How do I protect files from accidental deletion on my NAS?

[tango7000]

Multiple Windows laptops in use at my home, so we use the NAS (WDC My Book World Edition II) to store vids, pics, and music.

It's configured RAID 1, so if I physically lose one drive, the data is retained by the other. However, the RAID config doesn't protect against accidental deletion of a file on the NAS (hitting the delete key on a file stored on the NAS doesn't send it to the Recycle Bin!).

Thoughts on how to protect files on the NAS from accidental deletion?

 

[danraies]

There's only one way - you need to back up your data somewhere. You can partition your NAS so that you can back up one partition onto the other, but that's not really a good solution because it's not protected against power surges or if the NAS gets knocked off the table and breaks. External backup is another option, but there are other problems with that. First of all, there is (likely) no RAID on the external drive so the external drive is vulnerable to single drive failure. Also, if your house burns down then you're going to lose everything.

Bottom line - there is no substitute for redundant off-site backup. Unfortunately that's very expensive. Go online and try to find 1TB of off-site backup. It's really expensive. And if you've got the off-site backup then you really don't need the NAS in the first place. I guess the real bottom line is that you can only get so much security on even a moderate budget.

In my opinion, your best and most cost-effective solution is an external drive to back up the NAS. The only problem with that is if you do that then you really don't need the RAID because the external backup will give you plenty of redundancy. What you might want to think about is removing the RAID1 from your NAS and creating two separate drives - one to backup the other. That way you're protected against single drive failure and accidental deletion.

Now, one issue that I can't leave out of this conversation is that the weak link in any backup is that users don't do it often enough. Get yourself a program to automate the backups. There are free options and there are inexpensive options but if you don't automate it then there are going to be two-week stretches where you forget.

 

[tango7000]

Thank you for your reply. I was thinking that another backup would be the answer, but thought it'd be worth checking with the community.

I have a fireproof safe... what I may do is to buy a small 1 TB backup drive, connect it to my NAS once a month, and keep it in the safe once I'm done.

 

[danraies]

Thank you for your reply. I was thinking that another backup would be the answer, but thought it'd be worth checking with the community.

I have a fireproof safe... what I may do is to buy a small 1 TB backup drive, connect it to my NAS once a month, and keep it in the safe once I'm done.

That sounds like a good plan as long as you're ok with backups that old.

 

[FireWire2]

Multiple Windows laptops in use at my home, so we use the NAS (WDC My Book World Edition II) to store vids, pics, and music.

It's configured RAID 1, so if I physically lose one drive, the data is retained by the other. However, the RAID config doesn't protect against accidental deletion of a file on the NAS (hitting the delete key on a file stored on the NAS doesn't send it to the Recycle Bin!).

Thoughts on how to protect files on the NAS from accidental deletion?

With FreeNAS - you do have an option to move the delete file to a trash-bin (like windows) This allows you to recover the accidental deleted files.

I dont think this option available in commercially unit. One more reason to go with the FreeNAS 🙂