Suggestion for my backup plan?

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  1. Posts : 112
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
       #1

    Suggestion for my backup plan?


    I intend to use an internal hard disk (4TB WD Green) to backup my Windows 7 desktop using Acronis software. I will create a full backup first then schedule auto daily incremental backups.

    As I heard that internal hard disk might be killed by lighting/power surge/virus or whatever reason, every month I will manually copy (normal window copy and paste file method) everything from the 4TB WD Green internal hard disk to another 4TB external hard disk, so that if anything bad happens to the 4TB WD Green internal hard disk backup, at least I have another same backup stored an external hard disk that is last updated about 1 month old.

    Is my backup plan safe?

    Thanks
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  2. Posts : 8,135
    Windows 10 64 bit
       #2

    I would only use full backups (all partitions if the hard drive is partitioned). Incremental sounds good except when you have to restore and then it can (might not be but can) be an issue getting the sequence correct. Doing full backups eliminates any potential problems restoring and even shortens the time to restore if needed.

    I do full backups and alternate between an internal hard drive and a USB connected drive. I do full backups at least once a week, sometimes more often depending on what I've done or updated.

    I used to use Acronis True Image but after two failures trying to restore I've switched to Macrium Reflect. Acronis won't get a third chance.
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  3. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #3

    pcwin said:
    ...Is my backup plan safe?

    Thanks
    Just like we told you in your other thread, NO!

    1. You're overthinking this, making things more difficult than they need to be and will still be inadequately protecting your data.

    2. You're unnecessarily obsessing on the possibility of loss due to electric shock when there are other more likely causes of data loss to worry about.

    3. The biggest flaw in this variation of your backup plan is the data added to the internal backup drive since the last time you backed up to an external drive will remain vulnerable to loss the way we already told you until you finally copy it over to the external drive. Waiting a month between moving your backed up files is excessive and manually copying files from your computer to an external drive requires too much work on your part and is likely to have a high error rate.

    You would be better off removing the internal drive from your computer and used in a dock or an enclosure to backup your files externally. You would also be wise to get a second external drive for a second, identical backup (again, we explained all that in your other thread), A folder/file syncing program, such as SyncToy or, my favorite, FreeFileSync, can be used to create and maintain your backups for you. Folder/file syncing is fast enough, you can easily update two backup drives in just a few minutes each day. Just start the process and let your computer do all the work. You can even use your computer while the update is taking place unless it is grossly underpowered.

    System files (the OS, such as Windows 7) and programs can't be backed up by copying them to another drive so another process, called imaging, must be used. Your system files need to be on their own drive or partitions and your data segregated from them on another drive or partition so that only the system files will need to be imaged. Macrium Reflect Free (here is a good tutorial on how to use Macrium Reflect) is a popular imaging program with members of Seven Forums.
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  4. Posts : 77
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
       #4

    I backup to internal and external drives along with online backups to a server in a different geographical area. After a major natural disaster I realized I could have lost everything including my off-site backups. For only a few bucks per month the peace of mind is worth it to me.
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  5. Posts : 3,371
    W10 Pro desktop, W11 laptop, W11 Pro tablet (all 64-bit)
       #5

    Some kind of backup plan is better than no backup plan.

    Doing a monthly backup to an external drive seems too long of a period to me but only you can decide if you can afford to lose a month's worth of data. I personally think weekly is the longest you should wait but you know better than we do how critical your data is.
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  6. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #6

    Personally I only backup personal files less space and the only files that are not replaceable,
    Windows install and reloading programs takes longer sure but I don't mind that part too much it's a clean install and worth it in the long run too many issues can happen with free backup utilities/ clones....
    Not to mention the sheer space needed to store all of these backup images so if you get past the storage issue image all you want
    Monthly/ weekly/...

    I do personal files only monthly clean systems with good security plans don't normally have issues anyway,
    So basically a better plan to workout is your security combination,
    Clean systems usually don't have windows updates problems either.
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  7. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #7

    pcwin said:
    if anything bad happens to the 4TB WD Green internal hard disk backup, at least I have another same backup stored an external hard disk that is last updated about 1 month old.

    Is my backup plan safe?
    Safe is always a relative term. It's not remotely safe from any number of scenarios anyone can easily concoct. Never will be.

    Safe enough? That's known only to you. Anyone else's opinion doesn't much matter.

    The implication of the above plan is that you realize something 2 weeks old can be lost (originals and backup) and are willing to accept that possibility.

    How crucial would the complete loss of certain 2 week old files be to you? Catastrophic blow-your-brains-out, imprisoned for 40 years critical? IRS takes you to court critical? Costs you $500 bucks critical? Costs you an hour to re-create critical? Loss of grandma's spaghetti sauce recipe critical? You're the only one alive who knows that.

    At a minimum, I'd probably consider something off site or maybe a periodic manual backup of my most critical files to a USB stick, in addition to what you've got now. That would be using my own standard for "safe", which may be completely irrelevant to you and differ radically from your own standard. Millions of people don't backup at all, drive when dead drunk, and have never balanced a checkbook.
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  8. Posts : 2,774
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
       #8

    I use Acronis True Image to create C-drive partition and D-drive partition backups on each of my two external HDs, at least on a monthly basis if not more often. Thankfully, the vast majority of my data & pics & downloads are non-changing. I really need to do backup once weekly.
    In the desktop, the main computer, I have a twin, a 2nd HD, which receives clones of C-drive and D-drive partitions onto it [probably bi-quarterly], and then it is totally DiskMgr-hidden and DeviceMgr-disabled.
    I haven't really done much with a cloud-backup; I'm wondering what happens if it rains.
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  9. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #9

    strollin said:
    Some kind of backup plan is better than no backup plan.

    Doing a monthly backup to an external drive seems too long of a period to me but only you can decide if you can afford to lose a month's worth of data. I personally think weekly is the longest you should wait but you know better than we do how critical your data is.
    How long is too long? My daily data backups usually take only five minutes or so per drive on most days, depending on how much new and changed data there is. I image my boot drive once a week and before making changes to the system. It takes all of 10 minutes to image and verify 65GB.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #10

    ThrashZone said:
    ...too many issues can happen with free backup utilities/ clones....
    What issues? I've never run into any using free backup utilities. Clones are too inefficient to use for anything other than an initial backup.

    ThrashZone said:
    ...Not to mention the sheer space needed to store all of these backup images so if you get past the storage issue image all you want...
    Finding space for storing multiple backup images is an issue only if you are using imaging to also backup your data. While imaging is the best (and pretty much the only) way to backup system files, it's inefficient time and space wise for backing up data. A folder/file syncing program is faster, more efficient, and requires less room for backing up data. One can easily backup and entire drive onto another drive that is the same size. After the initial backup, updating generally takes only a few minutes, the exact amount depending on how much has changed since the last backup update since syncing only works with files that have been added, changed, o9r deleted instead of working with everything every time as imaging does.
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