Reschedule. Log off Admin. Log on Dave.
Runs OK.
Disconnect USB drive X: Reconnect. New letter is J:
Start Now. “Username or password is incorrect … “
Change drive letter to X:
Start Now. Runs OK.
2/1/04 Same problem with Task ‘Weekly C’
Messages in popup window and in log say:
Cannot resolve the source path.
Backup failed.
Cannot find partition with path \local\hd_sign(DE67DE67)…
Failed to process pair script: C:\Documents and Settings\Admin\...
Image creation has failed.
Condition prior to scheduled run:
Fresh reboot. No account logged on.
This time X: was properly assigned, and the USB drive is accessible.
Try to reproduce the error.
Select Task Weekly C. Start Now. Same error.
Select Task Daily C. Start Now. No error.
Edit Task Weekly C. Change the source partition, then change it back. Finish.
Select Task Weekly C. Start Now. No error.
*** 2/5/04 Changing drive letters with every reboot is getting to be a chore. Since my drive configuration is now fairly stable, and my USB backup drive usually comes up K:, I have changed all my backup scripts to use drive K: This can usually be restored quickly by disconnecting and re-connecting the USB port ( without using the “Safely Remove Hardware” command, which seems to preserve any incorrect settings). Just be sure to close all programs before disconnecting the drive.
Since setting up True Image, I have heard from a number of experts that this is their preferred system backup utility. This would have been my first choice, but I was disappointed with Norton SystemWorks 2003, and I worry that the spirit of Peter Norton died when Symantec took over. :>( I loved the old Norton Utilities. What they are selling now is bloated with marketing features, and not near as capable of fixing disk problems. Granted, disks are a lot more complex, but I believe Norton could do better.
I do like Norton Anti-Virus, much better than McAfee, so I will try and keep an open mind to other Norton products.
*** Ghost does not do scheduled backups.
Can it do incremental backups?
http://www.powerquest.com/v2i/protector/desktop/
It’s not clear from the above website how this program differs from DriveImage, also by PowerQuest. Is it the same program, just getting a new name because PowerQuest was acquired by Symantec, or a whole new program with bugs yet to be ironed out? Is this going to do everything that is done by Norton Ghost, also now owned by Symantec? I’ll have to wait until I hear more from users on their experiences.
Do not trust this. Microsoft is playing some nasty games here - apparently an attempt to keep people from pirating their software. Unfortunately, it can hurt innocent people who rely on it to make a backup copy of their system. For some interesting horror stories see:
http://www.woodyswatch.com/winxp/archtemplate.asp?2-n05
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/n1032357884
This is an “enterprise” program, too expensive for a small business with just a few computers.
- providing certified, comprehensive, cost effective protection for Microsoft Windows server environments. $795
???