simple cheap back-up application?

[kapow]

Can anyone recommend (or sticky me) a simple cheap back-up application?

Currently I have an exteranl hard drive, every couple of weeks I copy my work files to it (about 2GB). The problem is that it takes half an hour to do this. Is there some easy way/software that will just copy the stuff thats changed? - then it would only take a couple of minutes and I would do it every day.

I need something that:
- Runs on WinXP
- Copy new stuff to external hard drive.
- Only back up stuff thats changed since last backup.
- Doesn't come with a million complicated bells and whistles.
- Can get/buy online.
- Less than $100.

[Drastic]

I looked at an app like this a while back before going with my current backup setup.

Look for an app called retrospect express, I think it does what you need.

[mat]

Handy Backup
GRBackPro
SmartBackup

[smellystudent]

Windows XP has such a backup application built into it!

Look in System Tools.

Edit: and set it to do incremental backups - that will only backup what's changed.

[kapow]

Windows XP has such a backup application built into it!

I Looked in System Tools - couldn't find it. All I can see is:
- Character Map
- Disk cleanup
- Disk defragmenter
- Files and settings transfer wizzard
- Scheduled tasks
- System information
- System restore

[smellystudent]

Interesting... it's there on the one I just checked.

XP Pro or Home?

The executable is called "ntbackup.exe", should be in winroot/system32.

[kapow]

XP Home.

No ntbackup.exe

[smellystudent]

Ah, it would seem it's only in the Pro version, because we know home users would never want to backup their stuff...

[Reflect]

I use ghost for this every week. However I use a DOS boot disk that calls the ghost.exe with swithches so it as all automated. It takes around 7 minutes to backup my 20Gb partition.

I boot off the disk and go to bed.

Restore for just one file? Just take the image to a slave drive and you can browse all files NP.

Brian

[bill]

XP Home.

No ntbackup.exe

Can't find the backup utility for XP Home? It's on the install CD in \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP. Click the Ntbackup.msi file to start the wizard that installs the Backup utility.