best backup software or technique.

[blue_screen]

What is an easy fast and reliable software or method you use to make a selective backup? I thought you could use ghost to make a partial backup, but all I see is a way to make a full image of a partition.

Thanks

[Ya_know]

How much money is budgeted? And how much/how frequently are you backing up? Do you want this automated, or are you willing to perform this manually?

The reason I ask is because backup solutions range from free, which isn’t the best, to millions of dollars, between software licensing and hardware requirements. So to come in here asking for the best is a very vague question indeed…

[blue_screen]

This is a small business with 4 pc's. The main thing they want backed up is their quick book files, but they have several documents they want backed up on a daily basis. They dont want to spend a fortune but they would prefer something that backed this up automatically.
They currently use an old avatar shark to back up files on one pc.


Thanks

[NooNoo]

OK next question - back up to what?

How do they want to restore? If its a few files then a cdwriter or a dvd writer is fine..

If its a few gigs then a tape drive would be better.

[blue_screen]

The average amount of data would be between 2 and 4 gigs. They are not wanting to use tape. They would prefer dvd or cd. Could you recomend software that would do this daily? They could stick a blank cd or dvd in daily and let the software take over.

[NooNoo]

You mean a scheduled job?

If you just wanted a particular folder and its sub folders copied, you could write a batch file to do that and use windows scheduler to run it.

As far as I know there is no software to automate putting a blank dvd in a drive

[blue_screen]

I was saying they could just stick a blank in around the time the software was scheduled to backup.

[NooNoo]

blue screen... the backup is almost irrelevant - it is how they see themselves being able to restore the data that is important.

If they want to build a library of dvd/cds so they can just use windows explorer to copy a file back, then just show them how to use the burning software to dump files to the dvd/cd.

If they want something easier, then perhaps a couple of usb drives and just copy the data over.

If they want something that will backup an entire system, then they must also be prepared to learn how to use the restore software - not always obvious.

If they believe they are doing backups and will never have to restore, get them to think again.