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Best Overall Amazing Back Up Setup? 1K-4K Budget! Software + Hardware? Help!

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PlainName:

--- Quote from: NeedsPractice on June 23, 2023, 11:24:47 pm ---I remember a lot of people before when my hard drive failed told me that I could do a couple of amazing things with backing up data. What stuck out is two things...

--- End quote ---

It would help if you say what OS you are running. Everyone in this thread seems to assume Linux, but in your original post you go on about Windows apps, so on the basis that you're running Windows...

I would recommend Macrium Reflect which Just Works and is proven to be reliable. It has anti-ransomware features which you may or may not consider useful, and uses VSS so you can run a full coherent image while using the PC (most other backup solutions require you to not be using the PC, which is pretty much a guarantee for backups to drop out of use). Images can be mounted as drives for getting hold of specific files, or you can just blast the entire thing back.

As to the destinations, you can pick whatever you want. Local storage is simple easy to access, but a proper disaster can screw that up. Don't have your only backup media permanently connected to your PC - a PC-based drive for backups is fine if you also have off-PC media that either duplicates it has its own backup scheme. Cloud is OK as a backup to the backup if you trust it (always encrypt the data before letting any cloud program get hold of it), but bear in mind it's a destination of last resort and may not be there when you're needing to do a restore.

Having more than one media type as destination is a good idea (hence spinning disk and cloud, tape if you don't find it too tedious, etc).

If you just want to save data, as opposed to a bootable image of the PC, then something like SyncBack is good - this one will even use email as a backup destination if you like! The downside to this type is that you need a booting PC to restore the data to, but in many situation that's not a problem.

In either case, you would want to think about saving a sequence of backups, to recover from things like ransomware, or that file you deleted a month ago that you really, really need now, etc. Most backup apps will allow that and have some scheme, but I would suggest you determine your own scheme and get the apps to implement that if for no other reason than you're not locked into something that is specific to some app and you don't really understand.

Finally, whatever you go for make sure you stress test it. When I build a new PC I use it to restore a backup to ensure it can be restored - the new build is just an opportunity to test on an unused machine. Failing that, take one of your backup disks, that's not used yet (you will have more than one, and also will never backup to the same media sequentially) and shove that in your PC in place of your normal drive. Restore to that, to prove it works, then put your real drive back in.

SiliconWizard:

--- Quote from: ataradov on June 24, 2023, 02:00:42 am ---
--- Quote from: SiliconWizard on June 24, 2023, 01:49:16 am ---consider critical data on more durable media, such as M-DISC (as I talked about a while ago).

--- End quote ---
Why though? What is the point of it lasting past the point were you are able to replace the drives?

--- End quote ---

While my data retention "mantra" has been replication only for years, this is a question I'm now considering.
Replicating data to keep the corresponding information looks like the most reasonable approach overall, after all this is kinda what "life" itself does, in the grand scheme of things.

This is all well as long as you replicate on a regular basis.
The "why" is, what if, for any reason (shit happens), your data was not replicated in due time, and you lose it. Storing it on media that can last decades or even centuries potentially gives it a different chance.
Whether that matters to you is of course a completely personal question.

ataradov:
This is why I use NAS with 4 bays/drives in RAID1 configuration.  The data is stored on 4 drives at the same time and replicated instantaneously.

I switched to 4 drives after using 2 drives for a long time and each of the drives died (separately in time)  and NAS ensured that no data was lost. I simply ordered a new drive and the remaining drive was mirrored to it automatically with no data loss. But the time it took Amazon to deliver the replacement drive I was with just one drive, and that made me uncomfortable, so I switched to a 4 bay drive when it was time to update.

PlainName:
Doesn't help if you get a gas leak and your NAS ends up under what's left of your house, or your mains is zapped by lightning, or any number of other 'box take-out' situations. You need more than one destination, and if you have that it doesn't really matter if you use raid 0 or 20 because it's expected to fail at some point. All raid does is make replacement a bit quicker in most circumstances, but the risk is consequently increased.

ataradov:

--- Quote from: PlainName on June 26, 2023, 07:46:24 am ---Doesn't help if you get a gas leak and your NAS ends up under what's left of your house, or your mains is zapped by lightning, or any number of other 'box take-out' situations.

--- End quote ---
Yes, and this is why I also have off-site backup. The answer was to the proposal to store on a potentially more lasting media. This part is fully addressed by redundant drives.

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