Since a great many readers here are technically minded, and are probebly very efficent about their backups, I'm hoping someone here can help.

I have a small optometry practice that uses electronic medical records. Currently, I use a program called Retrospect to run backups, but the program has begun to spin apart on me or something. It won't consistantly make backups anymore, forgets network passwords at random and twice in the last year has simply reset itself to newly-installed status overnight, erasing all logs and scripts. I'd like to find something easier to use and, ideally, more reliable. I would ideally also like to find something that doesn't store the data in a proprietary format. Retrospect uses a format that can only be read by retrospect, so if you check the disk on another computer it appears blank.

I need to be able to back up files off two to three networked computers. I've generally liked a system that I back up first to a DVD drive, then to a different computer in a back room. I like the extra backups. I run this nightly, seven days a week. I have a fairly large number of files, but nothing like you'd find in a large IT department. Total size of everything (mostly the Electronic records database, but also pdf files of scanned patient charts) is currently about 500 megs but will grow larger everyday.

I don't need something extensivly fancy, I feel retrospect was really a lot more program than I needed in the first place, and I need something affordable. Can anyone suggest software than can handle this?

I appreciate the help!

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"Kittens give Morbo gas." -- Morbo the Newscaster, Futurama

google for unison, its console based but a simple bad file would be able to syncronise for example

c:\backups\pc1 with \\pc1\data
c:\backups\pc2 with \\pc2\data
...

this can be done both ways or only one way from pc1 to backup pc for example. A simple bat file in sheduler should do the trick nicly

that way only new files get copied... can be done on filesize or checksum very cool, and if you only edit 100 files only those will be copied

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GCS/S d(+) s+:+ a--- C++(+++)>$ W+++>$ L>+ M+>++ w++ P+>++ tv@ PS b+ DI+ G e-> h! r-- !z+

~Jorge Schrauwen

I use Cobian backup software. Simple and to the point, it's sufficient for what I do.

Thanks! The Cobian link looks like just what I want. And apparently free to boot. 8)

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"Kittens give Morbo gas." -- Morbo the Newscaster, Futurama

COBIAN!!!

Two hard drives, NAS, shared hard drive space - it matters not. Simply does the job. Nothing fancy, always works.

- Dr