cheapest way to back up 1TB?

Robert1986

Robert1986

Robert1986

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My new 1TB HDD is almost fool. I plan on using this 1TB drive for a future HTPC I plan on building. So, I'd like this data to be secure for as long as I am alive.

Whats the best to to back up all this data without spending a fortune?
 
As above.

A program like Acronis True Image Home could help archive onto another HD or blanks (CD/DVD) with some compression applied but depending on contents results can vary, e.g. less effective on video & music files
 
With 1TB drives available new for around 55inc it really would be your best option.
Even the 1.5TBs have been on offer recently with prices as low as 79.99.

I personally wouldn't bother with an external.
If you're really concerned about data safety then why not opt for a RAID solution with redundancy. That of course isn't going to be the cheapest option tho.
 
Robert1986 said:
My new 1TB HDD is almost fool. I plan on using this 1TB drive for a future HTPC I plan on building. So, I'd like this data to be secure for as long as I am alive.

Whats the best to to back up all this data without spending a fortune?
Click to expand...

For as long as you are alive? Well, unless you aren't planning on living too long, I'd remove the "spending a fortune" from your thoughts. I do a fair amount of backup for financial organisations, and believe me, even guaranteeing data for 10-15 years is a pain...

If you want it "secure" - by which I think you really mean "recoverable" - than a minimum of two copies, both stored away from the original machine is a must. Normal procedure is one copy on external disk, another on tape; and both taken "offsite" in case of theft or fire at the original machine's location. Oh, and don't forget to do regular recovery tests on these backups, just to make sure they actually work come the day you need them...

On the other hand, if you just want something "cheap", do as some others have suggested and get an external drive. Go eSata if you can, or you'll just end up choking on bandwidth. A proper backup program that can do "incremental" backups will help massively here. Many external hard drives come with such software, so shop around. Also, don't forget to take take the external drive/tape and store it someplace else, in case of fire, flood and/or theft.

And also remember to take multiple backups, not just one. If you delete some stuff (or files become corrupt) and then go an make fresh backups over your previous backups , you'd be screwed; multiple backup copies from different dates gets around this problem.

Now you can understand why backup systems are so expensive! :)

Nomadd
 
nomadd said:
For as long as you are alive? Well, unless you aren't planning on living too long, I'd remove the "spending a fortune" from your thoughts. I do a fair amount of backup for financial organisations, and believe me, even guaranteeing data for 10-15 years is a pain...

If you want it "secure" - by which I think you really mean "recoverable" - than a minimum of two copies, both stored away from the original machine is a must. Normal procedure is one copy on external disk, another on tape; and both taken "offsite" in case of theft or fire at the original machine's location. Oh, and don't forget to do regular recovery tests on these backups, just to make sure they actually work come the day you need them...

On the other hand, if you just want something "cheap", do as some others have suggested and get an external drive. Go eSata if you can, or you'll just end up choking on bandwidth. A proper backup program that can do "incremental" backups will help massively here. Many external hard drives come with such software, so shop around. Also, don't forget to take take the external drive/tape and store it someplace else, in case of fire, flood and/or theft.

And also remember to take multiple backups, not just one. If you delete some stuff (or files become corrupt) and then go an make fresh backups over your previous backups , you'd be screwed; multiple backup copies from different dates gets around this problem.

Now you can understand why backup systems are so expensive! :)

Nomadd
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I'm going to invest in a few more 1tb drives and back up my data.
 
Ok, So I am about to purchase a 1.5tb drive to use as a back up offline drive. Whats the best environment to store this drive? Do I place it back into its anti-static bag and store it somewhere safe and out of direct sun light? Would just like to make sure I have all my stored files for a very long time.
 
Robert1986 said:
Ok, So I am about to purchase a 1.5tb drive to use as a back up offline drive. Whats the best environment to store this drive? Do I place it back into its anti-static bag and store it somewhere safe and out of direct sun light? Would just like to make sure I have all my stored files for a very long time.
Click to expand...

If it's just an "archive" copy - which it seems to be - then your suggestions above seem fine. Just make sure you check that the backups are OK before you store the drive. Also, don't forget to stick it back in the original box it came in, as this will give it some resistance to shock.

As for "where" you store it, well, just make sure it isn't in the same location as your computer. I take my important work development backups (I'm self-employed in IT) to my parents house; I also heavily encrypt it, just in case it gets stolen. A fire-proof safe is the best storage location, but I guess that's down to how precious the data is to you.

Nomadd
 
Thanks. I was thinking a fire-proof safe is what I need. I really want to look back at this data when I'm older, like 60. lol. Its very important I keep it safe. I'll probably end up making more back ups ever few years. By then, 1tb drives will be really cheap.
 
I don't know how old you are but judging by common clientele age on this forum, you've got 30+ years to go. In which case HDD is a silly idea. Use DVD or some other longer-lived storage medium if you want it around when you're 60, or be prepared to back up your backup, regularly test them every couple of months, and replace when required.
 
What method you should use depends on what access to the backup you want in the meantime.

If you want a system that will last 30 years of use, you're going to be looking at regular backups and redundancy, and moving solutions from time to time as necessary.

If you want an archive you can put in a drawer now, and not touch until 30 years from now, harddrives are surprisingly resilient if stored well. SSDs may be an option too. DVDs aren't too bad if you're just backing this information up once and then leaving it for 30 years.

However, bear in mind how you will be able to access something then, with the speed of technology. How would something have been stored and accessed in 1979? You'd have the same problems in 2039 with today's stuff.

You could even consider hosting it online somewhere and make it someone else's problem ;)

I would say 2 HDs in different locations, access each once a year or so to make sure they still work, but otherwise store them away from the PC.
 
Thanks. I was thinking of buying a 1.5tb external and a 1.5tb internal drive to back up my data. I would then store both of these in a fire proof safe. This isn't going to be cheap but better safe than sorry.

Should add anti static material inside the safe?
 
timefalls said:
i recommend 712,178 floppy disks, make sure you number them though! :D
Click to expand...

An inspiring idea. However, unless floppy speeds have moved on in the last 10 years, that'll take you at least 3 years to complete the backup, and that's with dual floppy drives working 24/7. (working at slightly faster than 5 minutes per disk!)
Not to mention, you'd cause some sort of upheaval in the stock market as suppliers of floppy disks would suddenly find their worldwide demand increase by a factor of, probably, 712,178 :p

Edit: sure, what the hell. If you're putting it in a bloomin' fire proof safe, why skimp on the anti-static bag? :confused:
 
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