I am looking for some decent back up software that will run as windows service and automatically at preset times back up files to either a 2nd HD, or another machine on my LAN. Is there any software that anyone can recommend, pref one that backs up only new and changed files since the previous back up....

Dont think anything in Win Xp can do this already can it? It really needs to run automatically at set intervals.......

Paragon Backup will do all that you require provided you have at least one partition on your hard drive other than C: to store the back up data on.
Baz

Not exactely what you're looking for but my mum uses Carbonite - the initial backup will take a good few hours (you can choose what it backs up but default is My Docs & desktop), then it just sits on your tray backing up new/changed files. It uses it's own encryption to send your files and if everything dies, they're all safe - something she appreciates as she's exceptionally good at killing laptops.

You can do a 15 day trial (no Credit Card required): http://carbonite.com/ then it's $49 a year. Of course if you're disciplined then just get an external harddrive and do your own backups. ;)

I am looking for some decent back up software that will run as windows service and automatically at preset times back up files to either a 2nd HD, or another machine on my LAN. Is there any software that anyone can recommend, pref one that backs up only new and changed files since the previous back up....

Dont think anything in Win Xp can do this already can it? It really needs to run automatically at set intervals.......


Cobian.

Cobian Backup is a multi-threaded program that can be used to schedule and backup your files and directories from their original location to other directories/drives in the same computer or other computer in your network. FTP backup is also supported in both directions (download and upload).

Cobian Backup exists in two different versions: application and service. The program uses very few resources and can be running on the background on your system, checking your backup schedule and executing your backups when necessary. Cobian Backup is not an usual backup application: it only copies your files and folders in original or compressed mode to other destination, creating a security copy as a result. So Cobian Backup can be better described as a "Scheduler for security copies".

Download from here (http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm#Bfeatures) It's FREE. :)

I've used Clone 2.1. [ http://newtonsoftware.co.uk/clone/ ].
It's a simple, quite basic looking programme but it's very powerful in that it does exactly what you want, when you want, from and to where you want.
Tried lots of other similar programmes, but this is by far the best.

Just installed COBIAN and it seems fine,although it does want to send back ups across my LAN for some reason so they are going to a different HD at present.

Just remember that backing up to another machine in the same building doesn't give you protection against things like fire. It's a good idea to back up to distinct locations which is why online backup solutions are so good.

Just remember that backing up to another machine in the same building doesn't give you protection against things like fire. It's a good idea to back up to distinct locations which is why online backup solutions are so good.

yes I am going to set up an ftp back up service too I think...that option is on this software.....

Just remember that backing up to another machine in the same building doesn't give you protection against things like fire. It's a good idea to back up to distinct locations which is why online backup solutions are so good.
They are only of use if you do not have much data to back up.
I measure my storage in terabytes, upload sped of 'broadband' would not even keep up with the speed I accumulate and generate data.

They are only of use if you do not have much data to back up.
I measure my storage in terabytes, upload sped of 'broadband' would not even keep up with the speed I accumulate and generate data.

Fair point although it depends on individuals usage. I admin an online backup service and some of the customers have 100's of GBs stored backed up with us and they only have ADSL connections. We have the ability to take a 'seed load' where by the data is compressed, encrypted and put on to a removable media (normally USB HDD). This is then sent to us and once put on our storage arrays the customer just performs incremental backups. Obivously if there's large data churn it becomes less practical. There are more and more people getting decent Internet connections these days, I can upload at 50Mbit on my home connection on a good day and as I have no traffic limits could feasibly back up as much data as you have, however not everywhere has the availability of such services at the moment.

The service is aimed at businesses, most of which have pretty stable data whereas a home user is more likely to change their data more often - music and video collections etc. I assume that goldenfleece will be backing up accounts etc. for his business which are probably trivial in size...

Acronis True Image has helped me out on a couple of occasions

Computeractive magazine: 10-23 July 2008, issue 271, covers this topic.
Drive image XML can be downloaded FREE from here;

www.computeractive.co.uk/2202504

.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/Syncback.html

This is the one I have used and it lets you backup automatically - its free.

Windows has its own backup software built in (though if using Home you'll need to install it from the Windows CD).

It does exactly what you want it to.

Fair point although it depends on individuals usage. I admin an online backup service and some of the customers have 100's of GBs stored backed up with us and they only have ADSL connections. 100s of GB is not quite the same as 10 TB!

We have the ability to take a 'seed load' where by the data is compressed, encrypted and put on to a removable media (normally USB HDD). This is then sent to us and once put on our storage arrays the customer just performs incremental backups. Now that is a smart idea. Except I'd need to give you a lot of hard drives.

Obivously if there's large data churn it becomes less practical. That's my problem - I can produce 30gb on a busy day. Though not all days are like that.

There are more and more people getting decent Internet connections these days, I can upload at 50Mbit on my home connection on a good day and as I have no traffic limits could feasibly back up as much data as you have, however not everywhere has the availability of such services at the moment. Are you sure that's your upload speed as upload speed is usually way below download speed? Plus is that a typo as I just did a test and got 0.32Mbps for download and I doubt you can upload 150 times faster than I can download? Heck I cannot even get that speed moving data to/from an external hard drive!!

The service is aimed at businesses, most of which have pretty stable data whereas a home user is more likely to change their data more often - music and video collections etc. I assume that goldenfleece will be backing up accounts etc. for his business which are probably trivial in size...
I'm a business and that's why I produce so much data, just like many other photographers, designers, video editors or anyone engaged in media handling.

It's not a typo, see http://www.speedtest.net/result/304361862.png - it's a synchronous connection.

Medium and larger companies that deal with a lot of data tend to have 10/100/1000Mbit leased line connectivity so aren't stuck with the poor upload speed of ADSL/residential cable. For these, shifting large amounts of data isn't that much of an issue. If you have ADSL I wouldn't recommend an online backup service as the right solution. I should have said it's aimed at businesses, but not all of them :)

Anyway, gone slightly off topic so I'll be quiet before I bore anybody......

Larger companies that have leased lines are quite different from smaller businesses or individuals and are more likely to IT departments to deal with such issues. For those of us in the real world online back up is still a 'pipe dream'. ;)

Windows has its own backup software built in (though if using Home you'll need to install it from the Windows CD).

It does exactly what you want it to.

Windows NTBackup is the one you mean. Does Normals, Copy's, Incrementals, Diffs etc and hasn't failed me yet on my 4 home pc's. Backups are scheduled and all I have to do is remember to ensure my external networked HD is switched on.

Download Linky:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7da725e2-8b69-4c65-afa3-2a53107d54a7&displaylang=en

Norton Ghost is a paid-for option.