[Discuss] How do Linux guys back up Windows?

[markw at mohawksoft.com (Mark Woodward)]

A little humor....

Q: How do Linux guys back up Windows?
A: Real Linux guys install Linux over Windows.

On 12/26/2012 07:43 PM, David Kramer wrote:
> I am now in the odd situation of having two computers that are dual
> boot, and that I use under Windows more than I have in the past (which
> is to say a couple of times a YEAR).
>
> Under Linux, I know that I can always reinstall the OS without hassles
> and the update it, so I usually use scripts to just back up the
> configuration files and documents and mail, etc.  A big server takes in
> the neighborhood of 17GB to back up this way, which is great.  Windows,
> on the other hand, is more than a collection of files.  It has magical
> things in special places, and a registry that Must Be Right.  It also
> can't be taken as a given that if my system dies, and I need to (say)
> replace a hard drive, that I'll be able to use install media to
> reinstall the OS.
>
> My normal MO is to back up to external USB hard drives that are normally
> disconnected and sitting in a drawer.  In preparation for this I bought
> a 1TB one to supplement my current 500GB one.  I'm thinking I'll use the
> 1TB one for Linux and the 500GB one for the two Windows instances.  I'm
> not sure if that will be enough, though.  I did a test Windows Backup on
> my desktop Windows instance and it took about 180MB, which was a pretty
> big surprise.  I later learned it does diffs after that so it shouldn't
> grow very fast.  Still I don't know if 500GB will be big enough for
> both.  Maybe I can switch to a program that stores backups compressed,
> since I'm not really worried about speed.
>
> Let's say I already have my personal documents backed up through
> synchronization, but I would like to not have to reinstall all my apps,
> especially Office.  Given all that, how would you recommend I back up?
> Are there any good (free|cheap) programs that will back up Windows to
> external hard drives?
>
> Thanks.  I know this isn't really about Windows, but I know a lot of you
> are SysAdmins that work with both.  I also wanted a Linux perspective on
> this, because a lot of the Windows-only SysAdmins I've spoken to left me
> with the impression that they don't think about it very much and just do
> what they're told by Microsoft.
>
>
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