Best way to backup - internally vs. externally - Please review my method

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A

alexb75

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2004
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I have a PC with the following storage:

- SSD 180gb - 60gb full
- HDD1 3TB - 1TB full
- HDD2 3TB - 1 TB full
- External HDD - 2TB [used also to backup laptop]

What I was planning to do for backup are as follows:

- Use MS Backup for backing up SSD to HDD1 [weekly]
- Use MS Backup for backing up HDD1 key data to HDD2 [weekly]
- Use MS Backup for backing up HDD2 key data to HDD1 [weekly]
- Use regular file copy to backup some key data to external HDD [monthly or so]

Now, in addition, I've also backed up some key photos, videos to some high quality blu-ray disks for safe keeping.

Questions

    - Am I doing this right? Is MS backup a good way to do this automatically?
    - Do I need to do more externally, or just backing up each HDD to the other is sufficient, if one drive fails?
    - Do I need other solutions, software or hardware for the backup

 
Solution
JohnnyLucky
I recommend doing monthly full disk images and automatic weekly backups to an external storage device. The reason for that is that if the motherboard or power supply suddenly goes bad, then there is a possibility that an internal storage device might also get fried. It is very rare but it does happen.

I have been using Microsoft's backup regularly since December 1984 (DOS 2.2.1 backup to floppy disks LOL). I have not experienced any problems
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boosted1g

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Jun 12, 2013
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I dont like MS Backup at all, very few options and recovery is not user intuitive.

For non-commercial use, macrium reflect free is FAR better for full disk images.

Why are you backing up some data on HDD2 to HDD1, and some data on HDD1 to HDD2?
Should just 1 drive as backup and 1 drive for wathever oother storage you need.

SSD - full disk image once every 2-4 months, differential weekly (keep 2-3 fulls, and 2 months worth of differntials).

If laptop is left on, and on yoru network then you can use network shares to backup the drive instead of having to plug the drive into network.

For backups of just data files and not hard drives then I like syncback free program which gives you lots of backup options and scheduling.
 
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JohnnyLucky

JohnnyLucky

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May 30, 2007
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I recommend doing monthly full disk images and automatic weekly backups to an external storage device. The reason for that is that if the motherboard or power supply suddenly goes bad, then there is a possibility that an internal storage device might also get fried. It is very rare but it does happen.

I have been using Microsoft's backup regularly since December 1984 (DOS 2.2.1 backup to floppy disks LOL). I have not experienced any problems
 
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Solution
J

Jaka71

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Mar 21, 2017
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What I would do (if I understood correctly that you have only ~2TB data in your HDDs) :
Take system image of your SSD with Windows System Image Tool to 3TB HDD1. Copy all data from your HDD2 to HDD1 and take HDD2 out. Put HDD2 to external enclosure and backup HDD1 to external HDD2 with Windows tools like "robocopy /mir".

I have this kind of setup and it works like a charm. The Windows System Image is easy to restore by using Windows installation USB. I have used it once when replacing old SSD with new one.
 
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