Backup or Disk Image Software?

Question

What are the main differences between a "disk imaging" software like Norton Ghost and a "backup" software like Retrospect Express? I'd like a relatively user-friendly program that will 1.)Allow me to make regular backups of all of my files, photos, etc, and will 2.)Allow me to make a backup of my system following a clean install so I can pop that in and revert to it, rather than reinstall Windows and spend a day installing updates, service packs, and essential software.

So how do the different types of software differ? Is it worth using both, or is it best to buy one or the other?

Thanks.

JersWork · Answer

Disk imaging software does as its name implies. It makes a "snapshot" image or copy of your system as it is at the time you make the image. With that image, you can quickly restore your system back to that same exact state. This method will allow you to "recover" from a catastrophic failure without having to re-install windows first (usually) These images used to be hard to recover single files or folders from, but they allowed quick recovery of the entire drive in the case of a HD failure.

Backup programs tend to backup individual files and folders. They only backup the files/folders you specify, and allow for more easily restoring single files or folders. Generally speaking, if you have a catastrophic system failure, you will need to re-install the OS (at a minimum) and recover your documents/pictures.etc. In this cse, you would also need to re-install all of your programs to best handle the situation of getting all the proper files and registry entries in the right places. This method is the best method to start with a "clean system" after you have been using your PC for many months and have accumulated much excess in the registry which doesn't need to be there any longer.

Disk Imaging software is what you want for your option 2. Your option 1 is possible with most current generation of disk imaging programs, but this is more like a backup program would perform. I have used [Symantec] Ghost and [Acronis] True Image. Both are disk imaging packages. I have not used Ghost much since v8 (corporate) but back then, they had the "Ghost Explorer" which allowed you to browse through an image file as if it were another drie in your PC. True Image offers a similar solution, except theirs actually mounts the image as a disk, and you use the standard OS tools to browse/copy/extract individual files. You might try looking at what those two tools offer to see if they meet your needs/desires.

Rauckman · Answer

Thanks so much for the detailed reply.

I'm trying out Ghost 10, and it appears to allow individual file/folder restoration from its backups, though I don't think you can specify only certain files for backup (but does that matter if I've got enough external drive space?). And it seems easier for me to use than the copy of Ghost 2003 I tried (I'm comfortable with computers, but Ghost 03's DOS stuff left me in the dark).

I got Retrospect Express Backup software with my external hard drive, though, and it'll keep multiple versions of backed up files. It doesn't seem very user friendly, though.

I guess I'm just not sure if running both would be overkill, or if it would be best to make images with Ghost and let Retrospect handle regularly scheduled backups.

msgale · Answer

'Generally speaking,  if you have a catastrophic system failure,  you will need to re-install the OS (at a minimum) and recover your documents/pictures.etc.  In this cse,  you would also need to re-install all of your programs to best handle the situation of getting all the proper files and registry entries in the right places.'  I can not speak for Retrospect, but the backup software I use Veritas, with disaster recovery, does no require anything to be reinstalled prior to recovering the system.

Highlander_821 · Answer

Retrospect Expess is ok for the duplicate backups it does, but don't trust it to do a restore of 'my entire computer' I used it every day to create a full backup of the entire computer, and when it came to needing it to do a full restore, it failed miserably. About 50 different errors. Funny after it 'verified' each and every restore point when it made them.

geekwlover · Answer

As for backup and restore software, I prefer easeus todo backup, compared with Paragon, c It offer user-friendly interface and comprehensive functions. Besides full backup, it also offers incremental backup or differential backup.

rougy · Answer

Paragon seems to be not a good choice for disk backup.

Windows General

Backup or Disk Image Software?

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