Backup to External Hard Drive

[seelie]

I have a computer which is running 98 and is getting past it. I bought an external hard drive to back up all my system onto in case it crashes and I lose everything, but am not having much success. Can anyone recommend a good programme - preferably free, that would do the job. There seems to be loads on the internet, but it's a minefield to me. I would be grateful for any help.

[rojash]

Not free, but good value:

http://www.drive-backup.com/home/personal/

[fo3nix]

SyncBack Freeware V3.2.14

http://www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html

SyncBack is pretty good software for backups. Works well, and free to boot.

However, this just backs up your files as files. Great for getting back the odd file, but if something goes more spectacularly wrong, you will be better off with rojash's suggestion which does a drive image.

[seelie]

Thanks rojash. Have had a look and watched some of the flash demos. It certainly looks impressive but me being an oldie it looks a bit complicated - I need one that is simple - like an a-b-c one for dummies! Thanks for the suggestion though - will keep searching.

[Ethel]

Acronis True Image is good - under �15 at Amazon, and a free trial here:

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/ trueimage/

[Ethel]

Sorry - I don't know if Acronis runs on Windows 98.

[ACtheTROLL]

If you have everything in your my documents folder .... the absolute simplest way is just drag the entire folder over to the new drive.
if not things get a little more complicated
also you won'y be including settings, favourites or cookies etc

98 does come with it's own backup tools (not the best ... but already there! - see help or http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/ph/1 139?sid=182

alternatively
copy the line between the *****s (don't include the ***s) to a text file .... call it backup.bat
change the x in "x:\backup\" to your usb drive letter
*********************
xcopy "c:\my documents\*.*" "x:\backup\" /m /e /-y
*********************
and remember to run it regularly
that's the idea of any backup prog.... it just backup all files once ... after that (generally) they only copy the files that have changed - and you set a timetable.