Cloning software can bring a system back to a usable state when the worst happens. It is very important to backup personal files and documents, however if the computer’s hard drive fails, even if user data is safe it can take some time to recover the system. Windows and all programs must be reinstalled and settings have to be reconfigured. All of this can easily take an entire day.
Why Cloning Software is Always a Good Idea
Many users will count on their technical support or a local store to bring their system back to a usable state. This is not a good idea, if the hard drive has completely failed the technician will still have to reinstall everything on the system, which takes time even for a professional. A full system backup simplifies the process considerably, and is an excellent idea even when making use of the technical support available from a store.
A full system backup includes all operating system and program files. It might seem possible to simply copy all the files manually to an external hard drive, however that would be both time consuming and incorrect. A program like Drive Backup Personal is designed to simplify the process, and make it easy to restore from a backup in the event of a hard drive failure.
Using System Backup Software Effectively
This process can also be used when upgrading a hard drive or even changing to a new system. Instead of reinstalling all programs, the backup software is used to restore the system to the new hard drive. Drive Backup Personal also includes a feature called adaptive restore. Adaptive restore can be used to restore the system backup to an entirely new computer or even a virtual machine.
Drive Backup has additional features that recommend it over competitors. The backup can be performed while the system is running and can be scheduled ahead of time. This makes it as easy as possible to perform. To save on space it’s also possible to exclude files from the backup, such as movies, music files or pictures. If these files are excluded it’s important to remember to back them up using backup software.
Users counting on Drive Backup as their only backup solution should make sure to schedule regular backups that include all files. The program features incremental backups to speed up the process, this means it will only backup files that have changed since the last backup. A nice feature for this type of use is the image browser, which allows the user to select individual files and folders to restore from a complete backup.
Using a Clone to Restore the System
In the event of a failure or hardware upgrade, restoring the hard drive is not a difficult process. The program has an option to create bootable media in the form of a CD or USB flash drive. This should be done before there is a need, preferably with the first backup. This bootable media can be used to start the computer if the hard drive is unavailable because of failure or upgrade.
Once the computer is running, the software included in the bootable media can be used to restore the system from the backup. If the reason for the restore is an upgrade, obviously the user will want to use the entire new hard drive, not just the portion equal to the old drive. Drive Backup has basic partition management software, allowing the new drive to consist of a single partition with the restored data.
The reverse is also possible. In an emergency a smaller hard drive may be the only one available. Using the restore with shrinking option, as long as it has enough space for the data in the backup, the new hard drive doesn’t have to be the same size as the original hard drive.
Even users that don’t plan on restoring their own system should consider using Drive Backup. Using an existing system backup, the technician servicing the computer will have an easier time restoring data if the hard drive fails. The software cost is more than worth it when the high cost of data recovery from a damaged hard drive is considered.
Cloning Software for Mac Users
Mac users might be interested in reading about How to Backup a Mac with SuperDuper.
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