Question about Best-Practices

[jlsoaz]

Hello:

I have not yet bought this software, but I have been shopping around for a long time.

It seems to me that what I need is not just highly rated backup software, but firm guidance on putting into place some practices that will help me do what I am looking to do. Right now, I can't see my way clear to that.

I'd like to find a way to stop carrying around all of my files on my one computer, but I'd like to be certain (certain) that they are firmly cumulatively in place on another computer or external drive (or two), particularly given that many of them are of great financial value to me. This includes not only paid-for media files, such as downloaded songs and CDs, but also files on which I have worked a great deal and wish to archive with confidence. It also includes many irreplaceable (to me) photos.

Many of the discussions seem to center on synchronization. However, what I wish to do is I think a bit different. It will be fine to synchronize some folders but not others. If I take all my music and put it on another drive, and then delete them from this drive so it is not carrying around gigabytes more than it needs, then the next time I synchronize, won't they all be lost?


It caught my eye that ViceVersa marketing says something about the importance of archiving media files, and then I started reading a bit more about it.

I know, I'm not that able, in this field. But we live in a world where many are like me and don't know or understand how to implement adviseable backup procedures, so having the right software doesn't do the whole thing for us. And we live in a world of "restore" taking the place of a more thorough backup to external drives, with ntbackup.exe hidden on some disk or other, etc.

So, I guess I'm just asking if someone is addressing a question I think a lot of us non-pros are having.

[K Riemer]

There a several execution methods that can be set in VV. These include:

Synchronization (Bidirectional)
This method performs a bidirectional file synchronization between Source and Target.
* All new files/ folders added to Source (single files) are copied to Target
* All new files/folders added to Target (single files) are copied to Source
* All deleted files/folders in Source are deleted from Target
* All deleted files/folders in Target are deleted from Source
* All updated files in Source (newer) are copied over older files in Target
* All updated files in Target (newer) are copied over older files in Source
N.B.: If a file changes both in Source and in Target, the file is in conflict. Conflict files need to be reconciled manually.

Backup (Mirror Source to Target)
This method backs-up Source to Target by creating a mirror/replica of the Source in Target.
* All new files/folders added to Source (single files) are copied to Target
* All deleted files/folders in Source are deleted from Target
* All updated files in Source (newer) are copied to Target
NB: If you wish to preserve the old version of files in Target instead of just deleting/overwriting them, you should enable the Archiving Feature in the profile settings.

Replication (Augment)
* All new files/folders added to Source (single files) are copied to Target

Replication (Refresh)
* All updated files in Source (newer) are copied to Target (older)

Replication (Update)
* All new files/folders added to Source (single files) are copied to Target
* All updated files in Source (newer) are copied to Target (older)
N.B.: Files deleted in Source are NOT deleted from Target. This is different from the Backup method.

The point of all this is that VV as well as other software will do just as you like. My recommendation is for VV as opposed to the other. It is intuative, stable, etc. I have tried many, many of the "other" software, and have settled on VV, IMHO, it is the best.

Check out the FAQ/Knowlegebase for more info.

k

[jlsoaz]

Thanks, it sounds like the replication methods might help me to accomplish what I want. It is more a matter of training and repetition and understanding the tool I think, than anything else.

I'll see if anyone adds anything. I am simply carrying around way too many gigabytes needlessly on this laptop because I can't figure out the best way to be certain of my backup procedures.

[TGRMN Software]

Hello - first step is to organize the data you want to backup. It is better if the data you want to backup is all in the same directory (organized in subfolders) or in 3-4 separate directories. So you do not need to backup the entire disk, which takes long time. You really do not need to backup application which you can reinstall. The most important is YOUR data that nobody else can give you back.
VV will then help by making quick copies of your files without copying again the files that are already on the removable disk. This is very fast. We have a folder here called development and every night it is mirrored to a Maxtor NAS with VV, it takes few minutes.

[jlsoaz]

[TGRMN Software]

[jlsoaz]

Thanks for the answers. If I commit to ViceVersa Plus and buy it and then decide I want the pro, is there no upgrade pricing? I would have to then, again, pay the full pro price?

I like to own my software and have had good success with not fooling around on this, but the question of whether or not one can get upgrade pricing from Plus to Pro seemed left out (or 'no').

[TGRMN Software]

Yes, you can upgrade from PLUS to PRO by paying the difference. Contact support via e-mail for receiving instructions. But I recommend that you check out the PRO version right now, if you did not yet, before you decide for PLUS.
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TGRMN Software Support
http://www.tgrmn.com
http://www.compareandmerge.com

[jlsoaz]