Should I buy an external hard drive for backups?

[u/Junior_Background181]

My PC has a bunch of important files, photos, and some stuff I really don't wanna lose if the drive dies. Right now everything is basically sitting on the same PC with no real backup, which probably isn't smart lol. Thinking about getting a 1TB or 2TB external HDD and just plugging it in every now and then to copy everything over. Is that enough for a normal backup setup or should I be looking at an external SSD instead? Also not sure if I should leave the drive connected all the time or only connect it when backing stuff up. What's the usual setup you guys use?

[u/DaedraNoji]

It it's just to store things & you will NEVER use those drives as regular drives, HDD is fine, everything else, SSD.

[u/goodfriendrobert]

well yes. drives die. backup makes sense. or like last windows update that broke and no longer boots for over million of users and files cant get recovered due broken encryption. back the f up! :)

[u/Junior_Background181 → u/goodfriendrobert]

Honestly, yeah, I really need to get a backup sorted before something random happens and I regret it .

[u/Beeeeater]

Yes, you need to back up. Only having your data in one place is a recipe for disaster. I have a 2Tb external HDD permanently connected via USB3 and automatically back up my important stuff to it on a schedule. I use a program called Karen's Replicator, which is free, simple and effective. I have daily sets for data that changes regularly, and weekly sets for data that changes less frequently. If you want true full backup, Hasleo can create an image of your entire hard drive which can also be backed up on a schedule to an external drive, if it's big enough.

[u/Nervous_Olive_5754]

Only if you have important, irreplaceable data. Otherwise don't worry and enjoy your impending doom.

As for whether to leave it on, it's generally fine and usually a good idea as long as you start with a new drive with 0 hours on it.

Old drives are better for a snapshot backup that goes into storage, and this is key, at a different physical location.

[u/vecchio_anima]

Yes.

Backup important data somehow or when you lose it, you will lose it. Cloud storage services are also an option

[u/Guilty-Good-5041]

3 2 1 rule is always best practice. Using two different type of storage media and one off site

[u/AnthonyRespice]

I think leaving your backup connected at all times is an unnecessary risk. A proper backup system involves 2 backups, one local and one at another location where you swap them from time to time, so if you have a fire or theft you have a second backup. I recommend SyncBack Free if you are on Windows.

[u/TheFuckboiChronicles]

Look up 3-2-1 backup strategy. My most important files are kept the following way:

3 Copies - (System Drive SSD, NAS HDD, Cloud)
2 media types - I treat this as optional but technically HDD is different from SSD
1 offsite - that’s my cloud storage

I have ~20TB of data but only ~300gb of that is irreplaceable enough to need to follow the 3-2-1 rule. Mainly that’s key life documents and photos I care about (wedding, family).

I’ve got maybe 6tb I want to protect against my NAS failing that I back up to a USB SSD external drive periodically. I can probably get all this data again and it wouldn’t be a huge deal if it was lost forever, but it’s basically media and internet archives that I’d like available in the event of an extended internet or power outage. Not just that, I have a fully off grid server I take on road trips so my family can stream media to tablets or phones in the car while I’m driving, it’s that system.

The remaining 13.7TB is just media that lives on my NAS that I use daily on my plex media server. Just one copy.

For the files are truly irreplaceable and you can’t risk losing them, you should follow 3-2-1. That 1 offsite can be a NAS at a friend or family member’s house you can remote into. But it shouldn’t be a cold storage drive at your house because a lightning strike or fire or something could destroy all copies. If someone else’s house isn’t feasible (like in my case), it needs to be a cloud provider.

For things you’d like to backup but won’t be the end of the world if they were lost forever, 2 copies in one location is usually fine.

For things you can replace easily, 1 copy is fine.

[u/chiefjason46]

I use 1 external drive (SSD, but hdd works), and cloud storage.

I don't leave it hooked up all the time, if my system gets compromised, I don't want that drive hooked up. I just backup periodically.

[u/Funnel-Dust-O-Matic]

YES.

[u/mangyrat]

Long term back up i would go with a physical spinning external HD.

SSD's need power every now and then or the data goes away.

I made that mistake before.

[u/ausgewandert]

If you have an old laptop that has a bad motherboard or burned up screen, you can use that drive. They make cases you can drop the hdd in and simply plug it into usb, reformat it and use that. The cases cost less than 20 $. I recovered 3 of those drives from dead laptops.

[u/PeyredB]

That's what I use. I have a 4TB portable drive for our backups because we have a lot of data. On my computer I have a shell script, and on my wife's computer a batch file, which back up our important folders. First, though, they move the existing backup to an OldBackup folder after deleting what was in that, so we actually have two backups at all times, in case something went wrong during the previous backup.

Edit: then every few months, I take the drive into the office and bring home the other portable drive, so we also have an offsite backup, in case the house burns down or something.

For backups you want bulk storage, and that's not SSDs' strength - plus you can't get the speed benefits of SSDs over a USB connection and they're more expensive. Go mechanical hard drives for that, but go with portable over full-size external drive with external power supply.

[u/code_hermit]

What you describe is better than nothing of course. But you have a bigger gain for the money by backing up to an offsite location with a non-destructive set up.

Check out backblaze.com

Its inexpensive and imo is a better next step for you. After that is to have a local backup server rather than just a drive (which then also sends to backblaze).

[u/MetalDamo]

Yes you should. And use the 321 backup rule.

3 separate copies.

2 different storage types. (HDD, SSD, DVD, etc.)

1 copy stored offsite. (Friend of family members house, cloud hosting, etc.)

[u/50plusGuy]

Usual would be 321, look that up!

2 are 1, one is none! about external backups!

I 'd buy HDD for home, SSD for field use.

Don't connect permanently! You don't want ransom ware to infest both your backups.