I would like to set up a backup to run from a central location on the network to backup user data, mainly just documents and email. What is the best way to do this without having to install a client on each pc? I have been looking Network Attached Storage devices but have not found anything that will backup without installing a client.

Do you have the user data stored on the server, or is data local on each PC? Are you running AD? Life is more painless for those who are brainless.

User data is stored on each pc. No Active Directory.

Install and configure ntbackup to run at scheduled times. I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you goober.

"backup to run from a central location on the network to backup user data" I would suggest you think just the opposite. backup to run on each pc that saves the backup file at a central location. In this case your NAS device. Ntbackup can do that. Of course that won't work if you are running XP home because, if I recall correctly, it doesn't have ntbackup. Are you ready for where Microsoft wants you to go today?

You are correct wanderer, XP Home doesn't have ntbackup (my wife's laptop run's Home) but it is included in XP Pro (ie: no installation necessary, just open a the Run command and type ntbackup and hit Enter). As stated above, your best bet is to run a backup singly on each PC, have it copied over to your central backup location. This is simple enough to do with a batchfile and ntbackup. Here's the batchfile I use at home, and have used in similar situations to yours in business environments: ****begin batchfile**** @echo off rem clear mapped network drive to main backup folder net use w: /d /y rem map network drive to backup folder on server net use w: \\server\username /persistent:yes rem perform the backup C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\Daily Backup.bks" /n "Daily Backup.bkf created 6/6/2005 at 11:04 AM" /d "Set created 6/6/2005 at 11:04 AM" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /j "Daily Backup" /l:s /f "C:\Backup\Daily Backup.bkf" rem copy the backup to the server xcopy c:\backup\"daily backup.bkf" w:\ /y rem release mapped drive net use w: /d /y rem exit the batch file exit ****end batchfile**** You create the backup set within ntbackup first. I highly recommend including the system state in it. Once you've created the backup set, schedule it. Open the scheduled backup, copy the backup command and replace the one I have in the batchfile above with yours. (the section immediately below the remark "perform backup") Test it! Since it's a batchfile, just double click on it to run it. You may want to "rem" out the xcopy and drive mapping portions while testing to ensure the backup runs properly. When you're happy with it, make a scheduled task calling on the backup batchfile. Kill the schedule backup you created to get the command line to use in the batchfile (to avoid conflicts of course), schedule this batchfile to run in the middle of the night when nobody is around. If doing multiple PC's, try to avoid scheduling them all at the same time. If you know it takes 10 min's for the backup to run, stagger all PC's 10 min's apart. This is a two step process. It first performs the backup, then uses xcopy to copy the backup file across the mapped drive to your main backup folder. I know it seems silly to first clear the mapped drive, and then map it again. But mapped drives have a bad habit of screwing up in Windows. This ensures you have a working mapped drive.

Speaking of NTBackup & Windows XP Home Edition: If your XP is preinstalled, you don't have it but if you have Windows XP Home CD you need to install it from that disc. For those with XP preinstalled, you can get it from the net. http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/... HTH i_Xp/VistaUser