hellerst@husc4.HARVARD.EDU (Joe Hellerstein) (01/17/90)
Would like to hear people's recommendations for backup utilities (hard drive to floppies...) I've been using HFS Backup 1.1, but its incremental backup is very space-wasteful -- it doesn't reclaim any space on the old backup, it just asks for new disks for the updated files. Is DiskFit good? How about the plain old Apple HD Backup (I'm skeptical...) Any info appreciated. E-mail replies. I will forward all replies to anyone who wants, unless the sender specifically wants their reply to remain confidential. I'll only post a summary if enough people want to hear one. Thanks in advance! Joe Hellerstein hellerst@husc4.harvard.edu
jspear@gryphon.COM (Jon Spear) (01/19/90)
In article <1268@husc6.harvard.edu> hellerst@husc4.UUCP (Joe Hellerstein) writes: >Would like to hear people's recommendations for backup utilities (hard >drive to floppies...) I've been using HFS Backup 1.1, but its >incremental backup is very space-wasteful -- it doesn't reclaim any space >on the old backup, it just asks for new disks for the updated files. >Is DiskFit good? How about the plain old Apple HD Backup (I'm skeptical...) Yikes! HFS Backup 1.1 is seriously out of date (by at least 2 years), and not all that reliable. (maybe you don't have problems, but I did...). Call PCPC (they used to be at 800-622-2888) and ask about an upgrade to version 3! HFS Backup 3 has an "overwrite" mode where newer versions of a file will replace old ones in an archive, thus saving floppies. It also has lots of other features. But the backup utility I want is Retrospect. If I could only convince myself that it is really worth $150 or so to help organize my file archives. You might also want to consider trading to FastBack II -- I think they still offer a $40 deal if you send in the title page from another backup utility manual. -Jon -- ----- [The following address evaporates 1/31/90. New address sought.] Jon L Spear: jspear@gryphon.COM <routing site>!gryphon!jspear gryphon!jspear@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov "With computers we can make billions of mistakes every second!"
chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (01/20/90)
jspear@gryphon.COM (Jon Spear) writes: > HFS Backup 3 has an "overwrite" mode where newer versions of a file will >replace old ones in an archive, thus saving floppies. It also has lots >of other features. Sounds like HFS Backup now can do waht Diskfit does. I used to use HFS Backup and switched to Diskfit because it was faster and more reliable -- and because it saves stuff in finder format, so I can get to a file without have to restore it though the program. (which can be really depressing when the backup program says 'I've got it, but I won't give it back to you', as HFS Backup did a couple of times back in the older versions. > But the backup utility I want is Retrospect. If I could only convince >myself that it is really worth $150 or so to help organize my file archives. Convince yourself. Retrospect is neat. The only reason I still use DiskFit is because I haven't taken the time to switch my primary backups over (and because I like my backups in finder format, but eventually I'll give in). I use Retrospect to back up all my projects, my public domain library (it took *that* from 80 floppies to 35; the savings in floppies almost paid for it then, and has by now). it's really a neat tool that I find I use on a daily basis both here at work and at home -- because it's a really convenient way to make incremental backups of each project on an easy-to-find set of floppies. When a project is done, I can make a final archive and then zap the original. It's saved my tail twice so far in letting me get back to previous verions of things I've hosed -- and it's fast and convenient enough that I *do* use it without grumbling, so the saved data is there when I need it. A backup program is no good if you don't use it, so a program that doesn't get in your want and act as a deterrent gets a strong recommendation. -- Chuq Von Rospach <+> chuq@apple.com <+> [This is myself speaking] Rule 1 on how to not get an answer to your question: put "I don't normally read this group" in the message. Rule 2: don't read the group before posting. It's considered bad manners to ask a questio about a topic currently under discussion. -- Uncle chuqui's guide to the net.
dorner@pequod.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Dorner) (01/24/90)
In article <37953@apple.Apple.COM> chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: >jspear@gryphon.COM (Jon Spear) writes: >>HFS Backup 3 has an "overwrite" mode where newer versions of a file will >>replace old ones in an archive, thus saving floppies. >I used to use HFS >Backup and switched to Diskfit because it was faster and more reliable HFS Backup 3 is STILL not very reliable. If you're looking for a backup program, I suggest you avoid it. Certain options (overwrite included) make it confused after a while. It has a lot of nice features; but you can NOT tolerate bugs in backup software. -- Steve Dorner, U of Illinois Computing Services Office Internet: s-dorner@uiuc.edu UUCP: {convex,uunet}!uiucuxc!dorner Remember: If it ain't computerized registration, it ain't worthwile.
long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Richard C. Long) (01/25/90)
In article <1990Jan23.174934.4888@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, dorner@pequod.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Dorner) writes... >[about HFS Backup 3 deleted] >make it confused after a while. It has a lot of nice features; but you >can NOT tolerate bugs in backup software. That was why I switched from HFS Backup to Redux, which I like very much. I have discovered a possible bug in v1.5, though. I did the following : 1. Backup entire hard disk. 2. Erase said hard disk. 3. Restore disk from backups. Watch as some files are restored, and others are not. Redux will say something like "xxx files restored, yyy files not restored" and "Finished, had problems." Scrolling back through the restore log window indicates no errors. The only way I could discover to retrieve the non-restored files was to start a backup on the semi-restored hard disk, and look at the list of files Redux wanted to delete from the backup set. I then canceled the backup, and explicitly selected those files for restore, and it all worked. This does not happen to me with v1.01, which I have dropped back to. Anyone else seen this problem? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /'') /'~ / | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | Hey! You're not /''\ /,, /,, | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | Rockin' Ricky Richard C. Long | long%mcntsh.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com | fans! -- "Gremlins"
bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) (02/03/90)
From article <39385.25C65B02@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>, by ADAM.FRIX@f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (ADAM FRIX): > Yes, the problem is fixed in 1.6. 1.6 has a power user preference called > "special restore." (oops, sorry, it's just a simple preference, not a > power user pref.) If you choose this, you can choose from among 5 > different restore schemes: > > o Standard Restore--Restore all files that are checked. > > o Restore Differences--Restore all files that have changaed or are > missing from the hard disk. > > o Restore Newer--Replace old versions of files on the hard disk. > > o Restore Missing Files--Restore all files that are not on the hard disk. > > o Restore Newer and Missing--Replace old versions of files on the hard > disk, and restore all files that are not on the hard disk. > > I think that Restore Missing Files would solve your problem. What other > bugs have you found in 1.5? > First of all, is Adam Frix a rep for the makers of Redux (Microseeds Pub)? If so, what else does 1.6 do? When is it going to be available? How does one get the v1.6 of Redux. I have 1.5 and don't like the thought of having a bug in restoring in the version I have. --Bruce Holm -- ** These are my opinions, & not necessarily those of Mentor Graphics Corp. ** Bruce Holm, Design/Analysis Div. / (503) 626-7000 Mentor Graphics Corp. / USENET: bruceh@pdx.MENTOR.COM Beaverton, OR 97005-7191 / UUCP: ...!{sequent,tessi,apollo}!mntgfx!bruceh
clye@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Christopher Lye) (02/03/90)
In article <1990Feb2.172833.21919@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: >First of all, is Adam Frix a rep for the makers of Redux (Microseeds Pub)? >If so, what else does 1.6 do? When is it going to be available? > >How does one get the v1.6 of Redux. I have 1.5 and don't like the thought >of having a bug in restoring in the version I have. > >--Bruce Holm > >-- Redux 1.6 is available now! If you have a CIS account you can send mail to Microseeds through APVEN forum and get an update without sending in your old disk. Otherwise, You SHOULD be receiving an update notice in the mail real soon now. :-) I haven't received my copy yet but I do know that Redux 1.6 is available now since my friend recently bought a copy over the phone. According to Tech Support, most of the annoying bugs and quirks in 1.5 have been fixed with some cute little add-ons as per the previous posting. Chris "We have met the enemy...and he tasted GREAT!" ********************************************************************* * Christopher Lye '90 * Usenet: CLYE@PHOENIX.PRINCETON.EDU * * Princeton University * CIS : 73407,3140 * *********************************************************************
ADAM.FRIX@f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (ADAM FRIX) (02/04/90)
In a message of 01/24/90, Richard C. Long wrote: > In article <1990Jan23.174934.4888@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, > dorner@pequod.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Dorner) writes... > >[about HFS Backup 3 deleted] make it confused after a while. It > >has a lot of nice features; but you can NOT tolerate bugs in > >backup software. > > That was why I switched from HFS Backup to Redux, which I like > very much. I have discovered a possible bug in v1.5, though. > > I did the following : > > 1. Backup entire hard disk. > > 2. Erase said hard disk. > > 3. Restore disk from backups. > > Watch as some files are restored, and others are not. Redux will > say something like "xxx files restored, yyy files not restored" > and "Finished, had problems." Scrolling back through the restore > log window indicates no errors. > > The only way I could discover to retrieve the non-restored files > was to start a backup on the semi-restored hard disk, and look at > the list of files Redux wanted to delete from the backup set. I > then canceled the backup, and explicitly selected those files for > restore, and it all worked. > > This does not happen to me with v1.01, which I have dropped back > to. > > Anyone else seen this problem? I spoke with Dave Winzler, author of Redux, and he replied: DW> The usenet message refers to a bug seen occasionally in 1.5 where DW> it skips over certain files during Restore. Doesn't happen all DW> the time, which is why we and the beta testers didn't catch it. DW> The solution is to use Redux Restore (which is recommended for DW> restore anyway), or to do what the person suggested. The problem DW> is fixed in 1.6, and people shouldn't have any more problems DW> restoring. I never experienced that bug, either in using 1.5 or in 1.6 betas. I'm curious: did this happen to you _regularly_? --Adam-- ^^^^^ The above statement expresses the views of the individual and does not necessarily reflect the views or concerns of this place of origin. -- ADAM FRIX via cmhGate - Net 226 fido<=>uucp gateway Col, OH UUCP: ...!osu-cis!n8emr!cmhgate!200!ADAM.FRIX INET: ADAM.FRIX@f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG