Automating Backup for non-tech user

[dabber]

A new computer for my wife and she feels she should have a backup after the last one failed with a faulty disk. Seems like a good idea as the cost/benefit/speed of backup now makes it worthwhile.

After getting totally confused looking at the inbuilt Windows facilities I think I need some advice on automating a backup strategy for her. Her machine has a single 128GB Crucial M4 drive partition running Windows 8, currently about half full. Room for 2 more disks + a hot swap. I started to set the machine up as RAID 1, but had a problem with a corrupted disk which may have been caused by the bios reverting to AHCI. I did flash the bios so it could have happened then.s

What I need is an automated process that will produce a backup set that can restore a working system. In practice I assume this will need to be a series of full backups with incremental backups of "important" changed data. It may even be possible to do just a series of full backups, but that would depend on timings. One problem is identifying the important data, at the moment she runs as the local user, so I assume that means only user data would have to be included in the incremental backups, but expect there are other things that might be missed. I assume installation of a new application would need to start a new back up set.

As most of the data that changes is small docs for work I could also use something like skydrive for additional back up of her work data. For now I will just use Create a Windows system image.

Any tips and suggestions about what software and things to consider before I start. I have my own machine to will test the backup and restore on that first before implementing it on her machine.ification messages would be useful.

 

[kenrivers]

EaseUS Todo backup is one possible solution: http/www.todo-backup.com/home/home-backup.htm
Tutorial on how to create automatic backups with Todo: http/www.todo-backup.com/support/tutorial/schedule-backup.htm

Another possible solution might be Acronis True Image: http/www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/?source_detail=NA-US-EN-SEM-branded-ati&gclid=CPm0sd_wjLUCFQcHnQod3BwAcQ
User Manual: http/www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/?source_detail=NA-US-EN-SEM-branded-ati&gclid=CPm0sd_wjLUCFQcHnQod3BwAcQ#resources

A third option is: http/www.macrium.com/
http/kb.macrium.com/Search.aspx?Keywords=automatic+backup

 

[dabber]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check them out.

The time I set up a backup process was in Windows 95 with a tape, so I'm hoping it will be a bit easier now.

 

[Hawkeye22]

I've never used Easeus ToDo backup, but it's recommended often. Macrium reflect is limited in it's backups. It makes drive images only. You can still mount these for single file access. True Image Home is a paid product, but it works extremely well. It will allow for scheduled backups, full & incremental backups, drive images, and file backups. Restoration can be done from a rescue disk. Also, you can backup to most any drive or device, even networked drives.

Also, congartulations on deciding to make regular backups. The number one question on these forums has to be "how do I get my data back?". If more people made backups of there system there would be fewer headaches going around.

 

[dabber]

I have downloaded the user guide for Acronis which told convinced me to try the trial version of Acronis and it seems easy to set-up so far after figuring out the menus/options.

I have set up 2 automated backups to start with, a disk back-up on a 3 day cycle and and file backup of her user data on a 3 day cycle so I can check to see how it is working. I have a spare disk I can restore the disk to restore to which will allow me to test the restore functions over the next few days. There doesn't seem to be a "fully" featured version for Easy todo so that may not mean it doesn't get a look in.

So far, as expected, it much easier than messing around with tape catalogues. I know I should have been taking backups, but the previous XP machine was so slow.

 

[dabber]

I have downloaded the trial version of Acronis as that seems like the most popular and it seems easy to set-up so far after figuring out the menus/options.

I have set up 2 automated backups to start with, a disk back-up on a 3 day cycle and and file backup of her user data on a 3 day cycle so I can check to see how it is working. I'll probably continue with something similar once I have tested out the recovery option, but with a 7 day version cycle for the disk backup and a 30 day cycle for the files.

I have a spare disk I can restore the disk to restore to which will allow me to test the restore functions over the next few days.

So far, as expected, it much easier than messing around with tape catalogues.

I'll also have a look at the free TodoThen

 

[cin19]

If you like the Acronis, then you can get the free copy of that from Western Digital or Seagate Technology, check your PC to see what HDD you have.

Here is how to check your PC hardware:

Click "Start," right click "My computer," and select "Manage."

Click on "Device Manager," in the left panel on the computer management window.

Click on the plus (+) sign next to any hardware device category to expand a list of your installed hardware components. For instance, of you want to check what kind of HDD you have, click on the plus sign next to "Desk Drivers." If it is WDCxxxxx that is Western Digital and go to website to download "Acronis True Image WD Edition Software" for free. http/support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en If it is STxxxxxxxx that is Seagate Technology and go to the site to download " DiscWizard " other version Acronis for free too. http/www.seagate.com/support/internal-hard-drives/enterprise-hard-drives/savvio-15k/discwizard-master-dl/

 

[Hawkeye22]

If you like the Acronis, then you can get the free copy of that from Western Digital or Seagate Technology, check your PC to see what HDD you have.

Here is how to check your PC hardware:

Click "Start," right click "My computer," and select "Manage."

Click on "Device Manager," in the left panel on the computer management window.

Click on the plus (+) sign next to any hardware device category to expand a list of your installed hardware components. For instance, of you want to check what kind of HDD you have, click on the plus sign next to "Desk Drivers." If it is WDCxxxxx that is Western Digital and go to website to download "Acronis True Image WD Edition Software" for free. http/support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en If it is STxxxxxxxx that is Seagate Technology and go to the site to download " DiscWizard " other version Acronis for free too. http/www.seagate.com/support/internal-hard-drives/enterprise-hard-drives/savvio-15k/discwizard-master-dl/

I haven't used these versions of acronis, but from what I understand, it's not the complete package. I don't think you can schedule backups or do file backups. I believe it's simply for cloning a drive to a new drive.

 

[cin19]

Yes you are right they can't schedule backup, but you can run the backup manaully. And they are free. If OP need the schedule backup, sorry just forget about this.