Well from emails to companies dedicated to them, there may be very (extremely) important data that you would like to have safe from fires and hum...meteorites...then it may be interesting.

I don't know how many linux/unix people are here, but I really do like using rsync to make backups on to a remote machine, as described here.

Assuming you have a machine from which to do the backups, you get some real advantages from rsync. First, it's smart enough to only grab the files that have changed. Using it's ability to create links to files that have not changed, you can make multiple snapshots of the data you're backing up without consuming too much file space (this is described in the link above). Also, you can set it up to run as a scheduled event. Since it doesn't require changing tapes, or any other manual processes, you don't run the risk of forgetting to do your backups.

You can even mount the remote backup drive to the source computer in read only mode to make recovery of lost files easy.

Using RAID is also a very efficient backup system.

I have a Maxtor OneTouch 2 external drive.

I works good for complete or partial backups but it does not let me drag and drop files between drives. It's more of a complete system restore type drive.

I have a Maxtor OneTouch (not One touch 2) and use it to drag and drop fiels between my local disk and the external disk...

Originally Posted by nick89

Using RAID is also a very efficient backup system.

This seems like it will be the road I will be heading down. I have been planning on setting up a large centralized network drive anyways, so perhaps I will configure that in a raid array so I can kill two birds with one stone. Use it to share files and back up local machines.

My boyfriend uses an external hard drive for backing things up; I prefer using jump drives. I don't have a whole lot to back up, ususally; just lots of word documents and photos. So I don't need a whole lot.

My music is always backed up on my iPod and on the CDs, so that's nothing I ever need to worry about.

Originally Posted by kokotai

Is it a good idea to backup with an online company? I know they claim that it is good because they are storing "off-site" and all but I am skiddish.

I'm really not a fan of online storage. It's just me. You never know what happens to your files when they decide to "go away". Maybe I can upload my less important files but I can't entrust everything to them. My two cents.

Originally Posted by feverish

I'm really not a fan of online storage. It's just me. You never know what happens to your files when they decide to "go away". Maybe I can upload my less important files but I can't entrust everything to them. My two cents.

I'm with you two -- would never use an online set-up. I recently read a review of back-up storage devices and it listed iOmega external hard drive as the best. Here's a link to the product page:

http://www.iomega.com/direct/products/family.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=41385863&ASSORTME NT%3C%3East_id=26890319&bmUID=1188134121343

Hi

I use ATI 10 (Acronis True Image v10) and i backup my C: partition "25GB" to last partition on my second internal HDD, if i have a major problem with my OS i can just reinstall the backup partition, easy !