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roadrunnertwiceWHAT.
So I need a nice, simple, user-friendly automated backup system for my parents' Windows box. Turns out it doesn't exist. I mean, I didn't figure I'd be able to find anything as good as what I use on my Mac, but damn, there's not even a usable version of Rsync out here without manually replacing the Cygwin dll. BUGGER EVERYTHING EVER.
It looks like I'm stuck with Microsoft's NTBackup.exe. It has a fair amount to recommend it, but it is NOT user-friendly (which means I'm going to have to babysit it by phone), and it looks like restoring from a backup is going to be kind of a bitch.
This is why nerds are pressuring their family members to switch to Macs, lately: mortals simply cannot be expected to successfully administer a Windows system, and nerds cannot be expected to always be on hand.
(Oh, also, people who develop critical tax and accounting software? YOU MOTHERFUCKERS NEED TO STOP STORING USER DATA IN C:\PROGRAM FILES AND C:\WINDOWS. Jesus Aitch, my job would be so much easier if I could just rig something to copy the c:\documents and settings directory and the D drive, the way I'm supposed to be able to.)
EDIT: Okay, no, actually? I just spent an hour or so playing with NTBackup, and it is unspeakably baroque. It still thinks it's writing to a tape drive. In 2007.
EDIT: Huh! SyncBackSE actually looks like it might be exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, uh... well, here's the customer support email I just sent them:
So I need a nice, simple, user-friendly automated backup system for my parents' Windows box. Turns out it doesn't exist. I mean, I didn't figure I'd be able to find anything as good as what I use on my Mac, but damn, there's not even a usable version of Rsync out here without manually replacing the Cygwin dll. BUGGER EVERYTHING EVER.
It looks like I'm stuck with Microsoft's NTBackup.exe. It has a fair amount to recommend it, but it is NOT user-friendly (which means I'm going to have to babysit it by phone), and it looks like restoring from a backup is going to be kind of a bitch.
This is why nerds are pressuring their family members to switch to Macs, lately: mortals simply cannot be expected to successfully administer a Windows system, and nerds cannot be expected to always be on hand.
(Oh, also, people who develop critical tax and accounting software? YOU MOTHERFUCKERS NEED TO STOP STORING USER DATA IN C:\PROGRAM FILES AND C:\WINDOWS. Jesus Aitch, my job would be so much easier if I could just rig something to copy the c:\documents and settings directory and the D drive, the way I'm supposed to be able to.)
EDIT: Okay, no, actually? I just spent an hour or so playing with NTBackup, and it is unspeakably baroque. It still thinks it's writing to a tape drive. In 2007.
EDIT: Huh! SyncBackSE actually looks like it might be exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, uh... well, here's the customer support email I just sent them:
I downloaded a 30-day trial of SyncBackSE this evening, and while I was putting it through its paces, the yearly switch back to Standard Time rolled through, and our computer's clock automatically flipped back an hour.
Immediately, SyncBackSE threw a "Your trial has expired" dialogue at me and shut itself down.
I'm assuming what happened there was that you added a watchdog routine to keep people from diddling their clocks backward, and it triggered itself when the clock jumped. Which is totally hilarious, but it kind of leaves me up a creek. I actually *do* want to give your product a fair chance, since it looks damn promising; is there anything you guys can do for me?