It sounds to me like many of you are not truly backing up properly. Remember the point of the exercise is not "backing up", but "
Disaster Recovery".
Here's a test for you to follow - First off, assume your PC has just crashed, completely died, and the only option is to reinstall.
Now - from this, time yourself on how long it takes to:
1) Reinstall the operating system (Even finding the disk, making sure no scratches, serial number to hand... And that you have all the drivers required)
2) Setup the network (VPN's for example)
3) Install all your required Applications. (Again knowing where the disk/serial numbers are located, and that the disks work fine)
4) To then restore all your backed up files. (If they're held "on-line", how quickly can you get them back?)
Basically to get yourself back to where you are now, whatever your set-up.
Ideally this shouldn't take you longer than 1 1/2hour max, because if a customer is waiting on you, you cannot afford for that machine to be off-line an entire afternoon.
You should really be "
Slipstreaming" all the Windows Updates, Drivers, and Applications into a single Windows Image, so that when you install, everything is reinstalled at the same time. (And much quicker!)
Never forget, one backup is no backup. You should have 3 or more! Keeping a recent (quickly accessible) back-up but also archived versions, hopefully with one also kept off-site in case of fire.
If you want even greater piece of mind, its also worth investing in a RAID set-up in case one of your hard drives meets a premature end.