On Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 and later, the Volume Shadow Copy 
service allows in-use files to be backed up. It's completely transparent and 
it Just Works.

Doing a full OS restore from an ntbackup backup is indeed a chore. You must 
first install the bare OS, then bring it up to the same service pack level 
as the previous install, then restore the backup. Automatic System Recovery, 
which uses the floppy Gerhard mentioned, only works if you back up to 
another partition on the same physical machine.

Of course, restoring just data files doesn't require these gymnastics.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gerhard Fiedler" <lists@connectionbrazil.com>
To: <piclist@mit.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: [OT]: Backup strategies (was Re: [OT]: 
Filesyncronization/SyncToy)


> Matthew Mucker wrote:
>
>> I use a scheduled task to kick off ntbackup on my WinXP box every 
>> morning.
>
> I think ntbackup is generally underrated. However, there are two things I
> don't like about it.
>
> One is that you have to regularly create a new "emergency floppy" (and 
> need
> to be able to boot from floppy) in order to be able to restore from a
> backup. And I'm not sure you can restore from a network backup with the
> emergency floppy.
>
> The other is that it doesn't back up files that are in use, IIRC. For all 
> I
> know, TrueImage can do that.
>
> Gerhard
>
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