[SOLVED] Backup Software Help!

[Scutu Mix]

Hello everyone,

I need a NEW backup software as WD SmartWare is no longer supported by the company and the replacement - Acronis is not exactly what I need.

So what I need?
Well, a simple backup solution. I have a 6 TB WD Book Duo connected by USB to my windows computer and I have a few HDDs with few folders on each that I need to backup. Folders like Images, Documents, Projects, Work, etc., and those folders get updates randomly during the day and during the week.
- The backup software should make a backup only when is a file update. Not at the end of a specific day or when I turn off the computer.
- The backup should be a copy of my folders - no image files *.data, *.img, *.zip, or whatever other types of backup. Just folder to folder! So I can easily go to the backup folder and get a copy of a file if I need. If my windows die, I can easily connect my WD Book Duo to another computer (like a Mac or Linux) and access the folders and files without having to install x software to be able to access them.
- Also, the software should not have a monthly subscription, but I'm ok to pay a full price upfront - I'll say anything up to $100.

In the past, I used Second Copy but the software is not updated for more than 4 years now and it gives me some errors, like "Can't create file X, Access denied" even if is installed and is running as administrator.


Please help.

 

[DSzymborski]

Have you tried Bvckup2? That's what I use for file checking + backup.

 

[Scutu Mix]

No, I haven't tried Bvckup2 yet. Does it meet my requirements?
I found a lot of options on the internet but not sure which will be exactly as I need and I don't want to try them all just to find out what they offer, so that's why I'm asking here.

I'll have a look my self and it will be great if you can confirm what type of backup is actually doing - folder, img, zip, etc. As I'm interested only in Folder to Folder backup! Thanks again!

 

[Alabalcho]

Windows File History.

 

[Scutu Mix]

Windows File History.

And how do you recover your files if you hdd / ssd dies?

 

[sonofjesse]

Would installing two drives and use windows 10 PRO for a software RAID solve your issue? It's all native and write files to both disks at a time. Also use that in conjunction with Windows File History.

 

[USAFRet]

Would installing two drives and use windows 10 PRO for a software RAID solve your issue? It's all native and write files to both disks at a time. Also use that in conjunction with Windows File History.

RAID (of any type) is not a backup.
The user and OS sees one instance of a file. It is just mirrored across 2 physical drives. Delete a file, it is gone.

A true backup situation would allow you to recover that file. Or the entire drive.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Grobe]

Would installing two drives and use windows 10 PRO for a software RAID solve your issue? It's all native and write files to both disks at a time. Also use that in conjunction with Windows File History.

Important note - RAID is not backup. Raid may solve an issue where a hdd die, but in case of malware/cryptovirus all files are gone and no raid can ever solve that.

The easy part is to find a piece of software that can compare two folders and copy each file. It turns out that the difficult part are:

• To find a software that can "sniff" a folder structure in order to start a file copy operation. I don't know if such feature is feasible.
• To find a software (for windows) that keep file history.

When I was on windows, I used the Treecomp software to compare and copy files that is different. However, that program alone is not automated, but more tailored against users that want full control over what files being copied or not. It also have a feature where it can keep old version of files.

 

[Scutu Mix]

Definitely, RAID is not a solution for me. I use the technology but that's on the backup drive which is made of 2 x 6TB HDD's in mirror RAID.
I installed the Bvckup2 as DSzymborski suggested and it seems to be pretty competent.
Here's a screenshot: https://photos.app.goo.gl/grzmEE2D3jQ587yo8

 

[TideMozer]

There are many tools out there , but I recommend the tool which I use now , it called "Gs Richcopy 360 " , it meets all the requirements that you listed above , the license is for once and I think it costs now not more 50$ . search it

 

[Blackink]

Use Macrium Reflect for backing up your OS, computers, files, etc....
You'll be glad you did!

 

[Alabalcho]

And how do you recover your files if you hdd / ssd dies?

New setup, point "File History" to same location. You'll be offered the option to reuse that location.
Brute force: "File History" target location is just same folder structure, with time-stamp added to file names.

And thanks for down-voting.. I am going now to unravel my socks...

 

[Scutu Mix]

New setup, point "File History" to same location. You'll be offered the option to reuse that location.
Brute force: "File History" target location is just same folder structure, with time-stamp added to file names.

And thanks for down-voting.. I am going now to unravel my socks...

Sorry to hear about down-voting, I didn't vote anything...

Back to the File History - if the hdd / ssd dies, all the files are gone. You won't be able to access the drive, even with new setup.
If you read my first post again, I was mentioning that I want to be able to connect my 6Tb hdd to another computer - MacBook or Linux to access the files right away...

Thanks for your suggestion

 

[Alabalcho]

Back to the File History - if the hdd / ssd dies, all the files are gone. You won't be able to access the drive, even with new setup.
If you read my first post again, I was mentioning that I want to be able to connect my 6Tb hdd to another computer - MacBook or Linux to access the files right away...

For God sake - try it. See how the backup is created. And then talk.
The backup consist of 1:1 copy of your files and folders, with timestamp added to the file name. No ZIPs, no special image formats, no nothing.

 

[Scutu Mix]

For God sake - try it. See how the backup is created. And then talk.
The backup consist of 1:1 copy of your files and folders, with timestamp added to the file name. No ZIPs, no special image formats, no nothing.

Why so angry?!... For God sake... I've been using computers since 1996 using Windows '95 .. I know how Windows File History works and I use it in the past and is not what I want!

Here's a reason why File History is not what I need:
File History only backs up copies of files that are in the Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders and the OneDrive files available offline on your PC. If you have files or folders elsewhere that you want backed up, you can add them to one of these folders. - no I don't want to... my C:/ drive is for os and program files and nothing else.

Also, I don't want duplicates.. same file with 5 timestamps, just because I opened that file 5 times yesterday.

Thanks again! 👍

 

[USAFRet]

Here's a reason why File History is not what I need:

Then look into Macrium Reflect.
Costs $0 to try.

 

[Scutu Mix]

Then look into Macrium Reflect.
Costs $0 to try.

Thank you... I'll give it a try! 😊

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you... I'll give it a try! 😊

It is the basis for my entire backup/recovery procedure.

And I have had to use it after the death of a 960GB Sandisk SSD.

 

[gdmaclew]

Try Acronis.
It's very robust and reliable.

 

[Scutu Mix]

Try Acronis.
It's very robust and reliable.

I did try Acronis, but it only creates *.data files, and to access your backups, you need Acronis otherwise you can't. Please refer to my first post for more details.

Thanks for your suggestion 😃

 

[USAFRet]

I did try Acronis, but it only creates *.data files, and to access your backups, you need Acronis otherwise you can't. Please refer to my first post for more details.

Thanks for your suggestion 😃

Macrium operates like that as well. *.mrimage files.
So if that is a concern...then maybe something else.

FreeFileSync, SyncBackFree are other options.
They save just the regular files, as they are originally.

 

[Alabalcho]

File History only backs up copies of files that are in the Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders and the OneDrive files available offline on your PC. If you have files or folders elsewhere that you want backed up, you can add them to one of these folders. - no I don't want to... my C:/ drive is for os and program files and nothing else.

My server (where my File History is routed to from all PCs at home) keeps my H:\Projects, H:\Stuff etc folders - I also don't keep anything on the OS drive.

You set how often to do the sync. So, if you set it to 24 hours, so only one copy of your "five times opened, changed, and saved document per day" will be saved.
With all due respect to Acronis, Macrium etc - they don't fit your main requirement, to have your files accessible everywhere. But they might help you have an image of your OS drive.

 

[Scutu Mix]

You set how often to do the sync. So, if you set it to 24 hours, so only one copy of your "five times opened, changed, and saved document per day" will be saved.

Alabalcho, here's the problem... I'm a designer and some of the source files I work with can go up to 3-5Gb each, and some of them I open few times a day for little updates then close. Imagine opening a 4Gb file 5 times to make few small changes. By the end of the day, I'll have 20Gb used by just a single file. After a week of work that will pile up 100Gb of disk usage for just one file. If I have 5 files like that, there will be over 500Gb per week for just 5 files when they are really supposed to use only 20Gb. Doing a clean-up at the end of the day is something I don't wanna do!

File History is not a solution for me as I want the backup update to happen when I make the change, not at 10 pm when my pc may be off or at the end of the week risking few days of work in the case, one SSD decides to die...

With all the respect, I totally appreciate your suggestion and interest in helping me, but Windows File History is far from what I need. Thanks again!

 

[USAFRet]

Alabalcho, here's the problem... I'm a designer and some of the source files I work with can go up to 3-5Gb each, and some of them I open few times a day for little updates then close. Imagine opening a 4Gb file 5 times to make few small changes. By the end of the day, I'll have 20Gb used by just a single file. After a week of work that will pile up 100Gb of disk usage for just one file. If I have 5 files like that, there will be over 500Gb per week for just 5 files when they are really supposed to use only 20Gb. Doing a clean-up at the end of the day is something I don't wanna do!

File History is not a solution for me as I want the backup update to happen when I make the change, not at 10 pm when my pc may be off or at the end of the week risking few days of work in the case, one SSD decides to die...

With all the respect, I totally appreciate your suggestion and interest in helping me, but Windows File History is far from what I need. Thanks again!

QNAP or Synology NAS.
This pulls from the PC daily (or whatever schedule you set).
Can keep as many or as few versions as you want.

This also backs up to another volume on the NAS whatever schedule you want. Just for protection.

The OS in either of those NAS solutions has that functionality built in.