Automatic backup

[habowh43]

Hello Storage section! :P

I don't really post often in here since I'm not exactly a storage whiz. :P I had a couple of questions for you guys and if you could answer them, that would be awesome!

So basically, I have about 780-something GB of pictures I need to back up somewhere. I currently hold them all on a single 1TB (Caviar Black FAEX) since they won't fit on my SSD RAID array. So at this point, I think you'll agree with me that if that drive fails, I won't exactly be the most lovable person on the face of the Earth for the days that follow. I really, badly need a way to back them up and I had a bunch of questions about choosing the right backup method. I'm really looking for something here that's not too expensive (I don't mind spending for quality/reliability but at the same time I don't want to spend for stuff I don't need) and works all by itself, I don't really like managing my files that much.

-I have free SATA slots on my motherboard which means that I could hook up another disk in there. Since I can't add another RAID array to my setup without purchasing a RAID card, which would be fairly $ and would look terrible in my mod (I know this sounds awful, but yes I do care about how my system looks), I was thinking about adding a 2/3TB Caviar Green in there. That wouldn't be too expensive but I need to manage my files myself. So would you guys know any good software to back up my files from drive A to drive B automatically? Like it just copies over data on a schedule or whatnot (I have Windows 8 64bit). Maybe that feature already is in Windows, idk. I am clueless when it comes to storage.

-External storage? Is it a better option compared to internal storage as stated previously? I have no clue what to look for in there... All I know is that I'm running out of USB ports. As a matter of fact, they're all full, so I'd need something with a 1394 or ethernet port IF it's a better option.

-Talking about ethernet ports... those NAS storage thingies look pretty darn awesome. I've done a bit of research on them and it seems really cool to be able to access you files anywhere BUT they're 200$+ so do you think it's a good choice to head in that direction for automatic backup? And then I could have other people in my family back up important files on there as well. Or do you think I'd just be wasting money. I mean I don't NEED to have my files everywhere with me but it's always nice to be able to show a picture to someone pretty much anywhere anytime.

Sorry for the suuuuuuuuuuuper long post. If you managed to read/survive until here, *hi-five*, +1 cool point for you. :P

Thanks a lot for your help!

-François

[looney]

Like you said, a NAS is awesome, but if thats outside you budget you can just install a second HDD like you mentioned.

 

Then I would use something like allway sync to sync the files over those disks, it also supports one way sync.

so when you accidentally remove something form the first drive it wont be removed from the second.

 

I find that this kind of backup (simple copy paste) works best for backing up photo's.

[MG2R]

Like Looney, my first thought on these kind subjects is a NAS. A NAS is really something magical, especially if you build it yourself and are able to do whatever the hell you want with it.

 

In your case, I think a second HDD is the best route to go. Get a Caviar Green (awesome drives, btw) and use a syncing program. I'm not an expert on those pieces of software, but I know that DirSync Pro should be able to do everything you might want to.

 

If you ever want to look into syncing over the internet (e.g. put a file server at home and sync that with a laptop), you might want to look into Bittorrent Sync (BTS). BTS is freaking awesome! It's nearly a one click setup and works perfectly. I use it to sync my desktop, my NAS, my offsite server and my laptop. Completely free, encrypted and secure.

[habowh43]

Alright, thanks a lot for the help!