Software for backups

[John Costello]

> john> I'd add to that list .jpgs, .gifs, .exes, .dlls, unless you are
> john> running a graphics shop or developing Windows applications.
>
> you cannot just exclude *.exe and *.dll as they might need those
> "user installed files" to run their apps and view their data

It depends on the environment.  If you have a standard image or a standard
set of applications, then the .exes and .dlls are not necessary. 
Reinstall the OS or reinstall the application, then restore the data. 
There still will be an issue with one-off installations--a single license
for Photoshop, for example.  If you are providing backup services for
external clients, that is a different matter, but I wasn't talking about
that situation.  There are cases where you can and cannot exclude all of
the file types I listed above.

John