Clickfree drive

Dollardog

I am only doing a back up once in a blue moon and really need to get organised to do them regularly.
Not being very 'techie', I need something that is really easy that will either do it automatically to another drive or I can just press a button and it does it.

I initially want to copy everything so that if I had to reformat the drive, I could just copy it all back as it was. Then perhaps just keep the copy up to date - synchronising it somehow?

I've seen these clickfree drives, are they easy to use? Do they copy everything then keep it up to date?
Do you have to do lot of fiddling to get it to copy what you want to initially copy?

Is there a better way?

I am on Windows 7.

Whatever I get. I can only buy from PCWorld (yes I know!!!!) or Argos or Amazon - long story, but I have vouchers to spend there and that is the only way I can afford it.

Can anyone advise please?

TIA DD

Shimrod

I can't comment on clickfree directly, but they have slightly mixed reviews on Amazon. I use acronis true image (£49 at pcworld) and a standard external drive to back up my system. It doesn't take much to install the software, and it only takes a few clicks to set up the backups.
If you do a search for acronis down this forum, you'll find some threads with suggestions of alternative free or similarly priced back up software as well.

Joyful

I used Clickfree which was very simple to use. I backed up a laptop I was selling and my new one. The only problem was it failed and the manufacturer advised me there was no way to recover any info from it. I now do not trust putting everything in one place.

EricHart

Acronis trueimage all the way

Dollardog

Thanks for the replies.
One thing I forgot to say was that I wanted to be able to back up my pc (on XP) and my laptop (Win7).
I've wathed the video about the Acronis, but with it being software, I presume I would have to buy two copies, one for each machine? and I suppose I would also need two external hard drives too?
Looks to be getting a bit expensive. If I did that, what is the best hard drive to get?

From what I gathered of the clickfree, it works on wifi and could have backed up both wirelessly onto the same drive if I had got a 1tb drive.

I have to agree though that the Acronis seems to be well rated, the video seemed to make it sound easy to use too, although they would as they were trying to sell it!!

closed

you just need one drive big enough to hold images for both machines, imaging software (including versions of acronis) is freely available from software companies and drive manufacturers, and the function is part of W7.


There is no need to pay for software or fancy drives, a basic usb drive and free software does the same job - try macrium

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=45197656&postcount=8

Dollardog

closed wrote: »

you just need one drive big enough to hold images for both machines, imaging software (including versions of acronis) is freely available from software companies and drive manufacturers, and the function is part of W7.


There is no need to pay for software or fancy drives, a basic usb drive and free software does the same job - try macrium

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=45197656&postcount=8

Thanks closed, but will these other, free software versions keep the backups up to date?, do the drives need to be able to hold several copies of each drive (XP and Win7), ie the last one plus the new one of each? or do they just update the one copy of each?

I did a restore cd, (came out as 2 cd's), when I first got the laptop but that wouldn't have the programs on that I have now, although I have the most important ones for me - Autoroute and Home Office on disc anyway.
Is the bootcd that you talk about in the link, the same as the restore cd I did when I first got the laptop?



I've just googled for a free copy of Acronis and found these reviews - scary for someone not techy
http://download.cnet.com/Acronis-True-Image-Home-2012/3000-2242_4-10168093.html
Perhaps not so good afterall.
Macrium doesn't seem to fare much better either, except for the first two reviews.
http://download.cnet.com/Macrium-Reflect-Free/3000-2242_4-10845728.html
It seems perhaps good to initially clone the drive, but not to keep the backups up to date which is what I want to be able to do.

This link you gave made using Win7 own backup facility look easy,
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/1838/using-backup-and-restore-in-windows-7/ but it obviously wouldn't work for the pc on XP, although nothing much changes on that these days as its mostly the laptop I use. They are not networked together as I was scared that if I got a virus on one, it would then copy itself to the other. They only work independantly. The pc is the only one linked to my printer/scanner.

I find it all very confusing which is why I've got behind with doing backups and thought the clickfree device would make it easy.
Thanks a lot for your help, most appreciated.

Shimrod

Dollardog wrote: »

I've just googled for a free copy of Acronis and found these reviews - scary for someone not techy
http://download.cnet.com/Acronis-True-Image-Home-2012/3000-2242_4-10168093.html

I'm surprised at those reviews for Acronis, I've had no problems at all (including using it to restore a PC) and I run it on three machines. Some of them are just plain wrong - for example, the comment about a 'per cpu licence'.

If you want another paid for alternative, have a look at Norton Ghost - I've used that on a system that had windows dynamic disks defined. It's £30 at pcworld if you order on line for collect in store.

closed

To keep them upto date, just run it again, and if your drive is full, delete the original backup.

automatically syncing isn't that smart, because it can sync viruses, and accidental deletions, just run a backup every month, takes 2 clicks.

incremental backups, ie keeping it upto date is perfectly feasible, but you will have to cough up some £ (or do a lot of fiddling about), that's how these companies make money, with extra features.

The reviews I read are whinges based on misunderstanding or unrealistic expectations for free software. If people want every feature under the sun, it's available in the paid for versions.

Why don't you just buy a drive, any drive big enough to hold all your data twice, and try macrium free (which works on xp and 7) , then come back with any problems. or if you have a flash pen drive big enough, try that