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#1
A simple backup method
I have an aversion to bloated backup applications, proprietary formats, and complex strategies for backing up.
So here's how I do backups.
All my data files are in a small number (~5) of readily identifiable folders in the root of a drive on my computer ("Drive E"). None are in the \Windows, \Documents and Settings, or \User folders. Every couple of weeks or so all these data files are synced to an external drive ("Drive F"). The external drive contains exact dupes - no compression is done.
In between the syncing sessions, any new or altered files are automatically copied nightly to a folder ("C:\NightlyBackups\") in the root of the boot drive of the computer ("Drive C"). Each night, a new sub-folder is automatically created, so that no files get over-written.
Every couple of months or so, I take Drive F and store it off-site, and replace it with another external drive, Drive G, which was previously offsite. After that, Drive G becomes the drive that I sync the data to.
After a syncing session, I delete everything in C:\NightlyBackups, and that folder starts filling up again nightly with new files.
For now I don't back up the operating system or program files.
The prog I use to do the backing up is FreeByte Backup (freeware). It might be possible to configure XCopy or similar to do this. The scheduling is done by Windows Task Scheduler (thanks for the help, Tooken). So the cost of the software is zero.
I've been doing it this way for many years and it seems to work fine. (Haven't had any HD failures in that time, though, so haven't had the opportunity to test out a restore.)
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.