Home computer backup options

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After a recent problem at work, it has "dawned" on me that it would be good if I sorted out all of my data that I currently hold in 1 desktop and 2 laptops, centralise it all but also backup it up.

I considered a NAS but after thoughts here and other forums, it seems relatively slow for the complete storage system and expensive, but would have RAID1 which is important.
I thought about running a 2k3 server but similar issues, and concerns about cost, this was a non-starter.

So I decided on a new 500gb hard drive in the desktop computer (thats the centralised data part done) but then have the backup as a network attached single 500gb harddrive, that would purely be used for backup only, but on this I have a problem - how to set up the backup process?

Some options I thought of:
1) schedule a task to copy the entire contents of the HD onto the backup at a set time.
2) copy the contents of the HD to backup at the end of each day.
3) Software RAID1 - if it exists?
4) 2nd 500gb hard drive installed in the desktop, but in a removable drive caddy.

Some problems I thought of:
1) As NAS is slow, maybe a USB2 HD enclosure with HD would be quicker - or even a firewire external harddrive?
2) backup process - entire drive each night? May take some time, so how about checking what files are new/changed on that day and adding it to the ext. HD? But again, how?

Any comments, thoughts, programs on how to go about this.
I'm running XP Pro currently.

cheers!

 

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Personally I would use NTbackup to create the jobs if its just the data you are intersted in. for gig's of data even usb2 is wayyyy too slow. personally if your going to backup stuff I would only backup data rather than OS bits n bobs and then stick another drive in a computer to use that as the backup media. it would be advisable for the other laptops to upgrade your network to wired gigabit and hook the laptops to the wire in the evening and disable the wifi if you use it.

It also depends how important your data is to you (i.e is it invoices and things for a personal business or is it mostly mp3s you've made from cd's you own), I would use a normal backup then differental backup routine but as you've got the 271 I assume youve already got that sorted.

 

I have a 250 gig laptop drive in an external enclosure for all my back up jobs. Small enough to fit in a pocket too.

 

thanks for the help guys, ntbackup did seem the most sensible to me - I'll have a look at scheduling and any other options it gives.

It was to backup a data drive (mp3s, work, study, photos, lots of stuff!)
I never thought about the profiles - hmm, good thinking