I agree with Sarel, if the user has to remember to do something, they won’t do it.

The *only* success I’ve had with getting any Windows users running backups is with online, completely automatic, idiot-proof backups. There are a couple of them, but I usually recommend Mozy. Unlimited backup for $5/month.

Disclosure: I also signed up for a Mozy Affiliate ID. So if you use my link to signup they may give me a buck or two.

I’ve noticed over the years that any backup scheme that requires the user to do something on a set schedule such as daily or weekly just doesn’t work. It needs to be totally automatic and in the background.

Recently I started using rdiff-backup. It’s a great little tool that backs up incrementally using delta compression, just as rsync does. However, it also acts as a version control system. You can tell it to keep the last 60 days worth of backups and it doesn’t require 60 times as much space. It just uses a little more space with each backup.

It can back up locally or to a remote system via SSH and because of the delta compression you can back up huge amounts of data in a very short time. I have it backing up to my linux server with RAID1. A scheduled task in Windows kicks this off every morning while I’m sleeping (usually).

To me the only pain with rdiff-backup is that it is difficult to setup. I would really like to write a Java front-end for it so users without the ability to get this going can use it.

If you do decide to use it make sure to apply the 4GB patch to librsync otherwise you won’t be able to backup a file larger than 4GB.

I am extremely lazy when it comes to backups… so I run RAID1 at home. It’ll protect my data from a lost hard drive. Not from my own stupidity, admittedly (yet to have that lose valuable data though). I do keep random greyware installers on a small NAS box, but documents and stuff… I just don’t have many of them, and those I do have (like my resume) could probably benefit from being rewritten from scratch.

@IceBrain: I actually use Dropbox to sync files between my desktop, laptop and work computer. I don’t really use it as backup – just as an extremely convenient way to move files between my computers. Just copy the file to the Dropbox folder and forget about it. I absolutely love it.

That said, I have a sell script running on my home desktop that backs up my personal files to an external hard drive once a week.

Actually, the “cloud” can be a great way to backup. I have now a 2GB Dropbox account, and thanks to some bash scripting each file is automatically encrypted and copied to dropbox.

I think we’re actually agreed on this, you have just stated it more elequently.

Well, the thing about cloud is that it is not supposed to break. For example – how many times last year did Google’s cloud go down? Zero. There were glitches here and there I’m sure but as far as I can tell there was no major downtime or data loss. They have many data centers, and their data is distributed, mirrored and very well maintained.

Statistically, your data is safer on the loud than on your hard drive. It is much more likely that you will get disconnected form the cloud due to a local network outage than that the cloud will be disconnected from you because it is usually distributed, and redundant.

The big difference is that you own your hard drive, but not the cloud. The big concern is what happens when the owner of the cloud decides they no longer care for you as their customer and delete your data.

Another is security and privacy. How do you know that the company on whose cloud you are storing your data is not selling it somewhere or sharing it with some 3rd party?

But I agree – it is not a replacement for backup. But if it is preserving people’s data in one way or another then I’m all for it.

— sorry all, my spell-checker has the day off. -d

Ok, it’s one way. But what happens when the Cloud Breaks? (I know there will be a down pouring of useless information) No, seriously, That’s a precarious place for any type of information that might be of importantance. There already far too much personal information floating around out there, getting hijacked, and abousd. The ‘Cloud’ does have a valuble and bright future, but not I hope as a means of ‘Back-up’. -d