2nd hard drive for back up

Now I only copy all my data to a CD once a month & have not done a complete disaster recovery plan.

In May I will try to do a more professional setup:
2 pc in a network, 1 connects to DSL & the other connects to cable modem. Both will have identical data for fault tolerance. I still will burn CD once a month. Maybe keep one in my bank safety box. Keep 1 with my relative out-of-state. It is my off-site backup:)
 
Quote from andrasnm:

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A USB external drive is not bootable because USB needs Windows to be running to work. I don't know about FireWire, but I doubt it.

If your BIOS doesn't recognize the device at startup, you can't boot off it.
 
Quote from saxon:

I recently went through this process. Here is what I did.

I bought a second hard drive, same size as my primary; not quite as fast, but less expensive.

I then used a GREAT program that you can download and try free for 30 days (then $35 to purchase). It's called Casper XP (designed specifically for Win2k and XP). It will make an exact copy--not a mirror--of your primary drive onto your backup drive. (I plan to do that once-a-month, and use CD-RWs for daily backup of important files).

I also purchased a hard drive drawer for the backup drive. After doing the backup, I just pull the second drive out and store it in a fireproof/waterproof box hidden in my garage where no thief would have time to look.

So...if any of these things happens--primary drive crashes, computer is stolen, house burns down--I'll be able to recover my business very quickly. Casper XP creates an EXACT copy of your primary drive, including operating system, etc., so if your primary just crashes (no big deal, right?), it would be a simply matter of unplugging the primary, replacing with backup, and rebooting. Presto...you're back up in 5 minutes.

Maybe some of these measures sound a little extreme, but if I were to loose all the work I've done over the last 10 years...I wouldn't know where to begin.

saxon
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MaxBlast 3 also makes an exact clone of your working HD... and it's FREE with the purchase of a Maxtor HD. (You might even be able to download it free, but it will only work if one of the HDs is a Maxtor.)

Your measures are NOT extreme, but appropriate!!
 
Quote from andrasnm:

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If you are making an exact copy of a bootable drive, then it is also bootable. There are some conditions that make be a problem though, so I'd test it to be sure it works.
 
I use WD hard drives and like the "Data Lifeguard" utility that is a free download from the Western Digital web site. I have two removable hard drive bays for my primary "C" drive and backup drive. When I want to make an exact copy of my "C" drive, I slip in one of my three backup hard drives, that I use in rotation, into the backup hard drive removable bay and make an exact copy of the "C" drive. It is fast, simple, and easy to use. This has saved my ass so many times. When I install new hardware, software, or make any questionable changes to my system, I try it on one of the backup hard drives and make sure it works before making the changes on my primary "C" drive. I have been using this system for several years and it has worked great. I would think other hard drive manufacturers would have similar free downloadable utilities. During normal PC use I have only one hard drive in the PC. I only have two hard drives in the PC when I am doing a backup.

Catoosa
 
Quote from zxcv1fu:

What kind of pc do you have that has removable hard drive bays?
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I don't have one myself, but I believe it's a generic option you can ad to any machine whose OS and chipset will support it.

(You could try a search on Google and find out what the system requirements are.)
 
Quote from Catoosa:

I use WD hard drives and like the "Data Lifeguard" utility that is a free download from the Western Digital web site. I have two removable hard drive bays for my primary "C" drive and backup drive. When I want to make an exact copy of my "C" drive, I slip in one of my three backup hard drives, that I use in rotation, into the backup hard drive removable bay and make an exact copy of the "C" drive. It is fast, simple, and easy to use. This has saved my ass so many times. When I install new hardware, software, or make any questionable changes to my system, I try it on one of the backup hard drives and make sure it works before making the changes on my primary "C" drive. I have been using this system for several years and it has worked great. I would think other hard drive manufacturers would have similar free downloadable utilities. During normal PC use I have only one hard drive in the PC. I only have two hard drives in the PC when I am doing a backup.

Catoosa
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(For others who read this...) I too use 3 HDs the same as you (but without the swap bays). I only mention this because I think it is "about right" for the proper precautions of protecting our valuable trading setups and avoiding downtime.... not to mention the aggravation of having to reinstall a system from scratch with all the drivers and patches.
 
I use mobile rack to change the HD into a removable HD bay. Usually pc servers has better hardware setup for fault tolerance.
 
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