Suggestion for my backup plan?

[pcwin]

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

 

[fireberd]

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.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...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.

 

[cyberSAR]

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.

 

[strollin]

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.

 

[ThrashZone]

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.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

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.

 

[RolandJS]

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.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

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.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...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.

...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.

 

[fireberd]

In my previous life I was a regional LAN/WAN network manager. When we first got LAN's (to replace IBM 3270 "dumb" terminals) we made a full file server backup on Monday night (actually Tuesday morning at 2am) and then Incremental backups Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. If a file server had to be restored, the time required to load the Monday night full back up and then whatever Incrementals that were required took much longer than just reinstalling from a full backup. There were some problems (operator error) that Incrementals were installed in the wrong order and that required starting over. For that reason it was decided to only do full backups every night. The backups took a little longer, but at 2am nothing was going on (office business hours were 8am to 5pm) so it didn't mater.

 

[whs]

1. I would not use Acronis. I recommend free Macrium or AOMEI Backupper. Those are a lot easier to use.

2. Never make incremental backups - always full backups. Much more reliable and easier to manage.

3. Alternate between the internal and external disk. Your copy strategy will take a long time and makes little sense.

4. Daily backups are an overkill. Once or twice per week should suffice.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...4. Daily backups are an overkill. Once or twice per week should suffice.

That depends on what you are backing up. For system images, once a week and just before making any significant changes to the system are plenty; people who do very little to their systems might even get away with once or twice a month. Personally, I prefer to be safe than sorry.

For data, even once a day may not be enough. Any new or changed data that isn't backed up is subject to being lost forever. Any data that can't be easily reproduced should be backed up immediately. If using imaging for backing up data, this would be extremely time consuming and eat up way too much space. However, if using folder/file syncing, several backups a day wouldn't be impractical although, for most people, once a day would be plenty. For six days a week, it usually takes me only five minutes or less to update the backup of my main data drive (with around 1.4TB of data on it). Approximately once a week, it takes about 20-30 minutes to do the update (including verifying the backup) because I've added a 26GB image to the main data drive (and, usually, one has been deleted).

 

[mjf]

An image once a week should be fine IMO provided you are backing up your personal files more regularly. If I was writing a report as a work in progress I may want to back it up to another destination every 30 min.
You may also want to create an image before Windows updates, new driver or major software installs.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

An image once a week should be fine IMO provided you are backing up your personal files more regularly. If I was writing a report as a work in progress I may want to back it up to another destination every 30 min.
You may also want to create an image before Windows updates, new driver or major software installs.

 

[whs]

The personal files should not be on the C partition in the first place. If they are on a data partition, then they are safe from the ups and downs of the system.

In addition to images I highly recommend to activate system restore for the C partition and data partition. We know that restore points are volatile, but if the stay, they are useful for a quick restore of C and for retrieving lost files from the data partition with Shadow Explorer.

 

[RolandJS]

"...In addition to images I highly recommend to activate system restore for the C partition and data partition. We know that restore points are volatile, but if they stay, they are useful for a quick restore of C and for retrieving lost files from the data partition with Shadow Explorer..." --WHS
Backing WHS up with more food for thought. SRPs, although often far from perfect, sometimes not working, when an SRP works, when an OS is brought back into service enough to allow the backing up of any/all data changes & additions from C to D -- that SRP restore was successful.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

"...In addition to images I highly recommend to activate system restore for the C partition and data partition. We know that restore points are volatile, but if they stay, they are useful for a quick restore of C and for retrieving lost files from the data partition with Shadow Explorer..." --WHS
Backing WHS up with more food for thought. SRPs, although often far from perfect, sometimes not working, when an SRP works, when an OS is brought back into service enough to allow the backing up of any/all data changes & additions from C to D -- that SRP restore was successful.

I have yet to get System Restore to work on any of my Win 7 machines (it was hit and miss with XP). I have yet to have a verified Macrium Reflect image fail to restore (I have MR set to automatically verify the image immediately after making it). I've had only one image fail to verify. When that happened, I immediately reran Macrium Reflect and that image verified. I quit wasting my time with System Restore a long time ago.

 

[mjf]

"...In addition to images I highly recommend to activate system restore for the C partition and data partition. We know that restore points are volatile, but if they stay, they are useful for a quick restore of C and for retrieving lost files from the data partition with Shadow Explorer..." --WHS
Backing WHS up with more food for thought. SRPs, although often far from perfect, sometimes not working, when an SRP works, when an OS is brought back into service enough to allow the backing up of any/all data changes & additions from C to D -- that SRP restore was successful.

I have yet to get System Restore to work on any of my Win 7 machines (it was hit and miss with XP). I have yet to have a verified Macrium Reflect image fail to restore (I have MR set to automatically verify the image immediately after making it). I've had only one image fail to verify. When that happened, I immediately reran Macrium Reflect and that image verified. I quit wasting my time with System Restore a long time ago.

ditto too.

 

[pcwin]

How do you guys actually backup with an external hard disk? Please tell me your plan.

I was thinking if external backup disk plan is something like this:
1. Set up scheduled backups in the backup software. (for example at 6AM everyday)
2. Software will try to do backup and save backups to the external drive.
3. Everyday at 5.50AM, you would manually connect (plug in) the USB cable of the external disk to the PC, then after the backup finish, you would disconnect the USB cable of the external disk. If you happen to forget to connect the cable, you will miss your scheduled backup for that day. If you happen to forget to disconnect (plug out) the USB cable, you might risk the external disk being killed/fried if there is lightning/power surge problem.

I guess when using and external hard disk for backup, the most important thing to remember is to always be hardworking enough to plug in and plug out the USB cable everyday. Correct me if I am wrong.

Please share your external hard disk backup plan, especially when do you plug in and plug out the USB cable.