PSA: Backup your important files

[brutal]

Or you could just install freefilesync and setup a batch to run in the scheduler.

Freefilesync can also handle versioning, for the moments when backing up infected files that overwrite your copies just won't cut it.

[Danimal]

Deleted

[Goodburbon]

I've been trying to back up data for the last month, I finally gave up and manually copied.

My wife is a photographer and photo hoarder. One of her 3TB portable back up drives died so I set about setting up a raid on a remote machine to back up data.

Well, Linux and I didn't get along and I lost all digital music I had and the 10TB raid 10 would only show up as 2TB.

So I set up another Win7 machine. no software raid unless you have pro....I have ultimate.

So I ordered an inexpensive SATA raid controller....which despite the packaging and sales info only recognizes 2 TB...

So now I just have a Win 7 machine with 27TB of HDD in it... On the bright side I did recover the 3TB.

[RblDiver]

I'll admit I don't really back up my home machine, but it's good that work backs up our stuff. I meant to clear out a working directory of some files, and ran "rm *" (for those who don't know Unix, that's removing all files from a directory).

Well...I was in my home directory instead of my working one. Whoops! Didn't lose anything "critical," but it would be a pain to recreate some of the things. But thankfully work does a backup of the home directories periodically so they'll have my stuff back to me soon.

(Also good when in the database, you run the wrong command and change everything EXCEPT the one thing you wanted to change, and have to revert back to that morning's backup and recreate what had been done later that day lol)

[al_g]

Wise words do your recommend back ups on ssd or conventional drives?

Neither. You want off-site backups and these days a cloud based backup just makes sense. At my current job and previous company I've had to do risk analysis on CrashPlan and after digging into the product I prepaid for a four year subscription and use it at home.

[Hound]

A couple of things to think about:

1) I just had a drive crash like the OP did, hardly noticed because I had it setup in a RAID 1 configuration. This means the drives are mirrored. It was a simple task to switch to the mirror. RAID is the Redundant Array of Independent Disks and there is to much to go into on this post but it is worth it if you are looking at something like 3TB of photographs for the wifes business or even just for what many of us have as memories. It is easy to setup now days, research it.

2) Even if you do use a nice "personal cloud", which probably already has a nice RAID 5 setup you are not safe. Have a spare either physically ready or preferably in "Hot Standby". If you do lose one drive you are only one more from losing the data and then..... Also enable notifications via either text, email.... Something. Nothing like thinking you have it all covered only to find out you first drive failed six months ago and now the second one is gone.... Along with ALL of your data.

3) Have an offline backup.... Of the backup. For a Mac this can be as simple as a large drive in an enclosure that you will hopefully take quarterly backups of the main system with. Just plug it in and let it do its thing. Come back later when done. Some might be saying WTF.. A backup of the backup.. This is getting ridiculous!!! Even if you do one of the first two options above or have some other backup itmay not be enough. I work kn security and recently it has become more prevalent to see 'Ransom Ware'. These are nice little gifts from the bad guys that do things like wait for a 'drive by' attack on your system. You go to a web site to order some new tires. The site is legitimate but compromised. When you click on that link to see what new set of Michelans cost it also download and runs some code. This code encrypts any drive it can fine and then pops up a nice message telling you that if you ever want to see your data again you have to fork over 1000 Bitcoins or some BS like that. If your backup is plugged in/ available..... Ya it will get it also. Oh the joys of modern tech.

Be careful out there.

[Rumline]

I used to do the external hard drive thing but last year I started using CrashPlan online backup service. I chose it because you get to keep the only encryption key which I have printed out in my safe deposit box as well as other places. The downside is if you lose it, your data is gone. iDrive is their main competitor and they have even more features but a 1TB limit. They're both $60/year. Both of them support automated backups to other computers on your network, via VPN, etc, which isn't really anything you couldn't do without it, but it makes it easier to centrally manage multiple copies of your data and that part of the program is free.

Automated online backups are way easier than any home-grown scripts / media rotation I came up with, plus it's offsite. Just set it and forget it until you need a restore. But maybe I should bring back the external drive in addition, just in case.