How do you backup your PC?

[jim584672]

What backup plan do you use for your system?

I use Clonezilla for my three SSDs. It creates a whole disk image to a back up hard drive. I run it once a week, or when a lot of changes are made. Also some important files are put on a small USB disk as well.

Maybe someone is using a better method, so please share!

 

[davismills]

I now use Macrium, but Clonezilla is an excellent product. 15 years of IT experience within a large enterprise has left me with little faith in traditional backup products. Disk imaging is the only thing I trust.

 

[serie1926]

Mac Airport.

 

[Midpack]

I am sure there are more elaborate, sophisticated approaches, but I just use Windows 10 File History to an external HD. I used to use Norton to backup, but File History seems more straightforward to me.

 

[big-papa]

Carbonite

 

[donheff]

I periodically create an image but I recently added an IDrive cloud backup for standard files backup. My old spare HD that I kept file backups on stopped working and I decided to go with a cloud approach instead. The cost isn't enough for me to bother with a new local drive. I picked IDrive after reading this PC Mag review of cloud backups. Other reviews may favor other players.

 

[zinger1457]

I create a system image a couple times a year using Windows 'Backup and Restore' and use Windows File History to backup file changes. Works good for me.

 

[gauss]

Full Disk Image/Bare Metal Backup created via "recovery boot CD" of Acronis True Image.

 

[target2019]

I periodically create an image and store it on an external USB hard drive.
Now that I've seen this message, I know it is time to make another.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Macrium Reflect (Free) for the OS Partition and Syncovery for D & E. Pushed to a SamSung T3 External SSD.

 

[braumeister]

Time Capsule keeps the ongoing backup for both mine and DW's (we both use MacBooks).
I also have a separate HD that backs up the whole thing (incrementally, to a bootable disk) every night using SuperDuper.
Once a month, I use either SuperDuper or ChronoSync to make another complete backup to another separate HD that is stored in a fireproof safe.

 

[savory]

Google Drive for memos, pictures, emails. Not very important but would prefer not to lose it.

Two thumb drives for passwords that I do not keep on my computer except the few that are auto sign in.

 

[imoldernu]

I don't back up my computers. I keep important information, music and pictures on a small external hard drive.

Since I have a myriad of 8 different desktops, laptops and tablets, I don't worry if one dies. Most are old or refurbished, and the most I have paid for any of them in the past five years, is under $150. Not enough to worry about.

The last is a perfectly adequate small form refurb w/120gig HD, and Windows 7... for $67 from Walmart.

Refurbished HP Compaq DC7800-USFF Desktop PC with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2GB Memory, 120GB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Home Premium (Monitor Not Included) - Walmart.com

 

[ERD50]

...
Once a month, I use either SuperDuper or ChronoSync to make another complete backup to another separate HD that is stored in a fireproof safe.

On our Macs, I would occasionally do a full SuperDuper! clone of the systems. The fantastic thing about SuperDuper! and the Macs, is that after you make a full clone like this, you can just re-boot the machine, hold the option key, and select the new image to boot from.

I would always boot from the freshly made clone, to verify that it was actually a usable system. I'd open a few apps, etc as well.

For those who use other systems to make images, do you boot from them to validate them? I always tell people - if you didn't test your back up, assume you do not have a back up! And if you you have to reinstall from the backup (wiping out the original) to test it, that sort of defeats the purpose!

Unfortunately, I have not found anything quite so elegant for Linux. Yes, you can clone the system, but I know of no way to boot from that clone directly, as it contains the same UUIDs as the main installed system. I'd have to remove the drive of the main system, or try to futz with re-assigning UUIDs on the clone, but that get complicated (at least for me). So I've just been backing up my data. I use rsync, using grsync as a guide to the settings - I find it actually easier to copy/paste the commands to a terminal from a text file that I've saved them to. It really doesn't take too long to re-install a system, and I recorded my mods/additions, and I have a second running system to use in the meantime. The actual effort of a reinstall, and the slim chance I would actually need to do it (never so far) is making me lazy about doing the cloneing. The system can be replaced with some effort, my data can't.

-ERD50

 

[Ronstar]

Imac and Lacie external drive time machine backup to a WD external drive. Macbook time machine backup to separate external drive.

 

[Lakedog]

No backups for my Mac other than what I save to thumb drives (docs/spreadsheets/photos).

 

[easysurfer]

I use Macrium for daily scheduled backups. Save me headaches several times. Pretty much runs before I wake up. Set it and forget it, for the most part .

I also do some data syncing of important data using Freesync open source program for quick restores when I do silly deletes .

I used to play with matches with Rollback software. Though not really a system backup, would do quick snapshots. But I like and feel safer with Macrium as my go to program.

 

[Car-Guy]

When I buy a new computer (usually every 2 to 3 years), I'll set it up like I want, configs, apps, etc. Then I'll make a full image copy to a set of DVD's. After that, it's just routine personal file backups to a USB once a month. I usually make two copies to two different USB's. That takes about 1 min each.

Over the years I might add a few apps, change the confg a little and add patches/service packs but all of those things are easy to update to my original image if a restore is ever needed.

Logic; - Everything but my personal files are recoverable one way or another. So I just keep current backups of my personal files.

 

[arky]

iMac desktop here. I do a clone every 1 to 3 months using Carbon Copy Cloner. Like ERD says, I test boot off of the clone (using the option key), to make sure it is usable.

 

[Tractor guy]

I use Crashplan to backup to two places. First: It has an unsupported feature to backup to a NAS drive I have plugged in to my router. Second, it backs up to the cloud. I've got it set up so that both copies are encrypted with a long password that Crashplan doesn't know.

If my system died, I'd have to reinstall all my software on a new hard drive. This is no big deal since I have the disks and/or can download new copies from the original supplier. I've verified that my files are at both locations and can be restored.

I know myself well enough that I wouldn't be disciplined enough to do a manual backup to a USB stick etc. The nice thing about Crashplan, Carbonite, & the other similar services is that it just happens. IMOP, The point of computers is that they are supposed to automate repetitive tasks, not create more of them.

 

[jonat]

CrashPlan of "personal files" to cloud. (I used to use Carbonite for this, but like CrashPlan better for multiple PCs.)

5x weekly whole disk backup to Network Attached Storage box, with incrementals, going back two months. I use Macrium Reflect for this. Incrementals take no more than a couple of minutes.

This way, even if my house burns down, I have "the important" stuff available. The NAS box is a 4-disk RAID unit that can survive any one disk failing. It's also out of sight in the basement in case of theft.

Oh, and all PC disks are encrypted with password required at power-up. (Microsoft Bitlocker generally.)

I also make sure that my relatives, whose PCs I "support", also have reasonable backups in place.

 

[2017ish]

Mozy twice a day automatically.

(Just saving personal data.)

 

[aja8888]

All our important files are kept on flash drives or a USB drive. Since we are retired, the only things we feel are important to keep backup copies of are tax/legal files, medical information, and financial information.

Old photos are kept on flash drives or DVDs. New photos go to Google Drive. Paper copies of wills, medical directives are in a file and the kids have copies.

If the computer blows up, it just gets a new OS or replaced.

At this stage of the game, we feel that it is a waste of time to incrementally backup hard drives (imaging) or save gigabytes of data no one will ever see or need. Like others, I do have an Acronis image of our two desktops made from when we first configured the computers in case of a disaster.

Seeing I still build and maintain our computers, I see no issue doing what we do and have all the important data saved offline.

 

[photoguy]

iMac desktop here. I do a clone every 1 to 3 months using Carbon Copy Cloner. Like ERD says, I test boot off of the clone (using the option key), to make sure it is usable.

When I had my desktop, I setup CCC to do an automatic clone of my boot disk every week/day to a partition on a second installed drive. That way if my main disk crashes, I'd could be running again in about 15 seconds.

 

[T-Minus]

Local and remote backups. For local, I use Win 10's built-in backup tool to back up to my NAS. For remote, I use Crashplan. That way, I can recover an accidentally deleted file or folder quickly, or restore after the Big One wipes out my home.