Tech: External Drive Backup Tips

Subject: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 14 - 10:28 PM

OK, so I finally broke down and bought me a Netgear Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, and put two 3 terabyte Western Digital Red drives in it in a RAID1 configuration. I hooked it to my network, downloaded and installed the software, and it seems to be working fine.

But now that I have it, what do I do with it? In the past, I've used various software packages to back up my computer, but I admit I have not been very religious about it. It always bugged me that backup software always wanted to do a full backup of things, and what I want is an incremental backup that changes when I add or change files.

For music and photos, I've copied my MP3 files and jpgs direct to external drives, but then I didn't know what to do with newly-added files.

I'd like to have all my documents, photos, and and music available on the NAS, but updated whenever I make changes or add files. How can I do that?

The NAS device comes with backup software and lots of instructions, but I can't find an option that does what I want to do. Help!!

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 14 - 11:39 PM

This from Howard Kaplan:

Joe,

I tried twice to post this, but only your original message is showing up under the thread. There may be a Mudcat database problem somewhere.


I've been very happy with Macrium Reflect for backup under Windows. (I'm describing the "pro" version here, which is not free; I can't recall which features aren't in the free version.) It gives the user a choice of full backup, incremental backup (changes since the last backup), and differential backup (changes since the last full backup). It will backup only the changed parts of large files (e.g., databases) where most of the file stays unchanged between backups, provided the unchanged parts are left in the same disk locations. It backs up to special image files, not to native (FAT, NTFS, etc.) files, but it allows the images to be mounted as read-only drives from which any required files can be copied to recover them.

I follow the recommendation to make a full backup about once a month and incremental backups between full backups. That gives a good tradeoff between the time and space required for full backups and the time required to recover files from the incremental backups.

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: doc.tom
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 04:39 AM

SyncBackPro. Absolutely superb - automatic or manual - and you can schedule what when and where with no problem. Thoroughly reccomend it.

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Nick
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 06:08 AM

I'm very old fashioned and tend to use batch files for the main directories I back up using xcopy with a /D switch and run with a scheduled task. And use /EXCLUDE:textfile.txt to exclude directories or things I don't want.

Use it at work for clients who won't dip into their pockets for a proper back up solution

Have you thought of cloud storage which gets cheaper and cheaper (or even free) if you have a reasonably speedy and unlimited internet allowance.

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 07:45 AM

I mentioned before that I use tried & true Cobian Backup.... but have also heard many good things about Macrium Reflect.

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 10:15 AM

My Hitachi USB disk came with ARCSoft - Seems to be pretty good at backups and restores.

DtG

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 12:15 AM

My NAS (Network Attached Storage) is working so nicely that I'm tempted to store all my data on the NAS (with two hard drives in a RAID array, so there's constant backup). Then I'd keep only programs on my hard drive. I think that might make things work very well.
Ideas?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Bert
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 01:31 PM

Yes, 'tiz a problem. I'm putting off the solution until my external drive starts getting too full.

Then I guess I'll search by date for the files that I've used in the previous week, or month, and back up just those.

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 01:34 PM

I've realised that of all the terrabytes of diverse stuff I've backed up over the last 15 years or so,
I've hardly ever actually needed to go back to look at any of it ???

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Newport Boy
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 03:37 PM

You've been lucky. I've had 3 hard disk failures over the last 12 years, two of them catastrophic (no warning). Having a good backup, which I test from time to time, meant almost no lost data and no expensive or time-consuming recovery efforts.

Phil

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Stanron
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 04:22 PM

I have an external USB drive which holds all the files I create. All the software I use is on my main, internal hard drive. I use Linux Mint 16, which is pleasantly like XP. It is free, of course, and if it ever slows down and clogs up like XP did I can just re-install it or try out another version.

Every couple of months I copy the contents of my external drive to an 8 gig flash card and thats all the backup I need. I can make a backup of my bookmarks or favourites and save them as an html file, also on the external drive.

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 05:04 PM

I copy the contents of my external drive to an 8 gig flash card

You seriously have less than 8 gig of data?

Subject: RE: Tech: External Drive Backup Tips
From: Stanron
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 06:43 PM

I have far less than 8 gig of current files I need to back up. If I had more than that I would get another USB drive for back up. I have a SATA drive which I used to use for storing .wav files but currently I'm not doing any recording and most of the files I generate are small form.