I posted a thread yesterday about network speeds, and in that @ntpntpntp (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=5885) mentioned backups, which has prompted me to raise a separate question.
What backup strategies and software do people use/recommend?
I am in the middle of doing a whole heap of overdue PC housekeeping, as a result of the PC's health being forced up my agenda by a series of random boot failures, which turned out to be due to a failing memory stick. I didn't lose any data in the process, but in reviewing things, I realised that my existing backup process wasn't functioning properly. I have been using Windows FileHistory for a good while now, and been happy with it - but I discovered that it had silently stopped tracking changes in a key file of mine (my Lightroom catalog). I also take system images occasionally, probably less frequently than I should.
I have probably about 750Gb - 1Tb or so of data files. Much of that total, half or more, is in static data - original images from cameras, music files etc. Some of that is readily segregated into easily identifiable folders, but other static data (notably past work files) isn't so easily separable. I use OneDrive for some things, but I'm conscious that the automatic syncing of local and cloud OneDrive files isn't a true backup - OneDrive only versions Office files, and if local files are corrupted or lost for whatever reason, that damage automatically propagates into the cloud copies.
So what do others do? How do you organise your files and what software do you use? I liked FileHistory because it was very much "fire and forget", and it produces backup files which are simple copies and can be used by other software directly if the need arises. I'm not a huge fan of programs that wrap your backups into proprietary file formats that may or may not be readable when you come to restore. Been there, done that, cried the tears...
Open to suggestions...
I have about 100Gb of personal files (photos, documents etc.) which is stored on a B: drive on my computer and all my programs and OS on C: drive. I have a 3Tb GoFlex backup drive.
I use Acronis software for my auto backups. A PC backup which backs up everything once a month (C: and B: drives). Each new PC backup deletes the old backup.
I have a daily backup of my B: drive important data (not everything). The daily back up is a full backup of my chosen files with an incremental backup for 6 days. Once a months worth of daily backups have been done the earliest backup is deleted. This means I always have a months backups of all the different file versions of my chosen files. Acronis makes it very easy to select which versions you want to recover.
I also have a BT cloud backup for all my B: drive and some of the important system files on C: drive.
Never had to use a backup yet but glad I have the option should disaster strike.
:beers:
Additional information.
I don't encrypt the Acronis backups so you can actually open the backups in Windows explorer and recover them that way - takes a long time to get to the files you want though (minutes).
I've tried a few PC backup packages and not been totally impressed, they've missed files and/or have slowed the systems down.
Instead of backing up PCs, I encourage everyone in the household to store important files on our 2TB Goflex Home NAS.
Once a month (ish) I hook up my laptop to wired gigabit Ethernet and back-up the Goflex Home to a USB3 connected 2TB drive, using a batch file and robocopy /MIR to mirror all changes to the public area and each user's personal area in turn, to the backup drive.
The back up drive is then stored out of the house. I keep two back up drives and cycle between them.
The 2TB NAS is getting quite full these days, it's probably time to consider either a second NAS or a single larger NAS. I prefer the idea of two separate NAS boxes, once will become purely a DLNA media server and the other for data storage etc.
Well my experience of Acronis True Image is that its rock solid, simple to use and once set up you can forget about it. And no I don't work for Acronis.
You obviously know a bit about computing and I'm sure you have a backup strategy which works for you.
Most of us want something you set up and forget until you need it. KISS...
:beers:
no use for fancy software here just the simple command tar cvpjf backup.tar.bz2 --exclude=/proc --exclude=/lost+found --exclude=/backup.tar.bz2 --exclude=/mnt --exclude=/sys /
Quote from: themadhippy on July 06, 2017, 06:56:01 PM
no use for fancy software here just the simple command tar cvpjf backup.tar.bz2 --exclude=/proc --exclude=/lost+found --exclude=/backup.tar.bz2 --exclude=/mnt --exclude=/sys /
So what does all that mean????
What are you backing up, how often, to what and how do you get it back.
Not for your average punter perhaps!! :hmmm: :)
its the joys of linux,you end up with a full back up of the entire o/s,i have it set to automaticly run on the first of the month,to get everything back tar xvpfz backup.tgz -C /
I use Norton Ghost for my C: drive, with the system and programs, to an external HD. My data files on D: I backup manually to the external HD. Ideally I ought to disconnect when not actually backing up, but while working I'm using it regularly to back up my work every few minutes.
Quote from: themadhippy on July 06, 2017, 07:10:11 PM
its the joys of linux,you end up with a full back up of the entire o/s,i have it set to automaticly run on the first of the month,to get everything back tar xvpfz backup.tgz -C /
OK themadhippy that's very interesting for the very small minority of punters that use Linux. Without wanting to start a 'my operating system is the best in the world war' 90 plus% of the population use Windows and and less than 10% use MAC.
So maybe we should focus on the best solution for mst people.
Sorry mate....
:) :beers:
The original question asked
QuoteWhat backup strategies and software do people use/recommend?
no mention of operating system ,and thats my backup strategy
My strategy is anything on local disk is temporary and subject to removal at any time. Anything I work on, want copies of, or want to keep I use on my Google Drive account.
This also allows me to use these documents/files anywhere I go.
Getting the family to store stuff on our central NAS rather than the PCs means anyone can use any of our laptops or desktops and get to their stuff. Having it also act as a media server is great for streaming music and videos to music players and smart TVs.
I suppose having started my working career in IT as a system operator back in the 80s has coloured my requirements for backups in that I wanted a reasonable off-site backup strategy, as described in my earlier post. It's all very well backing up a PC to a compressed file or a 2nd hard disc, but if your house goes up in smoke with your computer and drive inside then you've lost the lot. Hence the backups I take of our NAS are kept somewhere else.
Funnily enough I don't worry so much about regularly imaging the PC operating systems. I take an image when a new system is bought or the OS has a major upgrade so that I have a baseline, but mostly I'm happy to rebuild/re-install software and take an opportunity to tidy up and drop old redundant stuff.
You're right of course this is a friendly forum. I have nothing against Linux or any other OS. Just trying to indicate that most people (99%) would appreciate advice on the most commonly used backup systems for the most commonly used OS's namely mostly Windows followed by MAC.
Obscure command lines for Linux backups have limited appeal and to my mind confuse the issue for the majority of Forum members.
That's not to say that Linux users should not post their backup preferences but they should bear in mind what the majority are interested in and avoid confusing the issue.
:beers:
I use Windows File History for regular quick backups to memory sticks which I keep away from the house. Every couple of months I copy and paste all my important files to an external hard drive.
I will not use any form of cloud storage. In essence, it's only somebody else's computer, somewhere in the world, which could be hacked into. I know people have uploaded stuff to the cloud and not been able to get it back again. I'm not willing to take the risk - I'd rather have any backup under my personal control.
Cheers,
Chris
wise man say, A backup is only proved good when you have used it to restore
The OP's bottom line question was "So what do others do?", hence you're going to get all sort of answers depending on what hardware, software and desired strategy people have adopted. This thread stemmed from a discussion about network speeds and NAS drives were mentioned, hence my post about my NAS backup strategy.
What's wrong with Linus?
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/53/941-070717081831.gif) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=53184)
Quote from: Railwaygun on July 07, 2017, 08:18:35 AM
What's wrong with Linus?
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/53/941-070717081831.gif) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=53184)
Oops! Did I say Linus instead of Linux. Naughty me.
Nothing wrong with Linux at all if that's your preference.
Most Linux users tend to be computer literate and understand well how to do such mundane tasks as back up. So posting Linux solutions here is probably preaching to the converted.
Much more helpful to post solutions related to the majority on the Forum. Just my two pennerth.
:beers:
In the good old days of mainframes, they used to have a three tier backup system. I.e. 3 tapes used in turn with the oldest copy being the next to be overridden. In addition they kept a transaction file which recorded everything that had been input that day. So with the backup tapes and transaction files you could recover everything. A bit extreme these days, so I just use 2Gbyte hard drives in a caddy and Acronis to do the backup. Plus my music and photos are stored on several different NAS and USB drives.
I remember all that Malc. We had rooms full of backup tapes and it was quite a task to keep it all under control. Still can't get over the size of those mainframes, especially when you consider how powerful our tiny PCs, tablets and laptops are these days.
:no: :beers:
I remember 3-2-1. As a humble user, it rather intrigued me why the backup we needed to have restored was always on the tape that had been accidentally overwritten... ;) Personally, I thought things went downhill once they did away with punched tape...
I never intended to set off a OS brushfire conflict... Sorry. It was Windows software I was asking after - I thought my using Windows FileHistory was the clue. :) But I entirely accept that backup strategies are to a large extent platform independent. I can't see me writing my own routines. The last time I coded anything apart from Excel VBA was for the Archimedes RiscOS GUI, and that was in C, well before C# was developed. I've no intention of reviving those skills. I'd rather be modelling.
Thanks for everyone's input, though. It's interesting to see what people are actually doing, rather than the text book solutions. I think I probably need some amalgam of my own made out of austinbob and ntpntpntp's approaches. Having been burgled many years ago, I am only too well aware of the need for an offsite backup. Unfortunately, lacking an office drawer or any close family nearby, I'm a bit stuck. When we go away, I take my external drive with me, or leave it with some good friends. But I know it freaks them out to be responsible for it, so it's not a permanent arrangement. That's why I like the cloud/OneDrive. I'd never leave anything only there without having my own copy, but having my data professionally curated and accessible from anywhere in the world from any device is handy.
Of course, if Microsoft disappear overnight on the same day my house burns down, I'll be stuffed. But we probably all will be if they do, what with only having three days' food in the supply chain and pretty much every business in the world using their software... I'll spend my time whittling sticks to hunt squirrels in the park, and lamenting my lost photos... :D
Being a suspicious sort I too do not use any form of cloud computing for backups.
I have a series of memory sticks for monthly backups of most regularly accessed data e.g. spreadsheets, e-mails.
I have data which I term as "permanent storage" which can be anything from songs to railway accident reports. This too gets backed up monthly on a series of sticks even though not much changes.
For data that changes most often that gets backed up daily on another couple of sticks. When I go away from the house for more than an hour the latest stick goes with me.
For photos I simply put the camera chip to one side when full and start a fresh one.
All backups mentioned above, except the daily sticks, are stored away from the house in an animal proof container.
In addition to memory sticks I have an external hard disk that has a copy of everything. This gets updated every so often.
I also put copies of data onto a laptop and a standalone PC, also on a random basis.
If I really need to go back to something old I have hard disks from now defunct PCs.
For info my PC is running Windows 7 Home Premium and I use a bit of software called Toucan to do the backups.
On my iMac I use Time Machine to back up onto a 2TB USB 3 drive. This happens automatically every hour.
Every day I use SuperDuper to clone the Mac onto a 2nd 2 TB USB 3 drive.
These two drives are essentially transient stuff (stuff in use).
Emails are IMAP, so I don't really need to bother much with them.
Contacts are in iCloud as are Safari bookmarks.
I then use a QNAP TS-451 with 16TB RAID to store everything else on - documents, photos, work stuff etc.
I have worked in IT for the past 35 years and have always made multiple backups, which are regularly tested as they will fail at the most inconvenient time (but when is a convenient time to fail?). I can take my Mac, reinstall it's OS, all programs and data in about 20 minutes now.
Personally I wouldn't trust a USB memory stick as far as I could throw one. They do have an annoying habit of either getting corrupted or lost / misplaced.
I just use google drive and Dropbox for files. never had a problem.
I don't bother backing up programs or the OS.
I use google suite plenty and have Android so again all my photos are on there too.
If you don't trust the hardware you are running (your laptop etc) to not die, then a local backup is fine, but if you're doing it to prevent against theft or fire, then a NAS is useless...
If I have to buy a new device (laptop/pc) then I would want to install the programs again rather than restore to make sure they are installed right.
That applies to windows.
For my Ubuntu (*nix) setup, I have a different drive for my /home than I do for the rest of the OS, which means I can install an updated version of the OS without losing files, it doesn't protect me from that drive failing, but any files I need are still in Dropbox and google drive.
For the OS and programmes, I use a hard drive and close the C: drive with Acronis. I do this after adding any new software or updating existing versions.