If your hard drive died right now, how screwed would you be?

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Posted: 3/29/2012 4:37:28 PM EDT

I'm in the middle of tweaking the backup/restore strategy on my personal workstations and laptops, and this question popped into my head. I'm ultra paranoid about this shit, and I wondered who else was.

I'm the kind of guy who wants to be able to perform a bare metal restore - new hard drive, new PC...that sort of thing, as fast and easy as possible. Shit happens.

So, if your hard drive died right now, how fucked would you be? What would it take to get you back to your current config, if your drive took a shit immediately after reading this?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:39:54 PM EDT

[#1]

I image my hard drives nightly.

The problem is I have no spare hard drives right now.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:41:01 PM EDT

[#2]

i have a back-up HD, maybe 5 days worth lost? it's not work related, so not too bad.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:41:46 PM EDT

[#3]

I have a 6tb backup.

I know from experience.

Bill

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:42:46 PM EDT

[#4]

I use hardware raid5 on my desktop. But my user data is on a NAS under raid5 as well. Nightly backups are done of my user data. So I might lose 1 day of data if my NAS takes a dump. If My desktop takes a dump I might lose some bookmarks as I only backup my settings occasionally. Would have to reinstall it otherwise but no big deal.

-Foxxz

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:42:57 PM EDT

[#5]

I wouldn't be screwed, except i would be bored as shit and have to surf ARF on my phone.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:43:18 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I have a 6tb backup.

I know from experience.

Bill

How long would it take you to get operational again, more or less the same as you are right now?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:43:24 PM EDT

[#7]

Only screwed if the guy fixing it looks at its contents, if that happens...

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:43:33 PM EDT

[#8]

daily backupss to synology that backs up to a usb drive weekly thats rotated offsite. 20 min to restore the pc , day or so to restore the synolgy from the usb . about 3 TB total .

http://www.synology.com/products/product.php?product_name=DS411j&lang=us

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:44:17 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

I'm in the middle of tweaking the backup/restore strategy on my personal workstations and laptops, and this question popped into my head. I'm ultra paranoid about this shit, and I wondered who else was.

I'm the kind of guy who wants to be able to perform a bare metal restore - new hard drive, new PC...that sort of thing, as fast and easy as possible. Shit happens.

So, if your hard drive died right now, how fucked would you be? What would it take to get you back to your current config, if your drive took a shit immediately after reading this?

Not screwed.

All of my data is currently on a FreeNAS 3.5TB RAIDz2 array. Backups are sent to an ioSafe 2TB drive in the basement, and a second copy of my important files are uploaded to crasplan.

m

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:44:28 PM EDT

[#10]

Can't wait for subnet's next thread: "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, on a different computer.

."

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:44:38 PM EDT

[#11]

I have Mozy

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:44:45 PM EDT

[#12]

You mean how screwed would I be again?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:45:12 PM EDT

[#13]

Time machine says my last back up was 26 minutes ago......

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:45:43 PM EDT

[#14]

The linux box I'm on right now has no data on it to speak of, but all of it is backed up multiple times. It would take me an hour or so to run through a default "everything" install of Slackware and an hour or so to configure it all again manually but that's mostly loading dotfiles from backup and tweaking Windowmaker the way I want it.

This box is only temporary until my 27" iMac fund is ready for me to pull the trigger.

I think the last time I connected my external drive on my Macbook was last week, but it's also backed up on another drive. If it failed right now the only thing I'd lose is some browser history.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:46:03 PM EDT

[#15]

I'd be golden.

My external drive would have to die, too, in order for me to be properly screwed.

__________________________________________________________________
Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread).
«nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus»

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:46:18 PM EDT

[#16]

And to answer his question: I'd be screwed. I'd have to save up to get my computer fixed and would have to use the computers at college to surf ARfcom for the time being.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:46:19 PM EDT

[#17]

Identical cloned HD in my desktop with a Time Machine back up of primary hard drive every hour...

So lots of KY here...

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:46:27 PM EDT

[#18]

1 TB backup for all
Computers and pics/videos etc

Also I have another 40 gig HD for our family and deployment pics

Free

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:46:31 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Time machine says my last back up was 26 minutes ago......

Is that actually backing up to different hardware?

And for what it's worth I don't care about bare metal restoring to my current config. It's the actual data I'm concerned with.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:47:51 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Time machine says my last back up was 26 minutes ago......

Is that actually backing up to different hardware?

And for what it's worth I don't care about bare metal restoring to my current config. It's the actual data I'm concerned with.

Yes, to a different Hard Drive...and it also backs up my laptop...

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:48:19 PM EDT

[#21]

I wouldn't be screwed at all and I would be back online as soon as I got back from the store with my new PC.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:49:31 PM EDT

[#22]

I'd be fine, I only have a few documents that are important, and I don't store them exclusively on my hard drive.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:49:51 PM EDT

[#23]

Very mildly screwed. Just an hour of hassle.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:50:47 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

I have Mozy

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Doesn't that take like 10hrs to restore?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:50:53 PM EDT

[#25]

When I ordered my new Dell last year I included a RAID 1 set-up.
Two hard drives mirroring each other.
I also purchased Dell datasafe offsite back up. ( Absolutely horrible in any form of support. Like pulling teeth to get anyone to talk with about basic questions)
All should help in case of a failure but would be subject to virus or malaware attacks.
I do need to be more vigilant in creating a DVD of important files.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:51:23 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
I wouldn't be screwed at all and I would be back online as soon as I got back from the store with my new PC.

Have you tested this? I did once, on a lark (no actual emergency), and it made me change my strategy a little.

Backups can be a false sense of security, if you're not careful. Put a blank hard drive in your PC, and try it. Restore your stuff to a spare computer, and see what happens - shit like that.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:51:31 PM EDT

[#27]

Zero, this laptop was reformatted last month as is used only for surfing.....

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:52:48 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Zero, this laptop was reformatted last month as is used only for surfing.....

The simple act of having to re-save my stored passwords/cookies would piss me off.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:53:25 PM EDT

[#29]

However long it take to restore this from the Netatalk server running on my Linux NAS.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:54:10 PM EDT

[#30]

Which drive?

I have an SSD that my OS and apps run off of, three drives in a RAID 5 (totaling about 380GB) for all of my storage, which is backed up to an external drive array. Most of my irreplaceable stuff is also copied to my nettop box that runs my TV, and to Rackspace Cloud Storage.

How fucked would I be? Not very.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:54:20 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
However long it take to restore this from the Netatalk server running on my Linux NAS.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg281/Avenger069/TimeMachine.jpg

Ever tried it, with a brand new HDD?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:55:42 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
I'm in the middle of tweaking the backup/restore strategy on my personal workstations and laptops, and this question popped into my head. I'm ultra paranoid about this shit, and I wondered who else was.

I'm the kind of guy who wants to be able to perform a bare metal restore - new hard drive, new PC...that sort of thing, as fast and easy as possible. Shit happens.

So, if your hard drive died right now, how fucked would you be? What would it take to get you back to your current config, if your drive took a shit immediately after reading this?

In all Honesty, since the only thing that is REALLY important, namely the photos and videos of my Daughter are all archived in different spots on different tyepes of Media, it wouldnt matter all that much, It'd probably take me a couple of months to recreate all my links, but other than that? No real biggie.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:57:51 PM EDT

[#33]

I have nothing important on my pc. Would take me about an hour to reload the OS and install the few programs I use.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:59:08 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:

Quoted:
However long it take to restore this from the Netatalk server running on my Linux NAS.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg281/Avenger069/TimeMachine.jpg

Ever tried it, with a brand new HDD?

Yes. When I upgraded my 320GB drive to 500GB and put the original into a caddy to replace the super drive.

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:59:16 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
I'm in the middle of tweaking the backup/restore strategy on my personal workstations and laptops, and this question popped into my head. I'm ultra paranoid about this shit, and I wondered who else was.

I'm the kind of guy who wants to be able to perform a bare metal restore - new hard drive, new PC...that sort of thing, as fast and easy as possible. Shit happens.

So, if your hard drive died right now, how fucked would you be? What would it take to get you back to your current config, if your drive took a shit immediately after reading this?

Not too bad. I access my email only on the web, so I wouldn't lose anything there. I'm an avid photographer and all my pics are on Picasa AND Flickr, as well as on a portable HD and most on CDs.

I'm ultra paranoid about losing my pics!

I'm a heavy Google Docs user for saving docs worth saving, and that stuff is also on HD and some on CDs.

I've also got an IronKey encrypted flash drive with my most important stuff (including scans front and back of everything in my wallet, passport, birth certificate, etc.) if anything happened to my place. It lives in my purse.

My music is a mix of digital (from Amazon or iTunes) or CDs I own I burned in. I'd be able to recover just about all of it.

I'm actually slowly going through the approx. 1500 pics saved on my 4 yo MacBook and deleting the bad ones or repeat shots.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:00:11 PM EDT

[#36]

Not at all

I keep No Data on my computer

It takes me about 6 minutes to do a bare metal restore

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:00:39 PM EDT

[#37]

I have a BartPE backup deal that I try to run every couple of weeks. I have used it twice to restore a hard drive, once a new one, once the same one. Worked fine both times.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:01:23 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Zero, this laptop was reformatted last month as is used only for surfing.....

The simple act of having to re-save my stored passwords/cookies would piss me off.

Yes, that, but when I got an inexpensive Windows laptop in December, I did the Firefox Sync thing. It keeps all bookmarks, passwords, etc., synced between my MacBook and Windows laptop over wifi. There's a key you're given to do it. I love it!

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:02:32 PM EDT

[#39]

All of my important shit is backed up twice on two externals (pics, resumes and stuff like that). Need to get around to burning all the pics onto some DVD-R's at some point.

I really only use my computer for the intertubes and basic Word and Excel stuff so I wouldn't really worry about any programs or anything like that.

A new $600 computer and an hour and I'm back to where I started.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:04:38 PM EDT

[#40]

Been there done that. Time Machine on the Mac is absolutely excellent.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:04:56 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Zero, this laptop was reformatted last month as is used only for surfing.....

The simple act of having to re-save my stored passwords/cookies would piss me off.

K. That would be a bit annoying but not that big of a deal.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:07:29 PM EDT

[#42]

I only have one file I care about. I make a hard copy of it every time I change it. My favorites are on my phone. How ever long it takes to do a Win7Pro install.

eta - Sin tax and spelinz..

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:07:57 PM EDT

[#43]

Work would set me back 2 days...

Personal I would be out a few minor things... Not like last time.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:09:51 PM EDT

[#44]

If one died I'd be okay (has already happened). If both on my RAID-1 array died, I'd be pretty hurting as I don't back up on my external nearly as much as I should.

Was pretty hairy when I turned my system on and got the "ARRAY DEGRADED" message

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:11:27 PM EDT

[#45]

Not screwed, except out of a little time reconfiguring my new OS install. My data is stored locally, synced to a NAS with mirrored drives which is in turn backed up daily to an external drive (with retention), which is in turn backed up weekly to an S3 bucket.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:13:11 PM EDT

[#46]

RAID 1 and a backup.

No problem.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:14:01 PM EDT

[#47]

It depends, which drive? I have this computer with Linux on one drive for primary Internet usage, another drive on this computer with XP in case I need to boot to Windows for something, an internal drive for file backup as well as a 2 TB external for video backup.

Then I have a newer faster computer with Windows 7 and minimal files on it that are on other drives. I have a laptop with Windows 7 as well, same story.

I backup what I can when I can. I do need more drives to save a bunch of stuff, but it's mostly collected shit from the net.

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:14:50 PM EDT

[#48]

I would be screwed for est. 1 day to restore the system software on a new drive, but the data would be safe. I figure that when the hard drive fails it'd be a sign that I hadn't refreshed the equipment and system image frequently enough, so the restore doesn't concern me too much. I guess I could easily keep a ready HD with all the system software on it, but these days the OS install is the easy part anyway, and if I am starting over I'd want the single most up-to-date driver and utilities packages anyway, rather than driver plus update x, y, and z frag systems.

As far as data, I am reasonably aware, but not paranoid. With reputable brand 2TB USB enclosure drives down to less than $150 shipped and cheap offsite storage (online options plus other long term storage media), and of course actually using them by using a nightly automated backup for the mirror drives and monthly long term storage updates, I have effectively removed that stress from my life for very little cash outlay.

I could have just paid Carbonite or some other service, but figure with RAID options, and the offsite periodic updates, I control the outcome and don't depend on a third party to maintain my data.