Windows Easy Transfer as Backup

[artirish]

Having had a laptop that I'd recently upgraded from Win XP to Win 7 crash (i.e., Win 7 would no longer start despite several attempts at repair or recovery) I reinstalled Win 7 with the format drive option. I then had to go thru the agony of re-installing software, drivers, etc. (you know what I mean). It occured to me that I had not deleted the WET file I used during the original upgrade (on an external drive) and so I was able to again transfer the files and settings to the "new" Win 7 laptop. This worked pretty well although the transfer stopped in the middle of moving the pictures. I'd also selected what I wanted to transfer and what I did not thru the customization option.
In doing that, it occurred to me that this might be a good way to backup files and settings periodically (settings being more important as files are backed up to other drives) so I gave it a try on the Win 7 desktop (only 195 GB of data!). I would only do this once in a while as it takes so long (overnight is good).
Thoughts on this process?

[Medico]

First, I do not believe the upgrade option is available from Win XP to Win7. MS specifies that moving from XP to Win 7 requires a clean install. This may be why you had problems. Secondly, the Easy Transfer would be very slow to back up. If you insist on using Win 7 for back ups, use the Back Up/Restore Utility (Control Panel, Backup and Restore). This is a basic image and incremental back up utility. It is very basic. There are 3rd party apps that are much more full featured, some even free. Check out Macrium Reflect or Acronis True Image 2010 which has a free trial period.

[artirish]

Hmmm...semantics got me. I did use the Clean Install method when I installed Win 7 on my XP laptop but somewhere along the line corrupted files cropped up - not sure if in the OS or other SW but the end result was the OS would not start.
That said, I backup data files to external drives using GoodSync and also to external, on-line storage using Mozy (paranoid - maybe - but I've got 11 years of digital photos and my whole CD and record collection on my hard drive).
However, neither of these methods will backup settings, particularly for Outlook and other Microsoft applications. My thought with WET was to capture all of this in one fell swoop while I was sleeping.
I've tried Acronis 2010 and found that unsatisfactory. Plus, there's the issue of making an image of corrupted files (possibly) which would not seem to be productive.
Thanks for your thoughts...art

[Deadeye81]

Hi Art, and welcome to the Lounge!

Your idea is an interesting one. However, I am not sure Easy Transfer compresses your data as would a true backup program. I may be incorrect here on this.

And there is the issue of going through the long process and not having your programs available to restore also. Easy will transfer program data and settings , but you would still have to reinstall your programs.

Ted mentioned two good backup programs that will get the job done, take much less time, and will restore everything on your hard drive if you do a full backup. I have used Acronis to restore my XP partition and was back in operation in under 45 minutes. And I did not have to reinstall anything. However, I was using Acronis Home V.11; I have never used Acronis 2010.

[CLiNT]

I've never thought of "easy transfer" as form of backup, more a simple user means of
rolling over data from one computer to another to a new os.

I already have hard copys of my important data and have no need for this method. Everything that I would
consider important and vital is either on separate hard drives or backed up on DVD/CD disc, so it doesn't
hold the same appeal for me as others might find.