In the last few months I've had several friends whose harddrives have failed. I've always known that if my harddrive failed I would be distraught, but now I decided to finally back everything up. I bought an external harddrive and copied all the data on my computer to the harddrive. The thing is that for a lot of the folders, especially ones with personal files (saved conversations, pictures, received files), I often need to search through them by Date Modified or Date Created. Sometimes it is one, sometimes it is the other, but I do have to use both at times. When I copied all my data to the harddrive, all the Date Modifieds are the same as the originals, but since they are all copies of the originals they all have Date Created of when I copied them. Does anyone know of any programs where I can save both the Date Modified and the Date Created information, as well as all the other details that are revealed when you view a file's properties, and easily view and sort them later? I tried both FolderView and Directory Report (as well as a few smaller programs), and while both save the necessary information, neither do it in an easily sorted way. Well, both can save to an Excel spreadsheet file, but since I have so many folders on the computer I had to often just save all the subfolders of a folder, and they all appear on the same Excel sheet and so I'd have to cut and paste to a new document just to sort a subfolder. I would really just like a program that saves everything not as an Excel file, but as something that can be viewed in an Explorer type fashion. The closest I've found isn't even made for that purpose. It is Nero. When I save a Nero burn file (.nri, I think) of data I supposedly want to burn to DVD, I can then open it up later (regardless of whether the files are still there) and navigate through the folders, sorting things by Name, Size, or Date Modified. The problem is that it does not save Date Created information, and I actually do need that for data for some folders. Does anyone know of any good programs that could do this? It doesn't even have to be made specifically to save directory information (it could be a different CD/DVD burning program if it includes Date Created information). (Another thing that Excel can't do that the Nero saved nri's or Explorer can is highlighting multiple files, then sorting by Date Modified to see what other files were made at the same time if I'm looking for something that I know I modified around the same time. But, of course, Nero doesn't do Date Created.) Thanks! And sorry for not being succinct.
Backup is not copying files to a drive. You need Ghost from Norton {Systemworks} or use XP backup? To use an app such as these will copy everything correctly. Otherwise you are wasting your time. By the way, I've been using Ghost for years and it took a while to learn how to use it. Wiped/lost a few partitions/OSs learning it. Before this year you could legally only install onto 1 computer. That's why I suggested trying XPs backup. Systemworks 2005 would not install Ghost on my 3rd computer. Xps backup works similarly to 2005, but I haven't done a restore as yet.
Ok-forgot to mention other Norton bundles may contain Ghost. It always runs in the background. Don't know why. Doesn't seem to intrude. Check Circuit City, Ebay, Best Buy[yulk]. Sometimes CC or BB give it away after rebates.
