Confusion about cloud

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  1. Posts : 394
    Desk Top with Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit and Lap Top with Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit
       #1

    Confusion about cloud



    From what I was reading today, the only way to completely save your data is with cloud or something similar The article states that even if you have backups on several external drives, you could lose it in case your house burned down, destructive weather or other destructive ways since everything is on a physical device. What is the difference since even if you store it on the "cloud" or any such way, the data is still stored on something physical that can be destroyed. Apparently there is something that I am not understanding. Could someone clear it up for me?
    Thanks, ~Frank~
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  2. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #2

    If you have data on a removable drive and keep it in a different location other than where your home or business is then you odds of having it if needed is much better.
    Their is always some degree of risk.
    A cloud to me is the most risky because once it's in the cloud you have no control of its security.
    How many backups and where to store them depends on how valuable the data is to you.
    I keep my backups on a separate hard drive and in the house with the computer but unhooked except when using it.
    In my case if the house burns down I got more problems than that data.
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  3. Posts : 394
    Desk Top with Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit and Lap Top with Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    To be honest, I'm really not comfortable with the Cloud. I have my backups exactly like you. They are on an exterior drive and it's not connected except for backups or restore. I agree with what you said, if the house burns down, I've got bigger problems than the data. Now, of course, if I had a large business with critical data I would think about storing my data elsewhere in a different building. So, I think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Thanks for your input.
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  4. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #4

    For what LB says.

    And if you have less than 128GB of data you could get a 128GB flash drive and carry it on your key ring. At least you have that if your house burns down because your keys will be obsolete.
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  5. Posts : 394
    Desk Top with Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit and Lap Top with Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    whs said:
    For what LB says.

    And if you have less than 128GB of data you could get a 128GB flash drive and carry it on your key ring. At least you have that if your house burns down because your keys will be obsolete.
    Good point. I now feel more comfortable with the way I am currently doing it. I also create an image every day with Macrium Reflect. I keep five and when I make a new one, I delete the oldest. If my memory serves me correctly, you are the one who posted some good information about it. I am very happy with it using your suggestion of hiding it after it takes a snap shot, I can keep on using my computer for other things.
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  6. Posts : 263
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #6

    Some folks keep a copy of their backup in a safe deposit box.
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  7. Posts : 1,653
    Windows 10 Pro. EFI boot partition, full EFI boot
       #7

    Frank1 said:
    From what I was reading today, the only way to completely save your data is with cloud or something similar The article states that even if you have backups on several external drives, you could lose it in case your house burned down, destructive weather or other destructive ways since everything is on a physical device. What is the difference since even if you store it on the "cloud" or any such way, the data is still stored on something physical that can be destroyed. Apparently there is something that I am not understanding. Could someone clear it up for me?
    Thanks, ~Frank~

    Depends. Depends on the provider, whether it is a backup or your only copy, and how much you are willing to pay.

    Some services, like Amazon S3, can make several copies of your data, at least one at a different location. Some also make a copy to tape, which is more reliable than disk. So you can have some confidence at these sites that your data is pretty secure. S3 you pay for the space, uploading it is free, but downloading it costs.

    Then there are other sites that are not that reliable I'm sure. If it is just a backup copy, then you might be OK. But you also have to consider what it would take to get your data back. Does it cost money? Do they have the bandwidth? I have heard horror stories about getting your data back from some "cloud providers".

    So you need to do your homework if you are considering this.
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  8. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #8

    Right, there was one guy that reported that it took him 4 days flat to get his data back. I don;t remember how many GBs he had. Just try to make a daily image to the cloud and you will quickly find out.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1,379
    Win7 Pro 32-bit, Win8 Pro 32-bit
       #9

    I've been around long enough to remember when using "the cloud" really meant accessing a Mainframe computer through a private network. We had no choice back then -- there was no local storage option.

    To me, the whole idea of trusting someone else to watch my data for me is just something I don't feel comfortable doing.

    There's simply too much opportunity for "cloud" storage to be compromised by disreputable folks.

    Storing data on an external drive, and then locking that in a safe or safety deposit box is a much safer option (to me).
      My Computer


  10. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #10

    I am not a cloud fan either. Although I have to say that in some form I am using a cloud since years.

    For my mail I have always used AOL. All my mail is stored at their site and I can retrieve mail from 6 years ago. They never lost one piece of mail (knock on wood). So that speaks for them.

    In addition, I have migrated to many different system during the years including Linux systems and an Android tablet. From any of those I can get to my mail and I do not have to worry about migrating my mail files.

    I guess that's the idea of the cloud. The open question is how to find a service as reliable as AOL.
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