Ask Leo! #537 – Free Video Series, Skype Calls Getting Recorded, Save vs. Run, VC++ Runtime and more

Wow, I was away so coming in late on this. These responses are overwhelming. A good backup routine should be a full image followed by incrementals where backed up files can be accessed in Windows file explorer. I use Acronis True Image to accomplish this and I have set it up for many of my clients. I also advise them to use drop box or similar in addition to Acronis if they want an extra off-site backup of their critical files. Acronis allows the user to fetch earlier versions of files or retrieve files that have been inadvertently overwritten. It also allows the user to restore their computer to the last know good full backup in the event of system corruption caused by malware or user error. I realize that this may be a daunting task for some individuals which is why they hire me to set it up and train them how to use it. Acronis is not the only backup software that works well, it just happens to be my choice. Perhaps more users should consider hiring a professional to get them into a good backup routine?

I try to backup pretty regularly but there is always a slight possibility of computer / drive problems. One thing occurs to me. SSHDs are now getting affordable even in large (1tb) sizes. They appear to be much more reliable with min normal 10 year to failure times quoted by some manufacturers. I wonder however what are the chances even if they do fail to write of not being able to read them. If the ability to still read the data remains when they no longer write then the confidence in the backup is raised several levels. What do the experts think?

My understanding is that

1) magnetic hard disks still last longer

2) when flash memory fails it often fails completely (i.e. both read and write)

3) flash memory offers almost no recovery options that compare to some of the advanced techniques used by data recovery services.

Bottom line: my assumption is that when flash memory dies - regardless of its type - its contents are gone. Period.

I have used Karens replicator for a long time and highly recommend it. For one thing, the backup files are in plain vanilla format, you do not need Replicator to see them or restore them. The logging is also fairly extensive. There is an option when it comes to dealing with deleted files in the source/input folder. You can either delete them in the target/backup folder or not. And, look into the tags feature, I use it keep an entire replicated backup for each week of the month. That is, over time, it cycles through 5 different backup copies. The one downside is that Replicator does not do versioning, you can't tell it to keep the last x copies of files.

Karen Kenworthy, the author, has passed away so don't expect updates. But the program is tried and true.