Back-up Storage (1 Viewer)

[delia todd]

Not sure what to do here, so as I keep saying to myself.... "I'll do this".... then change my mind and say "No... think I'll do that". Decided to ask which would be better.

With my new computer I've also got a LaCie 1tb ext drive (USB-C).
I already have in use an ext drive 931 Gb (with 814 GB free space.

Now I know you're supposed to have your back-up backed up regularly and I'm not sure whether to store everything on the new drive and use that as the work horse; then regularly copy stuff to the older one. Or the other way round.

AND; should I have them both plugged into the computer all the time, or the 2nd back-up kept in a drawer some place.

I've never had two ext hard drives at the same time before, but have had previous ones break down so really would appreciated some advice.

 

[Butty]

Keep one backup off-site - at work/in your car/whatever.

 

[Ted Y.]

Here is what I do with my important files:
I work on the laptop. I have 2 HDD/SSD for backup, each model known for his reliability. Not for speed, for reliability.
I use an external HDD/SSD as first backup.
I use a second HDD/SSD as second storage. This one I keep in another place, not in the car.
I never keep a HDD more than 4 years. Even is functional, it can easy fail.
If one HDD fail, I stop working and buy another one. I had 2 HDDs failing at 3 days distance.
I have only small files and I add to backup, I do not edit and update the backup.

 

[Ted Y.]

Here is what a friend photographer does with his files.
He has one SSD for immediate backup, kept carefully in a drawer.
He use a cloud repository as second repository and some specialized software to synchronize the backups.

 

[Ted Y.]

should I have them both plugged into the computer all the time, or the 2nd back-up kept in a drawer some place.

I do not keep them pluged in the computer, nor permanently connected to a power bar.

Also I have an external HDD working perfect after 7 years. All is possible.

For me the car is a No No place for the backups because in the winter the temperature is many days -20°C and in the summer +35°C. Or -4°F and 95°F.

 

[delia todd]

Thanks Butty & Ted.

At present I've all my documents and pictures on the 'old' ext drive, so it is plugged in all the time as I'm working from it.

 

[Cettia]

Here is what I do with my important files:
I work on the laptop. I have 2 HDD/SSD for backup, each model known for his reliability. Not for speed, for reliability.
I use an external HDD/SSD as first backup.
I use a second HDD/SSD as second storage. This one I keep in another place, not in the car.
I never keep a HDD more than 4 years. Even is functional, it can easy fail.
If one HDD fail, I stop working and buy another one. I had 2 HDDs failing at 3 days distance.
I have only small files and I add to backup, I do not edit and update the backup.

Do you mean you have everything both in HDD and SDD (times two the numer kf disks)
Cheers

 

[Butty]

Obvious question... Why don't you put all your c. 100 G worth of working files on your computer's internal storage? As I recall, you have plenty of space for that, and it is what internal storage is for; being SSD it will also operate a lot faster. External drives are for transportability, backup, overflow - that sort of thing.

 

[delia todd]

Obvious question... Why don't you put all your c. 100 G worth of working files on your computer's internal storage? As I recall, you have plenty of space for that, and it is what internal storage is for; being SSD it will also operate a lot faster. External drives are for transportability, backup, overflow - that sort of thing.

Yes, thanks Butty. That's another option, of course!! It's just that in setting up this new computer, all my documents and images were put onto the ext. hard drive to transfer. I've just not put them on the new one yet.

This, of course, is one of the things I'm swithering over LOL but forgot to add into my first post.... ooops.

So I'd put them on the C: drive?

 

[delia todd]

So I'd put them on the C: drive?

Er no.... I think it must be the D: drive. Which is currently empty I think.

I'm getting lost as to where some of my documents are now LOL

 

[Mono]

Different backup solutions work best for different "threats".

For hardware failure, your computer going pfft, it is best to have permanently connected external drive that backs up everything very frequently. This also helps when you overwrite something you didn't mean to. This is easy to set up and runs automatically.

For protection against viruses and ransomware you don't want to have the external drive permanently connected as that too can become infected/encrypted. This is harder to do as it involves one doing something! If you get into a habit it can work but the older the backup is the less useful it is.

For protection against fire and theft you need to the same as the second one but have somewhere else to take it, friend's house etc. This is more hassle than than the second option so less likely to be done frequently so making the backup less useful.

Using cloud storage can give you the best of all worlds, it is permanently connected (if your Internet connection is working!), it is off-site and can be easily automated. The main problem is size. Backups work best if you backup everything and that just isn't feasible on a free cloud service, so you have to either pay or you have to curate what you are backing up, making the backup less useful. Another point is that most cloud services don't keep multiple copies so if you accidentally overwrite a file the one one in the cloud is your new overwritten version.

What you do comes down to your personal risk assessment and how you rate your chance of complying with any system you setup.

For what it is worth my personal backup setup is...
A permanently attached hard drive that backs up everything every 10 minutes, these are incremental backups it only copies what has changed so isn't system intensive. It also keeps the older version of changed files, space allowing. I rate the risk of fire and theft as very low. The backup program is the only program that has access to the files so chances of malware getting to the backup is greatly reduced. I have previously tried the manual offsite backup but I don't have the discipline.

I do manually keep life critical documents, insurances, financial stuff etc on the cloud but my compliance even then isn't great!

My wife is better at it and keeps all her work documents on the cloud but then her work does give her 1TB!

 

[Butty]

Can't remember what drives you have... but if D: is empty I guess it's your internal HDD. Check how much space there is on the SSD (presumably C: ) - if plenty, put all your working files on there as it'll operate faster.
Then make sure you're properly backed up...

 

[delia todd]

Thanks both. Actually I'm trying to work out where my documents are actually held! The guy that helped me set this up (with my recent back op I'm not able to lift the weight yet).... I remember now that he brought along his own external drive and used it to transfer my stuff. It looks like he put them on the C: drive.

@Butty but if D: is empty I guess it's your internal HDD. Check how much space there is on the SSD (presumably C: ) - if plenty, put all your working files on there as it'll operate faster.

The D: drive is actually named D: Documents and is empty.

For hardware failure, your computer going pfft, it is best to have permanently connected external drive that backs up everything very frequently. This also helps when you overwrite something you didn't mean to. This is easy to set up and runs automatically.

I think this is what I actually want to do Mono, I'm in a pretty secure (from burglers) upstairs flat, protected with fire doors etc as it's a modern building. I'm a pretty safe user, and have never had a virus or anything attack me.

Sooo, the main question is:

This is easy to set up and runs automatically.

How do I do that... and should I use the new one?

 

[stevo]

Obvious question... Why don't you put all your c. 100 G worth of working files on your computer's internal storage? As I recall, you have plenty of space for that, and it is what internal storage is for; being SSD it will also operate a lot faster. External drives are for transportability, backup, overflow - that sort of thing.

So if the computer suffers a failure of it's internal hard drive?

 

[Butty]

So if the computer suffers a failure of it's internal hard drive?

make sure you're properly backed up

OK?
(I'm not sure what your point is... That external drives are immune from failure?! Anyway, never mind...)

 

[Ted Y.]

Do you mean you have everything both in HDD and SDD (times two the numer kf disks)

I have 2 backup devices. In my case, each device is a SSD.
In general terms, one device can be a HDD or a SSD.

 

[Butty]

In general terms, one [back-up] device can be a HDD or a SSD.

But SSDs are expensive, because they are fast. And speed isn't normally important for back-up, so HDDs are (for most of us) the more practical choice.

 

[Ted Y.]

But SSDs are expensive, because they are fast. And speed isn't normally important for back-up, so HDDs are (for most of us) the more practical choice.

I agree, therefore I do not say to buy/use SSD nor do not use HDD.

I use SSD because SSD are less sensible to impact. Also, no mechanical parts in movement, no noise, no vibrations.
I find SSD more reliable, and reliability is important for backups.

 

[stevo]

OK?
(I'm not sure what your point is... That external drives are immune from failure?! Anyway, never mind...)

The point i'm making is don't put all of your eggs in one basket,If you have a duplicate of what's on your internal hard drive.Then you have not lost everything.

 

[Butty]

The point i'm making is don't put all of your eggs in one basket,If you have a duplicate of what's on your internal hard drive.Then you have not lost everything.

I fear you've lost me. You seem to be advocating having a working copy and a back-up copy - which is standard practice and is what I (and all other contributors here) was/were already advocating. No-one has been advocating putting 'all your eggs in one basket' and having no back-up.