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General discussionAny recommendations for backup/file sync software?(25 posts)solved(25 posts)solved
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Posted March 01, 2016
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nightcraw1er.488: At routine cycles, 2-3 months
If i remember right, it's recommended to try and go for a weekly backup, while businesses might go for a daily backup. Depending on the configuration, a shadow copy or RAID drives can facilitate better error detection/correction.
Posted March 01, 2016
I like Syncback Free :)
Posted March 01, 2016
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korell: Does anyone have any recommendations for some free backup/file sync software?

I recently changed my PC, and whilst my old one had just one hard drive, my new one has two (OS, drivers and browsers on SSD and everything else on the much larger HDD). My backups I keep on an external HDD.

Now, having restored my documents to my new PC's HDD, I'm looking for an easy way to sync those files and folders with my external HDD as and when I choose.

Previously I have used a piece of software called FreeFileSync but I've become conscious that over time they've added extra software to the installer so you have to be careful to actively deselect them to prevent the unwanted software being installed, a tactic that I dislike, so now I'm looking for alternatives. I know Microsoft have SyncToy, which I used prior to FreeFileSync, but SyncToy stopped working after a while (an issue others have had with no known solution) and that's why I changed to FreeFileSync.

I'm on Windows 10 if that makes any difference.
I just went through the same search a week or so ago and settled on Allway Sync. I am using the free version and it has worked very well for me backing up to an internal drive on a second computer as well as to two different external drives.
Posted March 01, 2016
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IIRC, you can just unpack the FreeFileSync installer file, and spare yourself the trouble of dealing with all the bloadware. No idea though if it works on Win10 this way or in general.
Post edited March 01, 2016 by HypersomniacLive
Posted March 01, 2016
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nightcraw1er.488: At routine cycles, 2-3 months
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rtcvb32: If i remember right, it's recommended to try and go for a weekly backup, while businesses might go for a daily backup. Depending on the configuration, a shadow copy or RAID drives can facilitate better error detection/correction.
Whilst you are quite correct, RAID would be nice, its an additional cost. With regards to timelines, you could do it weekly, me, I don't really create that many files per month, so I do it monthly. If you add another HDD to your machine, then its probably a good idea to RAID5 (or whichever the shadow copy is) over from main drive anyways, i.e. have two in the machine duplicating, but this would be in addition to the actual back up scenario I am talking about - i.e. if the house burns down it doesn't matter how many drives you have in your machine, they going to get toasted. Hence I have physical HDDs stored in various places, to make it hard for a total failure. Will get myself a HDD for RAID at some point, but need to look at bigger HDDs first in the next few years.
Posted March 01, 2016
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tritone: For backing up games to external drives, I still use SyncToy, but I'm not on Windows 10 yet so can't help with that. I'm sorry to hear that ST may not work for me in the future (didn't know).
SyncToy actually broke for me whilst I was still on Vista. It just stopped syncing all of the folders and only did some of them. When I Googled it I found others with the same issue and no fix from Microsoft as it was deemed to be old software, looking like something they were no longer going to update. That's when I moved to FreeFileSync.
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dewtech: Wtf HP, ca 100mb just for basic drivers? Jesus fuck
Here are my printer's driver software. 25MB. The driver is 2 years old, designed for up to Win 8.1, but it works on Win 10 fine. Still, 25MB for a printer driver is quite large.

[url=http://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/fax__multifunctionals/inkjet/pixma_mp_series/pixma_mp630.aspx?type=drivers&driverdetailid=tcm:14-999874&os=Windows%208.1%20%2864-bit%29&language=EN]http://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/fax__multifunctionals/inkjet/pixma_mp_series/pixma_mp630.aspx?type=drivers&driverdetailid=tcm:14-999874&os=Windows%208.1%20%2864-bit%29&language=EN[/url]
Post edited March 01, 2016 by korell
Posted March 01, 2016
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HypersomniacLive: IIRC, you can just unpack the FreeFileSync installer file, and spare yourself the trouble of dealing with all the bloadware. No idea though if it works on Win10 this way or in general.
Looks like there is an option to install it as a portable app, from which it can then just be copied wherever you want. So maybe it can be extracted from the installer exe. Now to find out how.
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zeroxxx: Which one do you want, file sync or file backup? I think I'd be able to answer your inquiry if you can specify which one you prefer.
Most of the time it would be a backup of changed files and copyinh them one way to my external backup drive. However, on the rare occasions that I've taken my data elsewhere and then made a change, I'd want it to see that and copy the file the other way.

So, considering this, I'd say it is technically a sync rather than a backup, even though most of the time it is just a backup.

FreeFileSync did this great, and I'm considering sticking with it for now, but if I can get it without the bloatware then that would be preferable.

EDIT: This guide says that the installer can be extracted with InnoUnp, just like the GOG installers.
http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=1475
Post edited March 01, 2016 by korell
Posted March 01, 2016
You know, for backup options you could resort to GIT... all the data is stored in the .git directory, and files are stored based on their 160bit SHA-1 hashing, so files that don't change are easily ignored, have a good timeline, and when possible are diff compressed. Backup the GIT directory (or grab the new/changed files) and viola you have a backup! Although this probably won't work well for the registry, so if you do the backup/restore using an admin account vs your normal account it probably won't give you issues.
Post edited March 01, 2016 by rtcvb32
Posted March 01, 2016
high rated
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korell: Looks like there is an option to install it as a portable app, from which it can then just be copied wherever you want. So maybe it can be extracted from the installer exe. Now to find out how.

[...]

FreeFileSync did this great, and I'm considering sticking with it for now, but if I can get it without the bloatware then that would be preferable.
Have you tried installing it as a portable app in Sandboxie, recover/copy the folder, and see if it's clean? May be the easier route to go.
Posted March 01, 2016
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HypersomniacLive: Have you tried installing it as a portable app in Sandboxie, recover/copy the folder, and see if it's clean? May be the easier route to go.
Extracting the installer with InnoUnp and then just taking the {App} folder which contains the FreeFileSync program itself seems to work fine. No installation, so no bloatware, just take the extracted files and run the program. Settings save within its own folder too, so it truly is portable.

UPDATE: As it was your suggestion to extract FreeFileSync from the installer, I've given you the solution. :)
Post edited March 03, 2016 by korell
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General discussionAny recommendations for backup/file sync software?(25 posts)solved(25 posts)solved
(25 posts)solved