File Back Up System for long term storage
I'm wondering how you all back up your data on your computers. I currently use icloud and Google Drive as redundant cloud storage for pictures and videos...and... I recently lost some videos on t...
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I use Macrium Reflect (they have a free version) to image my C: drive or partition (depending on which computer) and store the images on my main data drive (or partition). Imaging is much like creating a photo negative of the drive that can be used to restore the drive to the state it was at when the image was made, much like using a photo negative to make a print.
I use FreeFileSync in Mirror Mode to back up my data drives (or partition). This works by comparing the source drive to the destination drive then it copies and pastes data from the source drive to the destination drive and deletes data on the destination drive as needed to essentially make the destination drive a clone of the source drive. FreeFileSync has a feature called Versioning that allows you to send deleted data to a Versioning drive or folder. I use a dedicated drive in my desktop computer for sending deleted files to.
For my desktop machine, I have a set of four backup HDDs for each HDD onsite in my computer (I have three HDDs in my computer). I keep two from each set at home and update them frequently. The other two in each set are kept offsite in my safe deposit box at my credit union and get swapped out with the home copies no less than once a month.
Since the offsite HDDs will not have any data that was changed or added after they were put in the safe deposit box, I also have a basic account with Carbonite.com. Carbonite works in the background to upload new and changed data to it online servers. It will also retain deleted data for 30 days. While it would take forever (weeks to months) to download my data if my computer and onsite data should ever fail, I can relatively quickly recover most of my data from the offsite HDDs, then get what little is left from Carbonite.
This all may seem like overkill but HDDs, etc. can fail without warning, including backup HDDs, and my data is valuable to me. It would cost a fortune to replace any that got lost and much of it can't be replaced at any cost.
I use FreeFileSync in Mirror Mode to back up my data drives (or partition). This works by comparing the source drive to the destination drive then it copies and pastes data from the source drive to the destination drive and deletes data on the destination drive as needed to essentially make the destination drive a clone of the source drive. FreeFileSync has a feature called Versioning that allows you to send deleted data to a Versioning drive or folder. I use a dedicated drive in my desktop computer for sending deleted files to.
For my desktop machine, I have a set of four backup HDDs for each HDD onsite in my computer (I have three HDDs in my computer). I keep two from each set at home and update them frequently. The other two in each set are kept offsite in my safe deposit box at my credit union and get swapped out with the home copies no less than once a month.
Since the offsite HDDs will not have any data that was changed or added after they were put in the safe deposit box, I also have a basic account with Carbonite.com. Carbonite works in the background to upload new and changed data to it online servers. It will also retain deleted data for 30 days. While it would take forever (weeks to months) to download my data if my computer and onsite data should ever fail, I can relatively quickly recover most of my data from the offsite HDDs, then get what little is left from Carbonite.
This all may seem like overkill but HDDs, etc. can fail without warning, including backup HDDs, and my data is valuable to me. It would cost a fortune to replace any that got lost and much of it can't be replaced at any cost.
