Backup by simply transferring user folder to a removable d..

I am running Vista Home Premium on my box. Will this idea of mine work to
back up my computer. I have my computer set up in a simple way. I have my
administrator account I named "Bob" that I use only when absolutely
necessary. I set up one user account named "Bob1" (Wow, that's original!! -
LOL) using all default settings and permissions. "Bob1" is my main and only
user account I use all the time and it all runs excellent with this simple
configuration. There is nothing in the administrator account I need to
backup.



Here is my plan. I have not done this yet. I first backup my outlook
calendar to a "todays_date.pst" file and put it a folder named "backup" in
"Bob1" account folder. I do not use outlook for email. I use "Windows
Mail" as my only email application. I use "Windows Contacts" exclusively
for contacts. I am a simple user. All the rest of my working files and all
other files that are important to me are in the "Bob1" user folder. So
next I highlight the "Bob1" user folder and copy and paste the whole thing
to a USB hard drive and go to bed and in the morning my computer is backed
up.



Lets say my hard drive fails and I replace it. I install vista. I install
ms office. I copy and paste my user folder backup into my main user
account. I reinstall my calendar in outlook from my .pst backup file. I
then reestablish user preferences in vista and office, etc.. Now all is
restored the way it was before my hard drive died.



Would this backup method work? I do not mind reinstalling each piece of
software individually, I actually would prefer it.



If this backup method would not work the way I describe, how do I modify
this method so it will work?



My goal is a fast method to back up just my files and data quick. In the
event of hard drive failure I reinstall the operating system and then each
individual software application I use and then reinstall the data and files.



I currently use Acronis True Image Home 10.0. The dirty dogs run three
processes at computer start up. I emailed them and told them I only need to
backup every one or two weeks, why have three processes running all the
time? They answered that those three processes are needed and gave me a
complex method to get around it that I do not want to spend five hours
figuring it out. Besides, I just don't trust a restore from an image
backup. I just want to get away from trusting commercial backup software.
I just cannot be comfortable with trusting years of irreplaceable files to
commercial image backup software. A low-tech manual file backup described
above seems much more reliable because it is the same process I use every
day moving files around my computer.



Thanks for the help.



Bob

Try SyncToy v2.0 available from Microsoft. You can search their site or go
here
http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C26EFA36-98E0...E9-A7C5

If you wanted to test your backup plan you could simulate it inside of a
Virtual PC session. Install a fresh copy of Vista and restore from your
backups and see how it would work out.

"Bob" <bobbREMOVE-CAPSus99.DeleteThis@CAPSyaREMOVE-CAPShoo.com> wrote in message
news:eNIzWtyrIHA.3632@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> I am running Vista Home Premium on my box. Will this idea of mine work to
> back up my computer. I have my computer set up in a simple way. I have
> my administrator account I named "Bob" that I use only when absolutely
> necessary. I set up one user account named "Bob1" (Wow, that's
> original!! - LOL) using all default settings and permissions. "Bob1" is
> my main and only user account I use all the time and it all runs excellent
> with this simple configuration. There is nothing in the administrator
> account I need to backup.
>
>
>
> Here is my plan. I have not done this yet. I first backup my outlook
> calendar to a "todays_date.pst" file and put it a folder named "backup" in
> "Bob1" account folder. I do not use outlook for email. I use "Windows
> Mail" as my only email application. I use "Windows Contacts" exclusively
> for contacts. I am a simple user. All the rest of my working files and
> all other files that are important to me are in the "Bob1" user folder.
> So next I highlight the "Bob1" user folder and copy and paste the whole
> thing to a USB hard drive and go to bed and in the morning my computer is
> backed up.
>
>
>
> Lets say my hard drive fails and I replace it. I install vista. I
> install ms office. I copy and paste my user folder backup into my main
> user account. I reinstall my calendar in outlook from my .pst backup
> file. I then reestablish user preferences in vista and office, etc.. Now
> all is restored the way it was before my hard drive died.
>
>
>
> Would this backup method work? I do not mind reinstalling each piece of
> software individually, I actually would prefer it.
>
>
>
> If this backup method would not work the way I describe, how do I modify
> this method so it will work?
>
>
>
> My goal is a fast method to back up just my files and data quick. In the
> event of hard drive failure I reinstall the operating system and then each
> individual software application I use and then reinstall the data and
> files.
>
>
>
> I currently use Acronis True Image Home 10.0. The dirty dogs run three
> processes at computer start up. I emailed them and told them I only need
> to backup every one or two weeks, why have three processes running all the
> time? They answered that those three processes are needed and gave me a
> complex method to get around it that I do not want to spend five hours
> figuring it out. Besides, I just don't trust a restore from an image
> backup. I just want to get away from trusting commercial backup software.
> I just cannot be comfortable with trusting years of irreplaceable files to
> commercial image backup software. A low-tech manual file backup described
> above seems much more reliable because it is the same process I use every
> day moving files around my computer.
>
>
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
>
>
> Bob
>
>
>