EaseUS Todo Best Type of Backup for changing photo folder

I'm about to set up a backup for a friend who's completely non tech savvy and has just got a new computer using EaseUs Todo and was wondering the best way / type of backup to use.

I'll probably do a one off drive image in case but he's only concerned about backing up their photos of which there are a number onto to an external USB drive which will be left permanently plugged in.

I was thinking the easiest would be to set up an Auto Sync from computer as the master (call this Left) to the external drive (call this Right) so whenever they add more photos to the computer they'll automatically be "sensed" and added to the backup, my concern with that is if they accidently deleted anything from the computer that'll be mirrored and removed from the Right as well .... I don't know enough about viruses and if it can delete files from the computer and again if they can I'm guessing that'd be mirrored to the right as well defeating the whole purpose of setting a backup????

If anyone can help with the best way to do this, I don't want to it back them all up every time it runs as it'll take ages and I assume create multiple backups on the right using masses of drive space but just to spot the changes on the left and copy them to the right.

One way I guess would be to start the sync manually although even this if you don't realise something's been deleted from the left, it'll still be deleted from the right?

Any suggestions please on the best to do this would be really appreciated!

First of all, something you might need to consider. If the computer is set up with a MS account, desktop, documents, pictures, & videos folders location defaults automatically to onedrive so these folders are already being backed up in Onedrive. Any changes, adds,deletes are reflected in Onedrive. OneDrive space limitations need to be considered. He gets 5gb free onedrive storage with his MS account. (100gb free if he buys Ofc365.) Only you can decide if these limitations of Onedrive space fits his needs. If he goes over his limit, he has to delete some files, buy additional onedrive space, OR use a special procedure to move all his files out of onedrive back onto his system drive and unlink the PC from onedrive. Be sure to report back if that comes into play here because it must be done correctly.

Only if he is using a local account are these folders located in his user folder on his system drive C:\users\hisusername\foldername.

The first thing to do is make a full system image and create a ToDo recovery usb drive.

Regarding syncing folders, I tried Easeus TODo for imaging and wasn't a fan, so I know little about it's folder sync feature. Maybe you will find your answers here about that. How to Sync Files Between Two Folders [Easy & Free]

A syncing app I am familiar with is FreeFileSync though I use it manually and it's proven dependable. It can be set up to run automatically though.
I would think ToDo sync feature is similar.
Manual here
To use FFS on a schedule, you set up a task in Windows Task Scheduler.

As my friend glasskuter has said, FreeFileSync is a great program, for real time mirror syncing RealTimeSync (which is included) is the key, RealTimeSync uses a FreeFileBackup job to run in real time. These are free and non restricted apps.

This is a lot of text for a simple process, but for the purpose of making it clear, as much as you seem like you already understand backups, it may help your friend to fully (hopefully) understand the process.

The way I have it setup:

FreeFileSync​

I created a folder in Documents on the C: Drive
_FreeFileSync-Jobs
This folder has to remain unchanged or the jobs wont work, the jobs that are asked to run will refer to and rely on the jobs in this folder.

Any FreeFileSync jobs, FreeFileSync Batch jobs or RealTimeSync jobs I create, I save to the Documents\_FreeFileSync-Jobs folder.

On the backup drive I have created a folder _Backups or _FreeFileSync-Backups
In the _Backups folder I have other folders which are related to the backup jobs I have created:

• External drive:\_backups\_FreeFileSync-Jobs folder
  • _backups\_FreeFileSync-Jobs\ (I back that up also so I can use them again if I reinstall)
  • _backups\Documents\
  • _backups\Clients\
  • _backups\Graphic Design\
  • _backups\Pictures\

etc
etc etc

• A FreeFileSync job is a job you create for a manual backup process.
• A FreeFileSync Batch job is a job that contains multiple FreeFileSync jobs that you can also run manually.
• A RealTimeSync job is a container that is used to create a real time sync for FreeFileSync jobs or FreeFileSync Batch jobs, or both at the same time.

When you click on a RealTimeSync job, it is loaded as a running process. So for the entire session you are in with Windows, the files will be monitored until you reboot and run the RealTimeSync job again on next boot.

• You can automate this by adding the RealTimeSync job to your startup folder and it will be activated when Windows starts.
• You backup jobs will start to be monitored in real time when Windows starts … or
• You can create a task in Task Scheduler to do the same, however the startup folder is the easiest and works the same way.

FreeFileSync Mirror Backup Video Tutorial

RealTimeSync ​

Rather than re-setup jobs in RealTimeSync, you open (File/Open) an existing FreeFileSync job/jobs/batch job, and they will automatically be added to the RealTimeSync window so you can save it (File/Save As) as a RealTimeSync job.

You then add it, or a shortcut to the RealTimeSync file into your startup folder. (creating a shortcut to the job is better I believe)

Create the job and save it, open the folder where you saved the job.
Right click on the job and select Create Shortcut.
Cut (or Copy/Paste) the shortcut and paste it as follows:

Press Windows+R and enter shell:startup" into the Run window and press enter.
Your Startup folder will open.
Cut (or Copy/Paste) the shortcut and paste it into the Startup folder to launch the RealTimeSync job when your PC starts

It’s best to save all jobs you create (FreeFileSync Jobs\FreeFileSync Batch Jobs\RealTimeSync Jobs) into the same folder for your convenience.
As I mentioned in my Structure posts, perhaps \Documents\_FreeFileSync-Jobs\
I place the _ before the folder name so it stays at the top of my Documents folder

RealTimeSync explanation


RealTimeSync Video Tutorial:


Other FreeFileSync Backup Video Tutorials

Please Note:

The one big problem with a RealTimeSync Mirror job is that if your friend was to permanently delete all their photos by accident, RealTimeSync (mirror job) will delete them from the backup drive.

As much as RealTimeSync would not delete them permanently (unless you told it to) and they will still be in the deleted items folder, it could cause an issue.

In this case, I would recommend creating the FreeFileSync job and placing a shortcut to it on the desktop or Taskbar or Start Menu so your friend can run it manually as glasskuter does.

Brilliant everyone and thank you for the replies there's some really useful info there!!

Personally I use Goodsync for work which has always been good and I just run it manually once in a while but as I need it to back up to my work c;loud account rather than personal, Goodsync will only do this with a subscribed option and I don't think he necessarily needs that for his attached storage.

I think he has got a Onedrive account but it's not a subscribed / O365 so they're photos massively exceed the amount of storage available.

I'll have a look at the options mentioned and also be very aware of "accidently" deleting the source files and then auto syncing it.

Thanks again and much appreciated!!

Witterings said:

be very aware of "accidently" deleting the source files and then auto syncing it.

Click to expand...

That would be the only foreseeable issue if it was set as real time mirror syncing, if your friend deleted something by accident it would also delete from the destination.

A manual double click to open it would be fine.
Fell free to ask any questions when you get around to it.

Cheers.