External Hard Drive

Party_Animal

I've finally got round to purchasing one to back up my files. I haven't plugged it in yet. Can anyone advise the best way to back up please? Do I just drag and drop all my folders or is there an easier way?
Thanks

googler

Copy/paste your data files or folders from PC to external drive. Don't cut/paste.

WaywardDriver

try the free Microsoft SyncToy at http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=15155

John_Gray

I used SyncToy up until the time I had a network glitch, and SyncToy decided that my destination disk was empty, so it merrily decided to delete all the data from my source disk, to match...

I'd go for SyncBack Free; I use the paid-for SyncBack SE, which has been faultless over a couple of years.

Party_Animal

Many thanks

Nilrem

I tend to use the old fashioned "copy and paste" method for backing most stuff up to external drives

A list of locations for the files to be backed up is handy (for example the location of your email folder).

It's a little more time consuming than if you use an automated system, but if you're making full copies of certain files it's very very handy, as it means you can potentially look back at an older backup if you realise you deleted something by mistake prior to your previous backup.

I_have_spoken

Windows Backup and Restore Center (depending on version installed!)

Oblivion

Nilrem wrote: »

I tend to use the old fashioned "copy and paste" method for backing most stuff up to external drives

A list of locations for the files to be backed up is handy (for example the location of your email folder).

It's a little more time consuming than if you use an automated system, but if you're making full copies of certain files it's very very handy, as it means you can potentially look back at an older backup if you realise you deleted something by mistake prior to your previous backup.

+1 for that method which I use for my personal files. I have over the years accumulated 10 decent sized external USB hard drives and I deliberately cycle around them all so if one fails I've still got a good chance of recent backup recovery.

I also take a monthly Windows Image of my workstation and laptops, again cycling between the 10 drives to maximise my chances of recovery to a recent position.


To keep track of all this, I have an Excel spread sheet (yes this is backed up too ) with a separate tab for each machine where I record the date, type of backup made and the destination drive. Paranoid ... moi! :rotfl:

stevemcol

I've got a fairly stable, low maintenance solution now that I'm quite pleased with. I use SyncBackFree that schedules an auto backup once a week to my NAS drive and Skydrive.
Only files, documents and pictures etc. I'm not that bothered about a system backup.

cookie365

If the goal is to provider burglars with an easy to carry little box of all your personal data, then the copy and paste method is perfect.

Use Cobian backup and stick some encryption on it too.

http://www.cobiansoft.com/index.htm

Party_Animal

Just plugged this in. There are 2 USB connectors. I assume they both need to be connected. There are no instructions and when I look in "my computer" it isn't recognising the drive. Am I doing something wrong? The red light below the on switch on the tower is flashing as if something's happening.
Thanks