Comments on: What’s the difference between a recovery disk and a backup disk? http://datarecoverypage.com/disk-recovery/whats-the-difference-between-a-recovery-disk-and-a-backup-disk Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:11:31 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Dunbar Pappy http://datarecoverypage.com/disk-recovery/whats-the-difference-between-a-recovery-disk-and-a-backup-disk/comment-page-1#comment-370 Dunbar Pappy Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:24:59 +0000 http://datarecoverypage.com/disk-recovery/whats-the-difference-between-a-recovery-disk-and-a-backup-disk#comment-370 Back up is for data you've created (music, photos, letters, documents) & has no operating system files. Recovery disk has only the operating system (as provided by the manufacturer). Using this may delete any data files on your hard drive, depending on which method of 'restoration' you select from that recovery disk. Note: if your doing a system restore; Before you do anything, back up your drivers to a separate CD! It gets harder and harder to find them, and many places charge to get them. Try Driver Magician Lite (freeware); http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/system/fwbackup.html Use the 'identify & back up all drivers' for the first BU; & keep it with your unit. Data back-ups are separate items from System backups; Data are things you have created or added to you unit with programs: letters, documents, pictures, music, etc. These should be done every other week or 1X per month. Windows has a backup built in (System Tools> Backup), but I find it bulky & hard to use. Your 1st backup should be the 'all' data option as a baseline; after that use the 'incremental', which saves only new items, and changes to originals. This saves space on you backup media. Ideally 2 copies are made of each backup: one kept with the unit, one kept 'off site' in case of fire, storms, etc. One decent B.U. application is 'Cobain' (moderately easy to use; freeware). http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/software.htm<br><b>References : </b><br> Back up is for data you’ve created (music, photos, letters, documents) & has no operating system files.
Recovery disk has only the operating system (as provided by the manufacturer). Using this may delete any data files on your hard drive, depending on which method of ‘restoration’ you select from that recovery disk.

Note: if your doing a system restore;

Before you do anything, back up your drivers to a separate CD!
It gets harder and harder to find them, and many places charge to get them.
Try Driver Magician Lite (freeware);
http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/system/fwbackup.html
Use the ‘identify & back up all drivers’ for the first BU; & keep it with your unit.

Data back-ups are separate items from System backups;
Data are things you have created or added to you unit with programs: letters, documents, pictures, music, etc. These should be done every other week or 1X per month.

Windows has a backup built in (System Tools> Backup), but I find it bulky & hard to use.
Your 1st backup should be the ‘all’ data option as a baseline; after that use the ‘incremental’, which saves only new items, and changes to originals. This saves space on you backup media.
Ideally 2 copies are made of each backup: one kept with the unit, one kept ‘off site’ in case of fire, storms, etc.
One decent B.U. application is ‘Cobain’ (moderately easy to use; freeware).
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/software.htm
References :

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