Easy Backup program

[johnrobert]

Looking for a backup like Seagate Dashboard it backs up a profile set and forget it comes with the backup drive.
There are thousands of backup programs for Windows most not very good,
it's for an old lady.

Why doesn't Windows have something like Time Machine for Mac, instead of MSbackup from the 1980 's

 

[Porthos]

Macrium Reflect free. Make full images.

 

[microtech]

Veeam for Windows Agents. Support bare metal recovery, full and incremental images, and file level backup.

 

[GTP]

Windows Backup? Can't get easier than that...

 

[fencepost]

A lot of it depends on what you're trying to protect against. Dead HD? Automated backups to an always-attached external are fine. Ransomware? does you no good if it's attached, and if it's not attached then it probably hasn't been for months and that's the last time backups happened.

 

[Mick]

If you rate Seagate Dashboard, why not just use it?

 

[johnrobert]

If you rate Seagate Dashboard, why not just use it?

Because its only comes on Seagate backup drives its included
works great it like Fabs it backs up the whole profile no intervention from a dumb user needed
set and forget

 

[glennd]

Then that's the answer - buy a Seagate backup drive and use their backup software.

On the other hand, don't buy Western Digital for their backup software.....

 

[Mick]

Because its only comes on Seagate backup drives its included
works great it like Fabs it backs up the whole profile no intervention from a dumb user needed
set and forget

Download: https://www.seagate.com/gb/en/support/software/dashboard/
Or, try Free File Sync Once you've set it up for her, she never needs to touch it.

 

[glricht]

... Or, try Free File Sync Once you've set it up for her, she never needs to touch it.

File-synch type programs are great when you're regularly cloning a source folder to another copy. We do this a lot when cloning our server-based support folders onto a USB drive to take onsite. Doing a synch instead of copying everything saves a significant amount of time.

However, using synch-type programs to make a backup is not usually a good choice as the target is not a backup of the source: the target is a duplicate of the source in it's current state. This won't help you if you unknowingly delete a file and later run the file-synch program. If you now need to get a copy of the deleted file, the file won't be on the backup as it was removed by the file-synch program.

 

[Mick]

File-synch type programs are great when you're regularly cloning a source folder to another copy. We do this a lot when cloning our server-based support folders onto a USB drive to take onsite. Doing a synch instead of copying everything saves a significant amount of time.

However, using synch-type programs to make a backup is not usually a good choice as the target is not a backup of the source: the target is a duplicate of the source in it's current state. This won't help you if you unknowingly delete a file and later run the file-synch program. If you now need to get a copy of the deleted file, the file won't be on the backup as it was removed by the file-synch program.

True - but one of the things I like about this prog is that you can specify: Two-way, Mirror, One-way etc. It's pretty versatile. Also has a feature where you can tell it to wait in the background until a specific device (say, a particular external HDD) is plugged in and recognised and then do your back-up/sync. And you can tell it to back-up deleted or overwritten files. All needs setting up in the first place, of course, but once that's done, just park the batch file in your startup folder and forget it.

 

[ell]

Looking for a backup like Seagate Dashboard it backs up a profile set and forget it comes with the backup drive.
There are thousands of backup programs for Windows most not very good,
it's for an old lady.

Why doesn't Windows have something like Time Machine for Mac, instead of MSbackup from the 1980 's

Cobian backup.

 

[frase]

Usually the device backup software they come with is shite IMHO.

I personally use Macrium Reflect as Porthos stated - set it to schedule.
As long as the client is using an external drive and is plugged in will run depending on the schedule's
setting. If system is powered off, it will execute when logged in next.

If a partition - same deal.

 

[ell]

Usually the device backup software they come with is shite IMHO.

I personally use Macrium Reflect as Porthos stated - set it to schedule.
As long as the client is using an external drive and is plugged in will run depending on the schedule's
setting. If system is powered off, it will execute when logged in next.

If a partition - same deal.

this was my routine before the crypto virus stuff began, one of my businesses got it and I rushed over in time to get the external unplugged before it was completely encrypted! For businesses I'm recommending cloud backup now, my residential that don't want cloud I tell them to not leave the backup plugged in and do it manually when they need to.

 

[timeshifter]

Time Machine is great for Macs. So easy anyone can set it up. Here's how it works. You're onsite and they have no backup for their Mac. Since you don't have an drive on hand to sell them just order one on Amazon and have it shipped. Show them how to plug it in and a screenshot or two of the simple answers. THEN, come back nine months later and see the hard drive, unopened, still in the original packaging!