Do you just make a copy of your runtimes to an external drive? Or do you use a particular software?

I have Ghost 14. Can't say that I'm crazy about it. The first time I installed it, it said there was an update, but then the update failed and it had uninstalled the version I had just installed so I had to reinstall. Fast forward to now. I had some problems with my new pc and they set it back to factory. This time I install and I read that the way to get the update to work is to leave the disk in the dvd drive. I do. It works. I think all is OK until I try to use my DVD burner. I don't have one anymore. The drivers won't load. I rip out Ghost. Still no burners. I find on the internet how to got into the registry and delete some upper and lower filters. That fixes it. So now I don't think I want to install Ghost again. That was a waste of $70. Besides, it takes over 3 hrs to do a restore. It has to verify all the files first. What happens if something doesn't verify. Used to be you'd be up and running in an hour with a Ghost image. This is progress?

So is there anything better?

I think I've changed my thinking on backups anyway. I think it's easier to just to a restore and then reinstall my main programs...just as long as I don't have to re-install all those Poser files.