[Krigaren]

Not sure if this is the right forum section but here goes

The backup system currently in place where I work is sub-par and I'd like to implement amongst other things a daily incremental backup onto removable media taken offsite, preferably onto DVD-RAM, and archived onto DVD-R when the disc is full.

The problem I'm having is finding the right software to use. Giving how some files, for example the telephone enquiry database, are going to be modified every day we are soon going to end up with many different file versions on the disk. I'm looking for a program that will affix the file names with the date of backup, or at the very least organise them into dated folders that can be filename searched (filenames intact).

Does anyone know of any software that provides this kind of function? I could even do the disc burning seperately, but I need a program that will flag any files modified since the last backup, and add the date somehow.

[olliea95]

I know its not quite the answer you are looking for - but a tip nonetheless - it would be loads better for you to backup to an external USB hard drive, as the software for backing up to hard drives are a lot better (gives you your dated folders etc.) and you can get them quite cheap these days.

Sorry I couldn't solve your original question.

[Krigaren]

If you could recommend some software that does what you say above that would be a start, I could always set up a directory (or even virtual drive if the program is that picky) and move the files to DVD later. In fact, IIRC Windows will drag + drop files on DVD-RAM disks much like a hard disk, so it may allow me to set that as the backup drive.

As long as I get dates added in some form, the program keeps track of which files have been modified, and the files are searchable, i.e. not compressed into a backup archive like Windows Backup does, it'll do nicely. But ideally I'd like something that actually modifies filenames, instead of placing them in named directories.

Thanks for the recommendation to use an external HDD - but I chose optical media over hard drives because discs, if kept in the correct storage, are much safer to transport around regularly - HDD's are shock sensitive and usually give no warning when sectors become unreadable, until you're trying to retrieve the files - then it's too late! It's also convenient to have the off site storage media the same size as the archives media, when the disc is full I can simply copy everything to DVD-R and store. I could just make a 4.7GB partition on an external drive but.. it seems far more logical to use DVD-RAM.

[olliea95]

I don't actually back up my Windows computer so I can't reccomend something personally, but the top blog Lifehacker suggests these programs. I don't know if they offer the filename or dated folder feature, but it is a start. I have seen a friend use something for incremental backup which puts them in directories - but I can't remember for the life of me what it was called. (grr). I know of many softwares for Mac, but I am not really totally clued up on the Windows side.

-Ollie

[Krigaren]

Originally Posted by olliea95

I don't actually back up my Windows computer so I can't reccomend something personally, but the top blog Lifehacker suggests these programs. I don't know if they offer the filename or dated folder feature, but it is a start. I have seen a friend use something for incremental backup which puts them in directories - but I can't remember for the life of me what it was called. (grr). I know of many softwares for Mac, but I am not really totally clued up on the Windows side.

-Ollie

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll take a look tomorrow and try some of them out.