Solved A little help finding backup software

Buddy · Jan 18, 2023

Beating my brains out Googling and not finding joy yet.

Here are the features I'd like:
-Backup not restricted to certain directories or file types
-Saved at destination as native file type, not a compressed backup.
-Encryption not needed
-Destinations include any attached drive and Google Drive.
-Use Google Drive as a backup destination, not as sync.
I can do that through Google Drive for Desktop. Besides, sync isn't really backup.
-Don't need to back up to or from network drives
-Back up contains latest versions of everything. History kept for changes, rename, deletion, etc.
-Ability to define and save multiple backup jobs.
-Ability to run multiple backup jobs at once.
For instance, main backup to desktop drive, same to portable drive, different list to Google Drive. Maybe on different schedules.
-If I choose to back up a drive image, I'm glad to do that with a separate solution focused on that
-Don't mind paying, but I don't want an annual subscription

I'm not really interested in a big solution like Acronis, however capable. Just something simple and focused. Perfect Backup looked promising, until I realized it writes a proprietary backup file, not the native file format.

Thanks, all.

imanlien2020 · Jan 18, 2023

Buddy said:
Beating my brains out Googling and not finding joy yet.

Here are the features I'd like:
-Backup not restricted to certain directories or file types
-Saved at destination as native file type, not a compressed backup.
-Encryption not needed
-Destinations include any attached drive and Google Drive.
-Use Google Drive as a backup destination, not as sync.
I can do that through Google Drive for Desktop. Besides, sync isn't really backup.
-Don't need to back up to or from network drives
-Back up contains latest versions of everything. History kept for changes, rename, deletion, etc.
-Ability to define and save multiple backup jobs.
-Ability to run multiple backup jobs at once.
For instance, main backup to desktop drive, same to portable drive, different list to Google Drive. Maybe on different schedules.
-If I choose to back up a drive image, I'm glad to do that with a separate solution focused on that
-Don't mind paying, but I don't want an annual subscription

I'm not really interested in a big solution like Acronis, however capable. Just something simple and focused. Perfect Backup looked promising, until I realized it writes a proprietary backup file, not the native file format.

Thanks, all.

So can you tell us which backup software you have tried so we can go from there?

timbobit · Jan 18, 2023

I use Paragon software. It is not free about $80 USD for 3 pc. I have used this brand for several years without issue.

Buddy · Jan 18, 2023

imanlien2020 said:
So can you tell us which backup software you have tried so we can go from there?

The only thing I've done so far is some rudimentary backups with the Seagate Toolkit that came with my drive. It DOES back up in native format, but...
It won't keep multiple jobs
It can't back up to Google Drive
It restricts you to certain directories and file types.

Buddy · Jan 18, 2023

timbobit said:
I use Paragon software. It is not free about $80 USD for 3 pc. I have used this brand for several years without issue.

How is it for hitting my feature wishlist?

tbmljk · Jan 18, 2023

First question that needs to be answered is whether you need to backup installed programs with their current settings and configurations. If you need more than backing up data (photos, videos, documents etc) you will need backup software that allows for imaging. I believe all image files are proprietary, however some imaging software allows you to browse and copy individual files from image backups using windows explorer

SIW2 · Jan 18, 2023

karens replicator

Karen's Replicator the Backup Utility for Windows v3.7.6 Released May 25, 2020 | Karen's Power Tools | Karen's Software

Automatically backup files, directories, even entire drives! Karen's Replicator copies selected files from one drive/folder to another. Source and Destination folders can reside anywhere on your network.

www.karenware.com

Buddy · Jan 18, 2023

SIW2 said:
karens replicator

Karen's Replicator the Backup Utility for Windows v3.7.6 Released May 25, 2020 | Karen's Power Tools | Karen's Software

Automatically backup files, directories, even entire drives! Karen's Replicator copies selected files from one drive/folder to another. Source and Destination folders can reside anywhere on your network.

www.karenware.com

I'll take a look. Thanks.

Buddy · Jan 18, 2023

tbmljk said:
First question that needs to be answered is whether you need to backup installed programs with their current settings and configurations. If you need more than backing up data (photos, videos, documents etc) you will need backup software that allows for imaging. I believe all image files are proprietary, however some imaging software allows you to browse and copy individual files from image backups using windows explorer

On my old computer using Seagate Manager, I could back up Users/My name/AppData, but Toolkit won't do that. My (probably naive) hope was that doing so would capture most program config that exists outside the registry. I was also copying select directories from Program Data, for programs that took a lot of setup and that I knew to store that setup in Program data. Toolkit won't do that, either.

Maybe what you're leading me to is a broad backup in whatever proprietary image a package uses, then my data as actual files copied to the destination.

tbmljk · Jan 18, 2023

You are correct. When programs install in windows files are scattered all over. The only practical method of doing backups of anything other than data requires imaging

TM21 · Jan 18, 2023

As someone who has been setting up Backup programs for persons, businesses and even one bank, since DOS days, I have to say that your expectations and desires exceed any backup software that I've ever tested.

Maybe get more down to earth, and acquire a program that runs outside of your OS, like on a Bootable USB drive, that will make you a 100% inclusive backup of everything on your C: drive or entire HD, (Clone) whichever you prefer. Compressed or not compressed. And saved to any other location visible to the backup program.

You will run into problems when you get too complicated.
Any backup should be simple to do and be able to back up anything it sees, whether an OS drive or just a Data Drive.

For me, the Perfect Backup is one that's done from a Boot Disk, not from within Windows. Then it must be easy to run, with minimal options and decisions to be made. Then it must save your Backup Image File to the location of your choice, either internal or external.
The program I use, does save it's images in a proprietary format, either compressed in normal or High Compression, or UN-Compressed, but there is also an explorer program that allows me to look into that backup image file and recover individual files, if I should ever want to.

Good luck on your quest....but just remember Keep It Simple.
TM

fixer · Jan 18, 2023

Move all of your personal profile to a data partition/drive and use any of the popular file sync/backup programs to back that lot up. I use WinVAR for this and have daily data backups right back for over 20 years but there are so many alternatives available. For my system drive I use Macrium Reflect Home to create restorable monthly system images but just keep the last two or three as I find old system backups useless. Again, there are many choices of software but MR has proved completely reliable so I stick with it.

timbobit · Jan 18, 2023

Paragon does not have multiple backup definitions
You can create partition or whole drive or whole computer backup

timbobit · Jan 18, 2023

karenware is a great tool !

hdmi · Jan 19, 2023

FastCopy

FastCopy Official site

fastcopy.jp

Settings stored in FastCopy2.ini :
Option | Main Settings | Verify options |
• Hash mode [0 = MD5, 1 = SHA-1, 2 = SHA-256, 3 = SHA-512, 5 = xxHash, 6 = xxHash3(128bit)] :
hash_mode3="0"
• If not verifying, record the src hash value in the file log [0 = Disabled, 1 = Enabled] :
hashAdd="0"

Examples:
• Diff mode with Verify and a filelist:

C:\tools\FastCopy\FastCopy.exe /logfile=C:\tools\FastCopy\ErrorLog.log /filelog=C:\tools\FastCopy\FileLog.log /cmd=diff /force_start /verify=TRUE /balloon=FALSE /no_ui /srcfile=C:\tools\FastCopy\filelists\files.txt /to="<DestDir>"

• Diff mode with Verify and specify the source directly instead of using a filelist:

C:\tools\FastCopy\FastCopy.exe /logfile=C:\tools\FastCopy\ErrorLog.log /filelog=C:\tools\FastCopy\FileLog.log /cmd=diff /force_start /verify=TRUE /balloon=FALSE /no_ui <file1> <file2> <...> /to="<DestDir>"

Notes:
• FastCopy2.ini and the log file will be created in the same folder as FastCopy.exe if FastCopy is installed outside of Program Files. (See: "11. Misc" in the documentation.)
• See also "5. Usage & Main Window" -> "Source / DestDir". Additionally, wildcards can be used.

For archiving of files/folders, choose WinRAR. For creating/restoring an image file of a Windows system partition, use the Rescue Media bootable ISO file of Acronis True Image (2021). Don't keep Acronis True Image installed on Windows. Instead, just use the Rescue Media bootable ISO file that comes with it (for free). Copy the bootable ISO file (and various other bootable image files that you also might want to use) onto a USB flash drive after formatting the USB flash drive with Ventoy. You only need to format it one time. The EFI partition that makes the USB flash drive bootable with Ventoy is just 32MB in size, the remaining space can be partitioned as NTFS and/or exFAT and/or etc. so basically, you can put anything you like on it and never have to reformat your USB flash drive again, even though it's bootable. And you can boot straight into just about any bootable image file, you can have multiple different bootable image files on it if you like. No need to use Rufus, as using Rufus (or similar) forces you to keep reformatting a USB flash drive each time so you lose all data stored on the USB flash drive so, to prevent that, use Ventoy instead of things like Rufus that have become pretty much obsolete now.

BrianS · Jan 20, 2023

TechnoMage2021 said:
As someone who has been setting up Backup programs for persons, businesses and even one bank, since DOS days, I have to say that your expectations and desires exceed any backup software that I've ever tested.

Maybe get more down to earth, and acquire a program that runs outside of your OS, like on a Bootable USB drive, that will make you a 100% inclusive backup of everything on your C: drive or entire HD, (Clone) whichever you prefer. Compressed or not compressed. And saved to any other location visible to the backup program.

You will run into problems when you get too complicated.
Any backup should be simple to do and be able to back up anything it sees, whether an OS drive or just a Data Drive.

For me, the Perfect Backup is one that's done from a Boot Disk, not from within Windows. Then it must be easy to run, with minimal options and decisions to be made. Then it must save your Backup Image File to the location of your choice, either internal or external.
The program I use, does save it's images in a proprietary format, either compressed in normal or High Compression, or UN-Compressed, but there is also an explorer program that allows me to look into that backup image file and recover individual files, if I should ever want to.

Good luck on your quest....but just remember Keep It Simple.
TM

Do you mean this app Perfect Backup - Free Backup Software for Windows

Looks good - and its free? As they say if it looks too good to be true .......
Like the OP here I find myself totally bamboozled by all the hype on google. None of the reviewers or so called "Trust me Im independent " sites can be trusted as they seem covertly sponsored IMHO. Worse still is that some of these "big names" are run from the far east (hope I can say that here). as evidenced in some Trustpilot reviews from very disatisfied users (victims). So I share OP views and it leaves me very wary and suspicious (then so does W11

)

I have to be careful here I dont want a law suit or break forum rules

BrianS · Jan 20, 2023

hdmi said:
FastCopy

FastCopy Official site

fastcopy.jp

Settings stored in FastCopy2.ini :
Option | Main Settings | Verify options |
• Hash mode [0 = MD5, 1 = SHA-1, 2 = SHA-256, 3 = SHA-512, 5 = xxHash, 6 = xxHash3(128bit)] :
hash_mode3="0"
• If not verifying, record the src hash value in the file log [0 = Disabled, 1 = Enabled] :
hashAdd="0"

Examples:
• Diff mode with Verify and a filelist:
C:\tools\FastCopy\FastCopy.exe /logfile=C:\tools\FastCopy\ErrorLog.log /filelog=C:\tools\FastCopy\FileLog.log /cmd=diff /force_start /verify=TRUE /balloon=FALSE /no_ui /srcfile=C:\tools\FastCopy\filelists\files.txt /to="<DestDir>"
• Diff mode with Verify and specify the source directly instead of using a filelist:
C:\tools\FastCopy\FastCopy.exe /logfile=C:\tools\FastCopy\ErrorLog.log /filelog=C:\tools\FastCopy\FileLog.log /cmd=diff /force_start /verify=TRUE /balloon=FALSE /no_ui <file1> <file2> <...> /to="<DestDir>"

Notes:
• FastCopy2.ini and the log file will be created in the same folder as FastCopy.exe if FastCopy is installed outside of Program Files. (See: "11. Misc" in the documentation.)
• See also "5. Usage & Main Window" -> "Source / DestDir". Additionally, wildcards can be used.

For archiving of files/folders, choose WinRAR. For creating/restoring an image file of a Windows system partition, use the Rescue Media bootable ISO file of Acronis True Image (2021). Don't keep Acronis True Image installed on Windows. Instead, just use the Rescue Media bootable ISO file that comes with it (for free). Copy the bootable ISO file (and various other bootable image files that you also might want to use) onto a USB flash drive after formatting the USB flash drive with Ventoy. You only need to format it one time. The EFI partition that makes the USB flash drive bootable with Ventoy is just 32MB in size, the remaining space can be partitioned as NTFS and/or exFAT and/or etc. so basically, you can put anything you like on it and never have to reformat your USB flash drive again, even though it's bootable. And you can boot straight into just about any bootable image file, you can have multiple different bootable image files on it if you like. No need to use Rufus, as using Rufus (or similar) forces you to keep reformatting a USB flash drive each time so you lose all data stored on the USB flash drive so, to prevent that, use Ventoy instead of things like Rufus that have become pretty much obsolete now.

AFAIK and Im no nerd here. This type of system backup cant be tested other than by a drastic method of over-writing your existing healthy PC disc (all working perfectly ok) and seeing if it boots up again as before. Thats just too scary for me. You cant try your back up ext drive out on another similar PC - this would open the door to massive piracy cloning. Microsoft has always specifically tied a Win installation to the original hard credentials. So you only get to find if your backup works when the great crash happens. Of course a nerd would just blow this away but home based amateurs - well I guess you come here and whinge. Funny its not - this is such a basic simple need

man00 · Jan 20, 2023

Hasleo works great, I use it more than my paid macirum

BrianS · Jan 20, 2023

man00 said:
Hasleo works great, I use it more than my paid macirum

Hmm when you browse around you find many scary stories in the Backup Industry. OBTW this was from Trustpilot

jesseinsf · Jan 20, 2023

I use two forms or backup:

I create the same known folder names in OneDrive and then move those known folders to the same named folders in OneDrive. This gives me file history and Ransomware protection. Plus, I can right click any file and copy a shared link to share with others. All without going into the OneDrive folder.
I move my OneDrive folder (which has all my known folders) to a separate internal SSD and use an external drive for a second layer of File History. I'm thinking of getting an identical SSD and making a RAID 1 array for this internal separate storage.

Known folders are:

Desktop
Documents
Pictures
Music
Videos
Downloads

Solved A little help finding backup software

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