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  3. Backup Options - Two part question

Backup Options - Two part question

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  • K Offline
    K Offline
    Kevin Marois
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

    If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

    C D L J G 24 Replies Last reply
    0
    • K Kevin Marois

      Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

      If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

      C Offline
      C Offline
      charlieg
      wrote on last edited by
      #2
      1. yes, but dang if I can remember it off the top of my head. I used it to recover a hard drive that had been badly mauled. Got back 95% of the files. I'll see if I can find the name. Depending on the type of drive failure, it might help. Ha! Found it. I used R-Studio Data Recovery. 2) Cloud - well, if it's a big drive, then cloud can get pricey. If you only have some files than MS one drive and other options are useful. The useful thing about the cloud is that the data is elsewhere - so you are sort of disaster proof. For me? I normally backup to an external drive and take it to my safety deposit box.

      Charlie Gilley <italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape... "Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783 “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • K Kevin Marois

        Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

        If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

        L Offline
        L Offline
        Lost User
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        1, See Data recovery[^]. Restored almost everything from a corrupted hard drive. 2. Online Cloud Backup | IDrive®[^]. Use for a couple of years now. Very easy to use and restored everything that was lost when another system got destroyed.

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • K Kevin Marois

          Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

          If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

          D Offline
          D Offline
          dandy72
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          If your *backup* drive contains the only copy of a given set of files, you don't have a backup at all. I buy my drives in sets of 3: The live instance my systems access all the time, an offline backup that gets updated regularly, and an off-site backup that gets replaced with the other drive once a month or so. Depending on the application, the live instance drive may be mirrored through RAID, but that's keeping in mind that this is for redundancy - it's not a backup. As for recovery software: Some people swear by GRC's [Spin-Rite](https://www.grc.com/spinrite.htm). Others are skeptical, but essentially this is their only for-sale product, and they've been living off of it for over 20 years, so if it was total snake oil, I have to believe someone would've called them out on it by now.

          K 1 Reply Last reply
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          • K Kevin Marois

            Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

            If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

            L Offline
            L Offline
            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Pics and videos are usually the high ticket items when it comes to space. If you have a Google account you can store unlimited pics & videos on Google Photos. Pretty sure Amazon and a few others do the same.

            K 1 Reply Last reply
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            • K Kevin Marois

              Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

              If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

              J Offline
              J Offline
              Joan M
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              I use a NAS that automatically backs up everything from my work computer even while I'm out of the office (given I have Internet access of course). This NAS has two HDD's in RAID 1. I have a physical external USB HDD connected to the NAS to back it's contents up. I still have to buy another HDD to be able to cycle between them, but I'm still trying to figure out how to be able to ask the super back up application that runs in the NAS to cycle using more than one HDD. I'm afraid of using remote cloud backup systems... Sensitive data...

              A 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • K Kevin Marois

                Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                G Offline
                G Offline
                GuyThiebaut
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                I use dropbox. I pay around £108 a year for 1TB of space together with a restore service. The restore service allows me to restore any file to any point in time since it has been synced - which has come in very handy. I consider £108 to be money very well spent considering the 1TB of space and peace of mind knowing that I can restore any file to any point in time. It also means that if I am burgled, I can recover my data from online even if the thieves gain access and decide to delete everything(NAS is great until the building it is stored in goes up in flames or it is stolen, I cannot see any reason not to use cloud backup).

                “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                ― Christopher Hitchens

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • K Kevin Marois

                  Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                  If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                  R Offline
                  R Offline
                  R Giskard Reventlov
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8
                  1. No - they are all hit and miss depending on how much coffee/beer/unidentified fluid infiltrated the drive housing... 2) OneDrive - $70 per year for 1TB. I also backup to an external hard drive and a large thumb drive which I have on my person at all times. Remember, the cloud is just someone else's box hidden somewhere you'll never find it.
                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • K Kevin Marois

                    Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                    If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                    S Offline
                    S Offline
                    Slacker007
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Kevin Marois wrote:

                    but I feel weary of it for some reason.

                    Ok, then have a bad HD, then. What is worse, the cloud(which is great) or a corrupted HD (which is bad) Just saying... Sorry, I won't preach anymore. I don't have any suggestions for you other than, if you are successful in recovering any pics/data, then get that shit to the cloud ASAP. Stop mucking around with stupid ass HD backups, and thumb drives, etc. If those fail, you have no recourse most likely. BTW, most of the cloud services are on redundant servers, etc., unlike your HD. Sorry, felt compelled to hit the point home again. Good luck. :thumbsup:

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • K Kevin Marois

                      Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                      If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                      K Offline
                      K Offline
                      kmoorevs
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      I've used GetDataBack with success where a drive became unreadable from windows...but that was over a decade ago. I'm no expert on backups, but what has worked well for me is to use an older laptop with mapped drives to the important stuff on the server. These mapped drives are set to be available offline and will synch automatically or on demand. This laptop is usually only started and synched on Friday afternoon, then it's shut down until next Friday or something really important happens. Got any old laptops laying around?

                      "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • K Kevin Marois

                        Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                        If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        Jeremy Falcon
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Option 2 here was mentioned already but it's worth repeating. If you don't want to go the cloud route, you got two options.... 1) Get a cheap web host that offers FTP and unlimited space. Use that space. 2) Pony up the dough for a RAID over a NAS. Now, if you're looking to save money, stay away from SSD. You won't get much size from them, and you don't need speed for this more than you need size. However, it's worth saying that SSDs are a bit more fault tolerant due to no mechanical parts... which is usually what breaks down the most when a HDD goes kaput but since you're in a RAID configuration you at least lesson the chances of both drives crapping out. Pro tip: If you go the RAID route, think about a RAID 6 or 10 (1+0) instead of just a RAID 1. It'll cost a bit more in the fact you need more drives. But they are way more likely to cover your bacon in the event of two drives failing... which can happen.

                        Jeremy Falcon

                        S H 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • K Kevin Marois

                          Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                          If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                          J Offline
                          J Offline
                          Jeremy Falcon
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Oh, and just as a point of reference to the cost of Cloud storage... 5TB of blob storage on Azure is about $100 USD a month if you're active with it. Not sure about AWS or Rackspace, but I would imagine it'll be in a similar ballpark. <edit> Ok, forget Azure. I just found out Google drive will offer twice that amount for the same price as Azure. Yay Google. </edit> There are services like Dropbox, but they cap out at 1TB I think.

                          Jeremy Falcon

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • J Jeremy Falcon

                            Option 2 here was mentioned already but it's worth repeating. If you don't want to go the cloud route, you got two options.... 1) Get a cheap web host that offers FTP and unlimited space. Use that space. 2) Pony up the dough for a RAID over a NAS. Now, if you're looking to save money, stay away from SSD. You won't get much size from them, and you don't need speed for this more than you need size. However, it's worth saying that SSDs are a bit more fault tolerant due to no mechanical parts... which is usually what breaks down the most when a HDD goes kaput but since you're in a RAID configuration you at least lesson the chances of both drives crapping out. Pro tip: If you go the RAID route, think about a RAID 6 or 10 (1+0) instead of just a RAID 1. It'll cost a bit more in the fact you need more drives. But they are way more likely to cover your bacon in the event of two drives failing... which can happen.

                            Jeremy Falcon

                            S Offline
                            S Offline
                            Slacker007
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            For family pics, docs, etc - RAID setup? Overkill, I think. Great suggestion if he has $$$$$$$$$ and likes to setup/config things. but I'm sure he just wants a safe spot for last year's taxes and pics of the family dog. I could be wrong. :sigh:

                            J 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • S Slacker007

                              For family pics, docs, etc - RAID setup? Overkill, I think. Great suggestion if he has $$$$$$$$$ and likes to setup/config things. but I'm sure he just wants a safe spot for last year's taxes and pics of the family dog. I could be wrong. :sigh:

                              J Offline
                              J Offline
                              Jeremy Falcon
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Slacker007 wrote:

                              For family pics, docs, etc - RAID setup? Overkill, I think. Great suggestion if he has $$$$$$$$$ and likes to setup/config things.

                              Oh you're totally correct. I just couldn't help myself... geeking out... it had to happen. :-O

                              Jeremy Falcon

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • K Kevin Marois

                                Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                                If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Marc Clifton
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                Kevin Marois wrote:

                                We used it for backup.

                                If you used it for backup, you should have the original files on whatever drive you were backing up. So, it doesn't sound like you were using it for backup, but rather external storage. :doh:

                                Kevin Marois wrote:

                                What are my options for backup?

                                Private GitHub repo. ;)

                                Latest Article - Class-less Coding - Minimalist C# and Why F# and Function Programming Has Some Advantages Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • K Kevin Marois

                                  Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                                  If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                  G Offline
                                  G Offline
                                  Glenn Rose Ward
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  EaseUS Data Recovery

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • J Joan M

                                    I use a NAS that automatically backs up everything from my work computer even while I'm out of the office (given I have Internet access of course). This NAS has two HDD's in RAID 1. I have a physical external USB HDD connected to the NAS to back it's contents up. I still have to buy another HDD to be able to cycle between them, but I'm still trying to figure out how to be able to ask the super back up application that runs in the NAS to cycle using more than one HDD. I'm afraid of using remote cloud backup systems... Sensitive data...

                                    A Offline
                                    A Offline
                                    A_Griffin
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    I just recently ... nearly bought a NAS system, but in the end opted for a much cheaper DIY solution: I bought 3 x 6TB HD's and installed them in my old computer (Win7) and have them as shared drives on my hone network. I can just drag and drop into them, and/or set up my own backup s/w routines. So far so good :) Like you, I don't trust the cloud. Possession is ownership.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • K Kevin Marois

                                      Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                                      If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                      P Offline
                                      P Offline
                                      Peter Gorod
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      I'm surprised nobody mentioned Resilio Sync yet. This was formerly called BitTorrent Sync. It's basically Dropbox without the cloud server. Keeps your local devices synced between themselves, but does not keep a cloud copy. So, I use two different PC's which are always on (but it can be used with PC's that you turn on only occasionally, as long as that delay in copying your data is ok with you). I keep the two PC's on different locations, but you can do it at home if you prefer. Both have a 1TB disk dedicated to this task, and Resilio keeps them synced. So that's 1TB of replicated storage for less than $100, one-time payment. Be careful that replication is not exactly the same as backup. You are protected against hard-drive failure, but not against you deleting your files accidentally (it replicates the screw up...). I keep two copies of my directories, one of them static and updated about monthly, just in case I screw up the other.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • K Kevin Marois

                                        Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                                        If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                        M Offline
                                        M Offline
                                        MikeD 2
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        To recover files from failed customer disks I have used a data recovery company https://www.mjm.co.uk/[^]. You would obviously need to find someone near you I also advocate multiple external hard disks in rotation with at least one always being kept offsite in case the office burns down If you have another friendly location then you could always set up a remote ftp server and I use winscp to keep backups in step whilst minimising the internet traffic These days local backup disks that are always online are at risk from ransomware attacks so you need to have offline storage for backups

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • K Kevin Marois

                                          Last week my external HD died. We used it for backup. All our family pics, tax docs, project work, etc, is on there. I tried using [this](http://download.cnet.com/GetDataBack/3000-2094\_4-10061631.html) to get everything back. it sees the and seems to find files & folders, but in the end says it can't find anything. 1) Anyone know of any other good HD recovery software? 2) What are my options for backup? I keep hearing everyone say "backup to the cloud", but I feel weary of it for some reason. What are my options, cloud included?

                                          If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                          K Offline
                                          K Offline
                                          kalberts
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          The Tao Of Backup[^] Old, but valid as ever. (And funny as ever.)

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