Topic: Simple to use back up software for windows 7 (Read 7935 times)

W.T. Jones · « **on:** July 07, 2013, 12:59:33 pm »

I am looking for a simple to use back up program that works similar to the now gone Drobo copy. It worked great. I set it to copy to my Drobo my lightroom library and image files every night. It was super easy & not complicated and was incremental it even removed deleted files and kept everything in order.

Drobo dropped this some time back in favor of something else that was not easy to use that If I am correct in my thinking is no longer in development in any event. I did not update the Drobo dashboard so I would not loose this program.

I now have new computer that I use solely for imaging work, thus Drobo Dashboard has been replaced with a newer version sans Drobo Copy

Any suggestions?

aduke · « **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2013, 01:29:03 pm »

You might look at Crashplan. It is quite simple to use, allows backup to the machine it is on, other machines, either of yours or other people's, and to Crashplan cloud storage.

I've been using it for several years now, as a simple user, without problems. Restore is also quick, simple and, apparently, reliable.

Alan

jrsforums · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2013, 02:32:38 pm »

GoodSync

PeterAit · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2013, 03:38:10 pm »

Sync Back Pro. I have been using it for many years. It is, to be honest, not all that easy to set up, but it is very flexible. Backup to USB drives, network, FTP sites, your email server, and so on.

John McDermott · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2013, 07:13:56 pm »

Retrospect.

John.Murray · « **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2013, 01:07:15 pm »

Windows Backup - it's built in, free and can also create a complete sys recovery image. Unlike many backup solutions this one is disk block based - supporting incremental backups. Because only changed blocks get backed up -it is very efficient and fast.....

kevk · « **Reply #6 on:** July 09, 2013, 04:33:46 am »

FreeFileSync

http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/

W.T. Jones · « **Reply #7 on:** July 09, 2013, 05:02:38 pm »

Thanks everyone, most of these programs create back ups & recovery partitions etc.. I guess I was not clear what I want. I simply want to copy my days work to my Drobo in cloned file or mirrored file if you will. I do not want recovery files etc... But I want it automated where it adds new files & deletes files removed from the working drive.

I used Windows Back Up with the Drobo about two years ago & it caused all kinds of problems, where I had to reformat the Drobo to fix it. I am not going through that again.

Filesync looks promising. Thanks KevK, I'll have a look into it & test it on my old machine

Gordon Buck · « **Reply #8 on:** July 09, 2013, 05:19:03 pm »

Take a look at "Backup Magic". It's a simple file copy program for which you prepare a sort of list of folders to be backed up.

W.T. Jones · « **Reply #9 on:** July 09, 2013, 05:51:26 pm »

Quote from: Gordon Buck on July 09, 2013, 05:19:03 pm

Take a look at "Backup Magic". It's a simple file copy program for which you prepare a sort of list of folders to be backed up.

Will do Gordon, thank you.

Jon Meddings · « **Reply #10 on:** July 09, 2013, 06:40:22 pm »

Let me add another vote for Sync Back - tremendously flexible and works flawlessly. It will do exactly what you want.

kaelaria · « **Reply #11 on:** July 09, 2013, 06:55:59 pm »

SyncToy - free from MS, almost unheard of but works perfectly! http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155

W.T. Jones · « **Reply #12 on:** July 10, 2013, 05:38:34 am »

I downloaded a trial of Black Magic, it's name has changed to something else, Copiarias I think. Any way it works like I want, however to automate I have to write a script, which I will try & do later.

I think I will try syncback as well.

Thank you one an all for your suggestions, I probably never would have found these programs in all the chaff of a google search.

vjbelle · « **Reply #13 on:** July 10, 2013, 07:27:29 am »

I found a program called ViceVersa Pro. Works very well for my needs - you may want to take a look.

Victor

walter.sk · « **Reply #14 on:** July 10, 2013, 08:47:06 am »

Quote from: kaelaria on July 09, 2013, 06:55:59 pm

SyncToy - free from MS, almost unheard of but works perfectly! http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155

+1 for SyncToy. It is easy to set up "jobs" that quickly copy new files and folders from my several data-only drives to the dedicated backup drives. And if I change, rename or delete the folders on the data drives, or shift them around, SincToy can do the same to the backup drives, or not--your choice.

Also, I use Acronis Home Image to make an exact clone of my C drive and its partitions, and have already had occasion to use the clone when the C drive went south. Only problem was getting Adobe to allow more actuations, which the did.

Rand47 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 10, 2013, 09:20:27 pm »

For this, I use Synch Butler.
Simple interface. Folder to Folder Synch. Easy setup of synch relationships. Free.

http://download.cnet.com/Sync-Butler/3000-18511_4-75180644.html

Rand

W.T. Jones · « **Reply #16 on:** July 11, 2013, 04:34:09 pm »

I tried Synctoy from Microsoft too & I think that is going to do the job just fine. My trials worked well & it is simple. Just what I want.

Rand I am going to have a look at Sync Butler as well, thanks.

Thanks one & all for your suggestions. I really appreciate the help.

Dave_Wyatt · « **Reply #17 on:** August 20, 2013, 07:52:10 pm »

Another vote for SyncBack -I use the free version and it works fine for backing up my photo library

barryfitzgerald · « **Reply #18 on:** October 13, 2013, 04:50:07 pm »

Quote from: John.Murray on July 08, 2013, 01:07:15 pm

Windows Backup - it's built in, free and can also create a complete sys recovery image. Unlike many backup solutions this one is disk block based - supporting incremental backups. Because only changed blocks get backed up -it is very efficient and fast.....

I second that works a charm and it can be set on a schedule no issues to report having used it for HDD replacements (ie taking an image with Windows back up)

andyptak · « **Reply #19 on:** October 15, 2013, 07:21:31 am »

I was a fan of Synctoy for a long time - until one day I had the target drive unplugged and didn't realize. Synctoy just made a corrupted mess of everything because it was too dumb to know that the drive was off.

Author Topic: Simple to use back up software for windows 7 (Read 7935 times)