The backup will be much easier if all relevant data (letters, templates, databases, etc.) are placed under one directory. The free standard version of Z-DATdump can backup up to 65536 different directories/folders of a drive per backup set. It thus allows you to easily copy all data to another volume, for example; all in one backup process.
 

Daily backup

• Suggestion: Label 4 tapes with "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday"
• Label 4 tapes with "Friday 1", "Friday 2", "Friday 3", "Friday 4"

• The tapes MON - THU are overwritten in the following week, the Friday tapes only every 4 weeks. This allows you to access the data from one whole month.
• You should always back up all data if the tape size is sufficient.

Software backup strategies

Normal backup (complete backup)

This is a copy backup, but additionally the archive attribute is reset/deactivated. You only need the most recent tape medium to restore all your files when using this backup method.

Incremental backup

An incremental backup only saves the files that have been created or changed since the last complete backup. The saved files are marked as such (i.e. the archive attribute is deactivated). When using incremental backups, it is necessary to have the last complete backup and all incremental backups at hand to restore files and folders.

Differential backup

At each differential backup, the data that has changed since the last complete backup. If you use differential backups, the latest complete backup and the most recent differential backup must be available.

Emergency backup and system recovery?

Windows has the unpleasant property that it gets slower over time. One of the causes is that, once installed, programs and program versions can never be completely removed again. Some leftovers always remain, be it in the registry or in the module libraries. In addition, the registry database has a tendency to swell up and therefore increase processing time. Everyone who cleaned up his/her computer by formatting the hard disk will have been very pleased with the new or re-gained speed of his/her system.

Therefore, the mirroring of an existing windows installation to another medium makes no sense at all with regard to the tidyness of the operating system, even if it is only some months or weeks old. Only a freshly installed Windows, possibly together with service packs, and the programs that the user wants to have installed in any case and for which there are no updates available, is suitable for backup.

Z-DATdump cannot be used for an emergency backup or system recovery. Practice has shown that a clean installation of Windows for home users or businesses is often the lesser evil than to help rescue a bold and unstable operating system using a system restore.