BleepingComputer.com: Cobian Backup

In reviewing the tutorial Yourhighness has facilitated on Cobian Backup, can you please tell me what is the most appropriate place or destination for backup files to be placed in?? Thank you very much. YOYO.

The most appropriate place depends on how much you value your data. Here's a list:

Another folder on the same drive (least desirable)
Another drive on the same system
Another drive on another local system
Another drive on another system at a remote location
Another drive on another system in another region
Another drive on another system in another country/hemisphere
In outer space (most desirable).

Consider a hurricane hitting your computer - where would you store your data?

Now, let's deal with hard copies of the data - see each of the above locations with a secure place to store the hard copy so it doesn't get destroyed!

USASMA: I concur with you !00%. The most appropriate destination is outer space, the least favoritble place is on the same drive. At this junction, outerspace is littered with garbages( UFOS?)- an enviromental feastibility study need to be conducted before we can embark on that route. After all we must please the PC crowd, or there will be ...blub-blub-blub.... to pay. In all seriousness, Yourhighness in the Cobian backup tutorial stated G:\ as destination for files to be placed. Was he inferring that creating a new directory as destinatin for the files is most recommanded??( this appears to coincide with your logic of " the least favorite place is on the same drive")?? Therefore, in keeping wth this line of thinking, I should creat a new directory as destination point?? Thank you for your insightfullness. Tell me , for file backup, what do you use as destination ?( and WHY?) you are the best USASMA. Thanks for being there for me. CHEER. YOYO.

Hi MGBY,
I purchaced an 80g external HD (about $100. on sale) that I do my Backup to every Saturday.
Now there is the issue of the external HD packing it in one day,then all would be lost...but I'm not going to backup my backup! Putting onto disks would be a PITB.
Just my Two Cents!

TMACK: All words contains pearls and nuggets of gold. Thank you for your contribution. Your feedback is important indeed. YOYO.

I had a single backup drive at one time. I still have it, and use it as a paperweight since it packed it in during a reinstall!

I don't want to hear encouraging things like that usasma!
So please share with us what you use.

Actually, I use multiple backups. My primary tools are Acronis True Image and SyncBack SE (back when I researched it, it was as good as Cobian).

I image (Acronis) the hard drive on a monthly basis (or just before a software update by the custom software folks that my wife uses). These are kept on another computer and on a removable USB drive that's kept in the office safe.

Then, I backup (SyncBackSE) the accounting software's folder daily to:
1) another drive on the same system (not a boot or OS drive)
2) another drive on another system in the building (not a boot or OS drive)
3) over the web to a dedicated system for this purpose at my home.
(not a boot or OS drive)

Then, monthly, I copy the backup to CD that we store in our home safe.

I'm looking into out of region options also - but haven't started yet.

PS - Everything is automated. The first backup is tied to the evening shutdown of the system and everything proceeds after that. All I have to remember is to setup the USB drive when the image is due, and to put a blank CD in the drive before the monthly copy is made.

Thanx for that usasma,
I decided on Nortons Save and Restore,their new and improved Ghost,still imaging and a few more goodies. Never thought I'd have another Symantec product in my house,but so far has been a good,easy to use product.
When the the day comes that I have to do a restore I hope I will have the same report.
When you copy your backups to a CD,does it not take multiple CD's? The Save and Restore has this capability,and is a great safety feature,but that's alot of CD's isn't it?

USASMA: Thank you for sharing with us how you handle file backup. All of us can learn from you and derive enormous benefit in knowledge gained. May I go back a bit to post #3, and implore you to address the concern raised ( G:\ as destinaton for backuped files). I value very much what you have to say. I hope you will indulge me on this luxury of learnig more from you. I would be most appreciative if you would please expound on that issue. I read everything you write and I have been learning a lot from you. Thank you very much. Take care. YOYO.

My primary backup duty is at my wife's office - where I backup her client database software. It's custom software designed for veterinary practices - and is simply a backup of the folder that contains the data. It's about 500 mB in size - so I haven't had to span multiple CD's yet.

But, if it does get that big in the future, I'll resort to DVD's to store it - that'll give us enough time until she retires. Then it'll be someone elses problem!

I apologize in advance for my bad eyes (caused by a disease process) - I don't always see everything in every post that I read. I'm a bit confused about the G:\ drive issue. I presumed that it was just a proposed destination for the backed up files. I would assume that you can change this to whatever location you would like. I hope that this addresses your issue - if not, please let me know and I'll try again!

Does one need a special DVD burner?
I stuck one in the CD drive to see if I could burn files to a DVD not to long ago,and the compter didn't recognise it.
Numbering CD's would work,and is a good backup just incase the external HD dies,but....

Please don't feel that you have to apologize for missing the odd item in posts usasma. With what you're dealing with, I think you do just great!

USASMA SIR: This fellow Wibble thank you immensely in giving me your time in addressing my issue. My very first impression in reading Yourhighness' tutorial on Cobian backup was he must be inferring a proposed destination for backup is highly recommended. Your response confirms that exactly. Thank you for clearing that up for me Sir. AND, PLEASE DO NOT APOLOGOZE. IT IS I WHO MUST APOLOGIZE FOR THE ENCUMBRANCE. I BEG YOUR PATIENCE. with appreciation always. Take care. YOYO.

Yes, you'll need a DVD burner to burn DVD's (and a program for it also). I recently got a NEC 3550A DVD burner online for $35 - and you can burn DVD's with this freeware (no installation required) app: http://www.silentnight2004.com/microburner.html

Nat having done "spanned" backups, I can't really say how it goes. I presume that it prompts you for each CD as it needs one. And yes, number them - I'd hate to have to sort through a sequence of 8 or 9 disks trying to find the right one!

I'm a bit sensitive about my handicap, and beat myself (figuratively) about the head and shoulders when I miss something! FYI - here's what scarred my eyes (WARNING - very graphic pictures!!!): http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&...um=0&tab=wi

USASMA SIR: I can not thank you enough for being there for me . I value very much what you have to say. you really do make a difference. Thank You Sir. Respectfully. YOYO.