backup

Just found a free bakcup utitilty on MajorGeeks I am going to give a try - back4sure.
I have the one build into win7 and the one that came on my external dirve.
All 3 of them only backup files that have changed. But from what I can tell neither the one built into windows nor the one that came with my hard drive will remove deleted files. This one has an option that will remove files that are no longer on the source directory. It can be run either way - leaving the deleted files as they are or removing them.

Fay

This may be too involved to answer here - if so that is ok - it is not critical.

What sub-directoreis under USERS do I need to back up.
The free backup - lets you select the drives and directories you want to back up.
I as running a test - selecting my sigon id under USERS. Got errors that things were not available. I sovled some of them my closing windows - like the e-mail client window- but still was getting erros - I could removed the indicate directory from the options window - and eliminated that one from the error report - but still got others
Note; the backup will run even if it cannot get to all files.

I have a feeling I do not need a lot of stuff under the users directory. BUt not sure what all I do need.

Fay

I typically back up Favorites, My Documents, and if there are files in them that I want, My Pictures, My Music, and My Videos. Since you use the Windows Live Mail client on your computer, you'll want to back up files in whatever boxes you use that you care about and your contacts list. The following link tells you which files in Windows Live Email to back up and how to backup and restore them:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/mail-import-backup-restore

Ok, I just looked at the link. Maybe I don't understand - but it looks this is for using the import/export inside of WIndow Live Mail itself. Looks like it is mainly for when you know you need to do a transfer. Or esle you whould have to go out and do the export every day or so.

But if you are running periodic backups - thru windows backup, a backup that came with a hard drive, or another 3rd party backup - not sire how to do it. I think I have seen some instructions on how to do it for mail - and I can go back and look again - but I don't think I have found how to do it for contacts.

Does this make sense?

But don't worry about it, since you don't use WLM, there is no need for you to have to spend a lot of time researching. And it is not crucial that I have an answer.
Maybe I can go out to bleepingcomputer and ask. I have not been out there in quite a while, but I would think they sould have someone using WLM that might be able to answer.

THanks,
Fay

Well, I pointed you to that link so you would know which files applied and their names, so if you want to back them up, you would know which ones to point to. You can always export them to a folder and then back that folder up.

The thing to be aware of (I don't know if it still applies in Win 7) is that the Microsoft files associated with Outlook were Microsoft proprietary files, and you couldn't copy them to a cd and then use them again - they weren't readable when you did that. Don't know if that is the case with Windows Live email or not. You'd have to try it and see what happens.

The best backup is an image of your partition, like with using Macrium Reflect. You should do one periodically to be on the safe side.

Repa,

OK. I do think I did read something about the Contacts saying you could not use a regular backup to restore them.

Don't really have that many that I use anyway, Seems like most people have just about quit using e-mail. MY best friend uses e-mail, and I get e-mail from various companies etc. Guess it is really not all that important. And I might be able to get them by actually signing into my ISP's web mail- not sure. Guess I'll have to give that a try sometime.

Thanks,
Fay