Author Topic: Looking for backup advice  (Read 6507 times)

Offline mfsoa

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Looking for backup advice
« on: July 19, 2010, 02:14:58 PM »
I have never backed up anything except for my newly ripped music collection, so I'm unsure of some things-
I have done a few backups but I'm not getting what I wanted.

After a few backups, the backup drive has more data on it than the original drive does, which is not what I want. I'd like both drives to be identical.

Is there a program that does this? I don't need anything overly automated, but I want it to ask "Is everything on drive 1 on drive 2?  No? OK, I'll put it there for you" but then to also ask "Is there anything on drive 2 that isn't on drive 1? Yes? OK, I'll delete that for you"

I guess whan I rip only a few discs I could just use standard file copying, but for now I'd like to get the drives to be identical.

Any advice?  Thanks
(WAV on a PC, if it matters)
-Mike

Offline richidoo

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2010, 03:46:28 PM »
Sounds like you are saving multiple copies of your backup. It is a good strategy if you want to revert to data from previous date, but that doesn't matter with music collection because the data never changes, it just adds more.

So you just need a to backup music directory only, changed data only, not the whole thing each time.

I used to use Windows Backup for most jobs, it used to be very configurable. But in Vinta/Win they have made it foolproof, which means even idiots can use it, and it is worthless for any specific custom job. You can't specify a directory to backup, you can only specify backup my music files. Every music file on the PC gets backed up. Maybe you are using this now?

You might think about getting a real backup manager program. Something free and reliable. Then it will be easy to do what you want. I'll look around, but I'm sure others have favs.

Offline satfrat

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2010, 10:08:57 PM »
Hi Mike, guess I'm old fashion but I do alll my backups manually. I 1st tag all my downloads on my J.River Media Center, making sure the covers are correct, then I simply copy/paste each album from my interior hard drive to my exterior HD. After each downloading session, I do a right click/Properties check of each HD library just to make sure the file count matches. My files are all Artist/Album sorted with each album having all the tagged info that includes a cover jpg. My interior HD automatically picks up any tagging changes that I make in J. River before I do my copy/paste backups. I'm spot-on at 13,608 and I find doing all the ground work from each nites download session just part of the hobby fun,,,, til I make a mistake and I have to search for the fubar,,, that part ain't so much fun. But that's why I compare Property file count after each copy/paste session.

This is a hands-on approach that has me confident that there are no mistakes and my investment is both correct & safe.  8)

Cheers,
Robin
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2010, 06:01:19 AM »
« Last Edit: July 20, 2010, 06:07:03 AM by richidoo »

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2010, 12:10:55 PM »
I like to keep a copy of all my music, artwork, etc... on a separate portable hard drive that I can then easily take to work, vacation, etc... to use with my Logitech Touch.   I use Acronis for normal system backups, but like most backup tools, it stores the backup in it's own proprietary format.  That's great when then intent is for restore operations, but doesn't work if you also want to use the backup elsewhere.  So I use a tool called dsynchronize that makes it extremely easy to keep my music directory tree in sync on the portable drive. 

Here's a link for the download (free): http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/

Bigfish8

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2010, 01:26:48 PM »
Hi Mike, guess I'm old fashion but I do alll my backups manually. I 1st tag all my downloads on my J.River Media Center, making sure the covers are correct, then I simply copy/paste each album from my interior hard drive to my exterior HD. After each downloading session, I do a right click/Properties check of each HD library just to make sure the file count matches. My files are all Artist/Album sorted with each album having all the tagged info that includes a cover jpg. My interior HD automatically picks up any tagging changes that I make in J. River before I do my copy/paste backups. I'm spot-on at 13,608 and I find doing all the ground work from each nites download session just part of the hobby fun,,,, til I make a mistake and I have to search for the fubar,,, that part ain't so much fun. But that's why I compare Property file count after each copy/paste session.

This is a hands-on approach that has me confident that there are no mistakes and my investment is both correct & safe.  8)

Cheers,
Robin

Robin:

Call me old fashioned as I use the same technique you are using.  Its reliable!

Ken

djdube525

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2010, 05:47:53 PM »
Happy Syncback user here... then again, I haven't tried any other option yet.
I do happen to use the free ware version...

I really need to look into a online option for the critical stuff to get it off premise... but I'm leary of content being in some other locale... encryption or not...

Offline Carlman

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2010, 05:05:25 PM »
My offsite backup was at a friend's house for a long time.  I would just leave my hard drive at his place in a drawer behind some junk.. safest place I knew.. and I was there often enough to bring it home and do a more recent backup.

I don't trust the offsite services either.  Nor are they practical since I have so much data.  But I can buy multiple TB's of external drives and do a pretty easy backup.

-C

I really enjoy listening to music.

Offline tmazz

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Re: Looking for backup advice
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2010, 06:01:34 AM »
Hey guys, Microcenter has 1Tb external drives on sale for only $59.99 (after a $10 rebate).

Thank you Dr. Moore.  :thumb:

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0329996

Stock up now!
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