Simple free backup solution

neiroatopelcc

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Oct 3, 2006
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Hi. We frequently have to restore data at work due to ransomware, and I'm wondering if it isn't just as possible that my dear old grandma would run that risk at home.

So what I would like to know, was options for a free and easy to use backup system that would allow IT illiterate apes to backup data to an usb storage every once in a while. Not complete system imagnig - just something easy that makes a copy of the user profile and such in a couple of iterations. Synctoy with backup functionality basically.

What's out there? and free please. For Windows.
 

neiroatopelcc

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Recuva is a file recovery product, not a backup solution. Thus it's not useful in this instance. It also contains bloatware, which would disqualify it anyway.

I know robocopy, but you can't expect a 85 year old women, who does not understand english, to script her own backup. I don't know of a gui tool though, but doubt it'd be intuitive to use for a non english speaking It illiterate elderly person.
As for simply copying - that's potentially the worst solution. That would take up a lot of room and time each backup, would create error popups with ntuser.dat and other files with exclusive lock, and generally be a clumpsy and ineffective solution.

As I stated in the first post, I'm looking for something that is intuitive and easy to use for someone that doesn't work with computers.
 

Kareos

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> I know robocopy, but you can't expect a 85 year old women, who does not understand english

Then try to find a solution which works without user input. Use robocopy and start a Windows scheduler task automatically if the computer is shit down.
(IMO even the easiest backup solution is too complicated for this women).
 

neiroatopelcc

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I don't know if that statement is true, but robocopy is not a backup solution. Backup is more than just making a copy.
And yes I can make something like that work, but it's not a satisfying option. It still requires me to actually set it up and prepare everything. This in turn means I have to be contacted every time there is a problem. I don't want that.

In short, I need a piece of backup software, not a rube goldberg solution.
 

ss202sl

Honorable
You won't find a solution. There just isn't anything that will just allow you to click a button and let it run. There will always be some setup, and thus some potential for it to either not work, or have issues. Unfortunately with backups, most problems are found when trying to recover data, and the results are often lost data.