Moving to the "Cloud" for storage and backups?

I (we’ve) reached the point in life where swapping hard drives in and out of carriers for backups isn’t as much fun as it used to be. We’d like to put our 2 computers into an environment where we know the data and O/S are consistently backed up, available when needed, and managed as “automatically” as reasonable. This includes safety from fires and floods, so we’re thinking some kind of automated cloud backup/restore method, if possible.

We’re talking a couple of ordinary Windows 11 PCs with a normal amount of ordinary data, nothing outlandish.

Can I use “the cloud” to hold my data, O/S, programs, whatever instead of a bunch of backup hard drives? If so, in the event of a problem, HOW would I restore my computer so it would boot and function normally? Are we still messing with bootable flash drives (that may be buried in the ashes), or something else?

We currently have Microsoft 365, I hope Microsoft would be an adequate place to manage all this (if I’m drastically wrong, please let me know).

As I said – we’d like to have our 2 PCs do periodic backups, be available for use when needed, and backed up so they can be restored in the event of a problem.

We’ve searched for actual information about, but it’s mostly advertising or gibberish, and we’re having a very hard time finding good, usable information that will let us get this working.



Thanks in advance!

How much data are you backing up? I have automated backups to internal drives and to my NAS drive. I also have manual backups to a pair of 4TB NVMe external drives. Finally, I use MEGA to do a cloud backup of my most critical data. When I travel, I take my most recent backup to my external drives with me.

Hello GracieAllen,

I was using the MSoft Cloud since originally available. Early on this looked like an external drive and was super easy to use, then they wanted to Sync everything and then that became very complex. If you deleted something on the cloud what happened to your file on your primary PC, never very clear so i stopped using the Cloud.

I have multiple disc drive backups for my business. I create recovery discs for the OS.

Recently my MSoft account was stolen. I could see the hacker actively changing passwords that kept me locked out. I eventually found a ContactUs on Microsoft help page and then spent 2.5 hours with a fantastic MSoft chat member trying to resolve the stolen account.

They could see the fraudulent activity real time and advised me that if they were unable to recover my account during the chat, that no one in MSoft could recover ANY of my data and in the end they recommended closing the account.

The account closure wiped all my Cloud data. No problem as I had stopped using the Cloud a few years back.

My advice is don't use the Cloud UNLESS you have a real time backup of your important files and NEVER store any passwords on your PC

cheers

bjbrtb

I uss iDrive cloud backup as one method of my overall backup scheme but not the only method.

I have no doubt there are valid concerns about using the cloud for things, but, at this point the chances are good that it it's going to be something like MS365 or nothing 'cause I don't see this happening if we're screwing around with hard drives and creating backups and all that. And I'll have to buy additional hard drives.

I'm guessing we're looking at 2 - 3 GB of data at most. We can start small and see how it goes.

My experience with backing up has been the very old, manual, Windows backup. I don't remember it any more, but there was a need to have a bootable flash drive and some kind of install kit, and a LOT of messing around get the backups to work. It was never very reliable or robust, but since it was all "local", MOST of the time, if I was lucky, I could eventually get the backup to restore and get the PC back online. I'd rather NOT have to rely on that method any more.

So given what I'd LIKE to do, is it reasonably possible? Can I have a PC that manage O/S and data in the cloud, and where if there's a problem it can be be fixed by the cloud so the PC is fully restored - even should the problem be something like a fire, flood or something catastrophic that requires me to replace the whole system? As I said, we're likely looking at MS365 because we're already using it.

Is there a decent guide anywhere that provides a useful amount of information about the what how of using the cloud for managing the PC? So far I'm having very little luck finding ANY useful information about ANY of this stuff. They just say some kind of magic happens and it all works - I'm always a bit skeptical of "magic".

The "cloud" is simply other people's storage. If you are interested in security, back it up yourself. Don't give it away.
I back up both to an internal NVMe, and via USB SSK brand adapter to an external NVMe. I use Terabyte Image for Windows because it is fast, and because it correctly handles mixed windows/Linux drives. My backups typically take 1-3 minutes for a full image. I have been doing windows since 3.11 and 95.

GracieAllen said:

I have no doubt there are valid concerns about using the cloud for things, but, at this point the chances are good that it it's going to be something like MS365 or nothing 'cause I don't see this happening if we're screwing around with hard drives and creating backups and all that. And I'll have to buy additional hard drives.

I'm guessing we're looking at 2 - 3 GB of data at most. We can start small and see how it goes.

My experience with backing up has been the very old, manual, Windows backup. I don't remember it any more, but there was a need to have a bootable flash drive and some kind of install kit, and a LOT of messing around get the backups to work. It was never very reliable or robust, but since it was all "local", MOST of the time, if I was lucky, I could eventually get the backup to restore and get the PC back online. I'd rather NOT have to rely on that method any more.

So given what I'd LIKE to do, is it reasonably possible? Can I have a PC that manage O/S and data in the cloud, and where if there's a problem it can be be fixed by the cloud so the PC is fully restored - even should the problem be something like a fire, flood or something catastrophic that requires me to replace the whole system? As I said, we're likely looking at MS365 because we're already using it.

Is there a decent guide anywhere that provides a useful amount of information about the what how of using the cloud for managing the PC? So far I'm having very little luck finding ANY useful information about ANY of this stuff. They just say some kind of magic happens and it all works - I'm always a bit skeptical of "magic".

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Our desktop has several partitions. I inadvertently deleted several folders on one of those partitions. I was able to do a complete restore of those folders within minutes from our iDrive cloud backup.

Fine until Putin cuts the cables and cloud storage stops working

Whatever you choose, just make sure you understand how your choice of cloud works. Some off-site storage work as backup, files on your devices are copied to the cloud storage and stay there. A good cloud storage will allow you to choose.

Others are synchronous, what happens on one side is reflected on the other side (this is one of the traps OneDrive users fall into, they delete a file because they believe it is stored safely, only to have it disappear altogether)

You will get a plethora of arguments "my cloud storage is better than his/her cloud storage", an argument simply based on an individual's needs. And these obviously vary from user to user. Your search engine is your friend, but in the end, it'll be your decision based on your research

As you have MS 365, you have 1TB of Onedrive cloud space, so do not need anymore for only a few GB of data.

Frankly, I would ignore advice to use other cloud services - whats the point in paying for them, when you already have Onedrive available to you?

I think you are rather overthinking things really.

The simplest solution is to have your user folders moved to onedrive, then data in those folders are automatically backed up to the cloud.

There are quite a few tutorials on the tenforums and elevenforum sections how to use onedrive effectively.

I recommend you go through the tutorials and learn how to use onedrive, then you will be able to derive backup strategies that suit you.

Re. onedrive traps deleting files - that is true of any cloud service and is ALWAYS operator error due to lack of understanding.

Take baby steps learning how to use onedrive.

Of course, cloud storage should not be your only backup mechanism. I would still have a dedicated usb hard drive - the golden rule being critical data should be backed up in two separate places.

I stress critical data here as a lot of data is not that critical e.g. videos that could be redownloaded any way.

So, you have a suitable tool - you just have to learn how to use it, and decide a suitable backup.

Note - cloud services are good for data backup unless you have megafast internet, doing image backups to the cloud can take quite a while.

IMO, it is better to image backup to (say) a usb hardrive, then copy image manually to onedrive where it will then sync accordingly.

Also ignore all the ridiculous Cloud is the spawn of the devil type posts - these guys wear tin foil hats.

cereberus said:

Also ignore all the ridiculous Cloud is the spawn of the devil type posts - these guys wear tin foil hats.

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That‘s your opinion. Kindly allow others to have theirs.

I second using Onedrive.
I'm a graphic designer and I have access to all of my files wherever I am on all my devices

Back up each machine to at least its own external hard drive, i.e., a system backup. Set it in auto-maintenance, with one scheduled full backup and several scheduled differential or incremental backups, after which a back up set is automatically deleted and a new set made before the drive becomes full.

If both machines have the same system, make one backup from one of them and keep that drive offsite.

Finally, back up data to the cloud using a schedule.

If machines still run and you need to recover quickly, you can do so from the last incremental or differential backup, and for even more recent data, from the cloud.

If machines no longer run and need a full restore, do so from the full backup, then repeat the process above.

If all machines are lost, then get one ones, restore from the offsite backup, update, and then restore from the cloud.

Or something like that.

While I have my key data backed up in the cloud, I also have multiple layers of local backup. Truthfully, the only use I've gotten from the cloud backup is the fact that I can access that data on my phone when I'm not at home, which is a useful feature. I'm a strong proponent of local backup, you can customize it to your situation. To minimize the risk of a major fire, I have networked layers of backup. My "final" local backup is the USB drive on the NAS that automatically tracks the main mirrored volume. That drive is in a makeshift "vault" that's a cinderblock cavity with a lid in the basement with the NAS. That should be fireproof for everything but a total fire. With a house equipped with sprinklers, that's a pretty unlikely scenario. In my location, the possibility of a flood or total destruction from a weather event is just not a realistic possibility, that's one benefit of my location in SE-PA.

Thanks a ton for all the feedback! It's helped solidify in both our minds that we need some layers of protection, but can (hopefully) still keep things "reasonable".

Looks like I'll be doing a few things - adding a couple hard drives that get regularly swapped, and continue looking at cloud storage for critical things.

I'm at the point of "the pretty good cloud setup that is there and usable is better than the perfect one that you DON'T have."

I believe we can be pretty well covered for normal stuff with a little work, and the gap between that and the complete disaster of a tornado going through the house is so huge I'm not sure HOW we'd protect against the latter without something more robust than I have available.

Again, thanks for the info, and I'd welcome any pointers to articles or other information on how to actually set up the online environment so it's as usable as possible...

I am using MEGA, but I signed up when you could get a 50GB account for free. :) I don't know what it is now.

gunrunnerjohn said:

While I have my key data backed up in the cloud, I also have multiple layers of local backup. Truthfully, the only use I've gotten from the cloud backup is the fact that I can access that data on my phone when I'm not at home, which is a useful feature. I'm a strong proponent of local backup, you can customize it to your situation. To minimize the risk of a major fire, I have networked layers of backup. My "final" local backup is the USB drive on the NAS that automatically tracks the main mirrored volume. That drive is in a makeshift "vault" that's a cinderblock cavity with a lid in the basement with the NAS. That should be fireproof for everything but a total fire. With a house equipped with sprinklers, that's a pretty unlikely scenario. In my location, the possibility of a flood or total destruction from a weather event is just not a realistic possibility, that's one benefit of my location in SE-PA.

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Using a NAS etc --is fine -- but even a NAS needs to have at least one copy of backup -- but again I think if your home was ravaged by fire / flood, earthquake, thermo nuclear war etc etc !! I'm sure you'd have far bigger problems to contend with than loss of some data however irreplaceable. Unpredictable events can (and do) happen - just look at that recent meteor strike in Russia recently - near a largish city in a stable area (no flood / earthquake etc risks) that could have caused real massive destruction .

Cheers
jimbo

I've used OneDrive for the past 16 years.

I work entirely from my local 1 Terabyte C: Drive and all my data and photos are kept in my OneDrive folder. I'm a Microsoft 365 subscriber which includes 1 Terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage. I have OneDrive set to mirror my local OneDrive folder; thus I always have all my work backed up throughout the day in real-time as I work. This is vitally important to me as I don't ever want to lose anything I'm working on.

I make a Macrium Reflect image every night before shutting down, alternating between two 4TB Samsung T9 Portable SSD's each containing 7 rotating daily images. The image only takes about 5 minutes to make. This results in always having a full image of my drive going back every day for two weeks.

cereberus said:

Take baby steps learning how to use onedrive.

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No truer words were ever spoken. You must have a full understanding of Onedrive to be able to use it effectively AND smartly.