Hi,

.........Since file/folder backups essentially accomplish the same thing
as the clone/image backups why would you have both

Good question, normally you wouldn't use both. A little back to basics
here, but a clone is like holding twins, one in each hand. An image
often as not means your original disk in one hand and a single giant
compressed file that's a copy of your hard drives contents in your other
hand. Both hands hold all the info you'll need, but they are stored in
different ways.

........better choice to not use the proprietary format ...... I'm
assuming the reason is that you don't have to have a copy of the
application to do restores.

That too, but most have a way that'll help you boot and get things up
and running again.

Also you can slap your clone in someone elses computer and transfer
things drag and drop easy. Some images are about as easy to use as a
clone, but more than likely you can't swap the jumpers, plug in the disk
holding an image and have your computer boot as it did before it broke.
Reloading an image may or may not have the outcome as easy as you're
expecting.

---==X={}=X==---

Jim Self

AVIATION ANIMATION, the internet's largest depository.
http://avanimation.avsupport.com

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Experimental Aircraft Association #140897
EAA Technical Counselor #4562