[REQUEST] Backup solution (free?)

[overburnz]

so i am looking for options to create an automated backup solution, for windows, similar to time machine in Mac OS, but all that I find isn’t user friendly and the person to whom I’m doing this is not tech savvy at all!
What are you guys using?

Thanks

 

[Moltuae]

Backup to where? Local or off-site?

You can use the free edition of Macrium Reflect to create scheduled backups to a local/network drive. Schedule a full backup once a week/month say, with regular differential backups in-between. Adjust the retention/frequency of the backups to provide whatever versioning granularity is required. You can also add Reflect's 'rescue boot' to the computer's boot menu, enabling easy restoration of backups.

If you're looking for a free off-site backup solution, the choices are rather limited. Mega.nz is one of the few that provides a usable amount of storage for free (presently 50GB). If you use the MegaSync application, you can create a OneDrive/Dropbox-like folder, which will automatically upload anything you place in it. You could save Reflect's backups there or use Robocopy to synchronise files/folders with it. You should consider encrypting anything you upload to Mega however, but the same goes for any cloud storage service really. I wouldn't rely on any cloud service to keep the data secure. One (free) way to encrypt everything that's uploaded would be to create an encrypted VeraCrypt container within the Mega folder and place the backups in a VeraCrypt virtual drive instead. However, simplifying the restoration process, for a non-tech-savvy user, might be a little challenging.

 

[cyabro]

Veeam endpoint backup.
Set and forget.
Works great.
Can backup to local, USB or network storage as well as onedrive if you have that.

 

[overburnz]

Yes it would be local to an external hd

 

[Archon Prime]

Why not use Windows 10 backup? (assuming it's windows 10). I use it for standard local backup. But Veeam is really good. Just set it up, configure, add what you want backed up, and it will go to whichever drive you want, local or network.

 

[Castle Computer]

synchback has a free version
https://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/index.html
i have several clients that use it. It works well

 

[Porthos]

Why not use Windows 10 backup?

I am not going to look for links but... MS has stated that users SHOULD be using 3rd party programs for backup and imaging.

 

[Archon Prime]

I am not going to look for links but... MS has stated that users SHOULD be using 3rd party programs for backup and imaging.

Seriously? I'll have to find that.

 

[Porthos]

Seriously? I'll have to find that.

Personally the only true backup I use/ recommend are system images.

Windows 10 System Image Backup feature notice
Starting with Windows 10 version 1709, Microsoft is no longer maintaining the System Image Backup feature. You can still use the tool to create backups, but in the future, it may stop working. Also, as a deprecated feature, the company can decide to remove this tool in future releases completely.

https://m.windowscentral.com/how-make-full-backup-windows-10

 

[Mike McCall]

Tried using the free Veeam app a few times but it could never find my NAS. Macrium, AOMEI, EaseUS, all had no problems.

 

[timeshifter]

so i am looking for options to create an automated backup solution, for windows, similar to time machine in Mac OS, but all that I find isn’t user friendly and the person to whom I’m doing this is not tech savvy at all!
What are you guys using?

Thanks

Been using Veeam Free Endpoint for a long time. But after offering that along with Backblaze for a 1-2 punch of local and off site I've about given up. DON'T COUNT on anything being automatic.

Time and again the end users have no clue if it's working. Even the smart ones. They'll leave the drive disconnected for months or not notice that Backblaze quit working 135 days ago.

I now am offering Solarwinds managed backup. I don't trust the users, and that's based on years of experience.

 

[Archon Prime]

I'm with itcloud.ca here and it's 100% monitored and managed backups. backups run every night or whenever I set it for and they manage it completely. if there is an error or anything they fix it or contact me to follow up with the client, or they can call them for me. It's a decent backup and good pricing for what's offered.

 

[fincoder]

automated backup solution, for windows, similar to time machine in Mac OS

Microsoft's answer to time machine is the File History feature of Windows 10. This is file-based only so no image backup, but it's built in to the OS so it's worth considering.

 

[Mick]

Yes it would be local to an external hd

This is just files, right? Not an actual disk image or whatever? If so, I'd go with FreeFileSync. Free and works flawlessly once you've set it up.

 

[seashore]

Personally the only true backup I use/ recommend are system images.

+1 for this.
1) People often store stuff in odd locations outside their user folders. Some apps even default to doing so.
2) It's easier to restore a whole system than do things piecemeal, even more so when they can't remember what apps they use or what their passwords are.

 

[fencepost]

@overburnz is this for a client or personal/family? If it's for a client, you do nobody any favors by trying to come up with a cheap custom solution that you're going to be expected to support free forever, particularly if you're also expected to monitor it. Don't forget that your time has value, if you spend even 10 minutes a month on monitoring a custom solution (say by spending 30 seconds a day glancing at an email message and filing it) there's a good chance the value of your (nonbilled?) time has exceeded the cost of a commercial option like Carbonite or some other online solution.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

@overburnz is this for a client or personal/family? If it's for a client, you do nobody any favors by trying to come up with a cheap custom solution that you're going to be expected to support free forever, particularly if you're also expected to monitor it. Don't forget that your time has value, if you spend even 10 minutes a month on monitoring a custom solution (say by spending 30 seconds a day glancing at an email message and filing it) there's a good chance the value of your (nonbilled?) time has exceeded the cost of a commercial option like Carbonite or some other online solution.

Yep, that and you are going to be expected to support it. It's nice to have manufacturer support if/when needed. You get what you pay for. If the data is worth backing up, it's worth backing up right.

 

[Porthos]

Microsoft's answer to time machine is the File History feature of Windows 10. This is file-based only so no image backup, but it's built in to the OS so it's worth considering.

Great until ransomware hits. Anything connected to a computer is affected. Why I only connect for a backup.

+1 for this.
1) People often store stuff in odd locations outside their user folders. Some apps even default to doing so.
2) It's easier to restore a whole system than do things piecemeal, even more so when they can't remember what apps they use or what their passwords are.

Also, Other than being able to restore fully to the same machine, If it is a Win 10 computer 99% of the time you can restore the image to another computer(Same OS Home to home or Home to Pro by doing an in-place upgrade to the Pro of the new computer.)
Computer/motherboard aware software will have to be reactivated if moved to a new system.

 

[timeshifter]

If it is a Win 10 computer 99% of the time you can restore the image to another computer(Same OS Home to home or Home to Pro by doing an in-place upgrade to the Pro of the new computer.)

I've used Macrium Reflect's ReDeploy feature for this. Basically it will inject the different drivers to make an install compatible with and boot from the new machine. Still had activation problems to solve. So what you're doing similar. Restore the image. Before booting do an in-place upgrade. Takes care of driver issues AND activation?

 

[carmen617]

Acronis True Image is $40.00 at Amazon, and has protection against ransomware. I liked the old Windows 7 backup with the system image built in, (although that had no ransomware protection) but File History doesn't do it for me. I agree, I don't want to support some free backup solution. I work almost exclusively with residential or home office clients. I tell my clients to buy an external drive and a copy of Acronis, set it up for them, and let it go.