Backup solution

gapo · 2009-06-30 12:24:35

I have an HP Laptop . Sadly, due to an ant infestation my keyboard is gone. Fortunately, it is under warranty and I can service it .:D

Now HP says it will run data recovery which will erase all the data in my system. . Which means loosing everything .

I dual boot Windows 7 and Arch using arch for work and 7 for play.
My data is as follows.

Partition 1 -Windows - 159 GB used.
Partition 2- Arch /home - 8 GB used
Partition 3 - Music - 18 GB used
Partition 4 - Files - 5 GB used

TOTAL to be backed up - around 190 GB

I have a PC which can store around 40 GB and a temporary harddisk which can store 25 GB.
TOTAL space available - around 65 GB

What is the best backup solution for me ?
I would prefer something fast, free and reliable. I have about 24 hours.

Please give me your suggestions

PS : 1) I cannot use my laptop = 320 GB
2) Yeah I can write DVD's

Edit :
I just freed up some memory on the PC. It's a 100 GB now

Last edited by gapo (2009-06-30 14:08:56)

fukawi2 · 2009-06-30 12:42:11

I don't think you'll find anything that can compress 190gb down to 65gb. Not within 24 hours anyway. Depends on the file formats too. Log files compress really well, but I doubt much of your data is log files.

I think you're just going to have to be very selective about what you backup before doing the restore. Backup what you can to the other disks, and then as much as you can to DVD's within your 24 hours.

Lesson learnt? Backup *before* you need to.

Last edited by fukawi2 (2009-06-30 12:42:47)

rebugger · 2009-06-30 12:49:45

Store /home, Music, Files (=8+18+5=31) to your pc.
Windows: hm, there's a tool to save settings (which would store all settings in maybe 50mb) and write down, what you installed.

When you get it back, install Windows, restore the settings, install your apps, install Arch, restore the backed up files.

Worked for me long time ago. Now I'm only using Arch

perbh · 2009-06-30 13:00:27

Probably your best solution would be to buy a new disk and replace the one you have before sending it off to be serviced.

Otherwise,
if you can buy a 'converter' (for lack of better words) in India (here they have got them at most Fry's) with connectors for ide/sata/pata disks _and_ a usb-port/cable, you can take out your harddisk and connect it to another computer via the usb-cable. Then your disk will look like any other usb-disk! This has saved me once when my daughter spilled a cup of coffee on her keyboard, rendering it unusable.

Even though you don't have the space for a full image, all your files will probably easily compress down the desired amount - if you do something like this (assuming your laptop disk (when used as a usb-disk on your other computer) is /dev/sdb):

curd=`pwd`
mkdir /mnt/disk
for p in 1 2 3 4; do
   mount -o ro /dev/sdb$p /mnt/disk
   cd /mnt/disk
   tar cvjf /some/path/partition-$p.tar.bz2 .
   cd $curd
   umount /mnt/disk
done

... and then cross your fingers!!
[edit]
ooops - I didn't see that you have _used_ 159 gigs on your windows partition ... :-(
In that case I would go for the suggestion above (rebugger) ...
The main thing is to save the stuff which is _not_ part of a reinstall!
[/edit]

Last edited by perbh (2009-06-30 16:28:15)

.:B:. · 2009-06-30 14:35:36

Don't use DVD's. Unless you have good media and burn them slowly and accurately (which is not really a tempting idea with lots of data to back up) you're almost guaranteed to run into errors meaning unrecoverable files. How about an external HD? Maybe you can borrow one from a friend for the time being?

gapo · 2009-06-30 17:02:18

@fukawi2

yup, learned my lesson ... will probably spend the entire night awake Thank you

@rebugger

Yeah .. I too was thinking of that.

@perbh

Thanks for the code. It looks good . Maybe when I go for a regular backup I will use your idea.

@B

Yup I won't use DVD's . Going to somehow fit everything.

watsonalgas · 2009-07-01 02:01:10

HP probably won't erase your data unless if they have to. I'm guessing they will just switch out the keyboard and leave everything else alone, they just will make sure it boots.

I recently sent a laptop like that (now that I think of it though, it was sent to CompUSA, not HP), they just switched the mobo out and sent it back like in two days... the disk was still intact.

P.S. How is erasing your data called data recovery by the way?

Last edited by watsonalgas (2009-07-01 02:02:12)

Trent · 2009-07-01 02:07:57

watsonalgas wrote:

HP probably won't erase your data unless if they have to. I'm guessing they will just switch out the keyboard and leave everything else alone, they just will make sure it boots.

Never depend on large companies to do the sensible thing.

I know with Thinkpads the standard advice on the forums is never to send something to the support center that isn't part of the problem. Meaning, remove the hard drive before sending it in. I don't know how kindly HP would take to this, but if they can't replace the keyboard because the laptop doesn't have a hard drive... they deserve to lose your business.

fukawi2 · 2009-07-01 03:22:49

watsonalgas wrote:

HP probably won't erase your data unless if they have to. I'm guessing they will just switch out the keyboard and leave everything else alone, they just will make sure it boots.

Yeah, I wouldn't count on it either. If they don't wipe it, that's great... But some of these big companies have absurd policies like "wipe the hard drive and reinstall a standard image" which technicians have to 'obey' for any repair they do, regardless of what the actual problem is.

Peasantoid · 2009-07-01 03:28:09

Just dump the Windows.

But seriously, acquire a large external hard drive by any means (preferably legal, although this is not a requirement) and use that.

gapo · 2009-07-01 15:33:02

@watsonglas
It goes like this. When HP delivers my laptop they install all the software aka Win Vista, HP's own suites and then create a recoverable image. When they perform data recovery all the data they originally imaged is restored in the process loosing all of my data.

@Trent
Great idea. But I doubt how they technicians here will handle it. He was shocked when Einstein grinned at him from my grub-gfx.

@Peasantold
Windows 7 is seriously good man. The only fact that is worse about is is that it is Windows
About the hardrive, Yup, thinking of it.

perbh · 2009-07-01 15:51:53

gapo wrote:

@perbh
Thanks for the code. It looks good . Maybe when I go for a regular backup I will use your idea.

Nah - wouldn't use it as a regular backup, 'rsync' is a l-o-t better for that.
My code will just give you a compressed tarball of your current files/partitions - which is fine if you are trying to move stuff from one disk to another or even resize your partitions, but for a regular backup - much too space-consuming.

The general idea about backups is really that you save files that are not part of an install. A new install is usually a breeze, it's all the small bits and pieces, multimedia stuff etc that makes the difference between a new install and something you have tweaked and improved upon over a long period.

Gen2ly · 2009-07-01 19:08:09

B wrote:

Don't use DVD's. Unless you have good media and burn them slowly and accurately (which is not really a tempting idea with lots of data to back up) you're almost guaranteed to run into errors meaning unrecoverable files. How about an external HD? Maybe you can borrow one from a friend for the time being?

I've used DVD's before and haven't run into any problems (though the dye on a cheap DVD will only last a couple years). Linux burning done right, does well. Had to backup to DVD's before in a situations like yours, so I wrote a guide about it here . If you don't have the space take a look at:

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Backup_to_DVD

Last edited by Gen2ly (2009-07-01 19:12:04)

ngoonee · 2009-07-01 20:31:32

gapo wrote:

@watsonglas
It goes like this. When HP delivers my laptop they install all the software aka Win Vista, HP's own suites and then create a recoverable image. When they perform data recovery all the data they originally imaged is restored in the process loosing all of my data.

That's brain-dead for a major company. My Asus recovery CD doesn't use images, it accesses a recovery partition which contains the barebones installation which came with the laptop. This overwrites the C:\ (Windows perspective) partition, leaving other partitions intact. Meaning any data not on C:\ (Why in the world do you give the Windows partition anything more than 40-50 GB anyway?) is intact.

For multi-boot systems, I think it absolutely necessary that all your data is in a separate partition. Only OS-specific data, like the main installation (root, in Linux's case) and configuration (/etc, ~/, all of that) should be on the OS' partitions. Operating Systems are replaceable, data is not.

Sorry to OP for the off-topic.

gapo · 2009-07-03 10:28:27

@ngoonee
HP laps also have the same. Backup is in a particular partition. We also have DVD images. But the technician who explained to me said that all data would be erased. The problem is that in a place like mine, most people have never heard of partitions let alone linux.

I would like to thank all the people for their various solutions. In the end here is what I did,
- created a sftp connection with my other PC and transferred all major data into it by tarzip.
- used the USB to store the rest of my data.
- copied all the packages in /var/pacman/cache to the USB as backup

I accept that this is not the best method of backing up . But this was all I could do. I value net bandwidth more than my freetime. So, probably will spend another 2 weeks setting up my system with Arch and other OS.

A fresh start will be good and this time I will take the time to select intelligent partitions.

Anyway lesson learned and Going to set up a regular backup now.

Thank you all for ur time
I would appreciate any tips for a down-from-scratch installation and tips for regular backup and partitioning.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-06-30 12:24:35

Backup solution

#2 2009-06-30 12:42:11

Re: Backup solution

#3 2009-06-30 12:49:45

Re: Backup solution

#4 2009-06-30 13:00:27

Re: Backup solution

#5 2009-06-30 14:35:36

Re: Backup solution

#6 2009-06-30 17:02:18

Re: Backup solution

#7 2009-07-01 02:01:10

Re: Backup solution

#8 2009-07-01 02:07:57

Re: Backup solution

#9 2009-07-01 03:22:49

Re: Backup solution

#10 2009-07-01 03:28:09

Re: Backup solution

#11 2009-07-01 15:33:02

Re: Backup solution

#12 2009-07-01 15:51:53

Re: Backup solution

#13 2009-07-01 19:08:09

Re: Backup solution

#14 2009-07-01 20:31:32

Re: Backup solution

#15 2009-07-03 10:28:27

Re: Backup solution

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