"MariaL" <layportm@bellsouth.net> wrote

> On Apr 9, 5:07 pm, "Rock" <R...@nospam.net> wrote:

>> "MariaL" <laypo...@bellsouth.net> wrote
>>
>> >I bought a 160 GB external drive for backing up my files. I want to
>> > make a full backup of my entire PC. I have Nero installed and I also
>> > have the Windows Backup program that comes with XP. I didn't try the
>> > windows utility because it read it will make a bootable floppy, I
>> > don't have a floppy drive on my new laptop. I used the Nero Backit
>> > up program. My harddrive has 38gb used space, the backup came out to
>> > 30gb..any idea why?
>>
>> > Also, anyone have any personal experience between these two backup
>> > programs or any advice on any others available that are better.
>>
>> > Thanks for any and all help.

>> You can use ntbackup, which is the backup utility in XP, to backup files
>> without using the ASR backup wizard which creates and must have a floppy
>> drive. This is a file backup, however, and will not restore the system
>> to a
>> running state. I also found the ASR process cumbersome to restore the
>> system.
>>
>> Years ago I moved to a drive imaging program. I currently use Acronis
>> True
>> Image Home, version 10 which is compatible with Vista and XP. It can
>> create
>> a compressed image of a partition or drive. Images can be full,
>> incremental
>> or differential. Saving these to an external drive as you have is a good
>> backup/recovery solution. It can also do file backup, and clone drives.
>> Restores can be done on a file, partition or drive basis. I recommend
>> it.
>>
>> I set up ATI to do a full image once a week and a differential image each
>> night. I alternate weekly between two different external USB drives.

> How do I access the Ntbackup? Also am I correct that your saying
> with that program you can't do a full system restore to how the pc was
> before a crash or lost files. Doing an Image backup with something
> like Ghost or this Acronis, is much better, is that correct?

You stated you had the backup program that came with XP, the filename is
actually ntbackup. For XP Pro, it will do file backup or a system backup
using the ASR wizard. The ASR does not backup all data. I believe it only
backs up the drive where XP is installed.

As I said, the few times I tested a restore using ASR, it did not restore
the system to a fully working state for that particular system. Several
programs would not run after the restore. It was for that reason and
because the ASR restore process is slow and cumbersome, and because there
are limitations in ntbackup on the media on which the backup can be made -
ntbackup cannot backup to DVD; it can backup to a single CD if 3rd party
packet writing software is installed but it cannot span CDs.

Originally in XP I used Drive Image from Powerquest, version 7. I liked it
very much. However Powerquest was bought out some time ago by Symantec. DI
was killed. They took some of it's technology and incorporated it in their
Ghost program. Since that time I moved to Acronis True Image Home,
currently at version 10, which runs in both Vista and XP. I am very
satisfied with it.

I have no experience with Nero's backup program. Whatever program you
choose, make sure you test it under real circumstances to make sure it will
backup and restore as you expect.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]