Hard drive backup options

[matchu]

Hello everyone

I'm helping my girlfriend out with her new laptop. What she wants to be able to do is to have an external hard drive that she can back up her work/data to.

That's simple enough, but is there a convenient way to do it? As in, simply plug in the drive whenever she feels and then have it automatically create a copy of a specific folder onto the external drive?

She has a WD 80GB 2.5" hard drive (I can look up the model number later if that's necessary).

Thanks

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

There's plenty, I can't say I've used any, but browse around the downloads section or do some google searches.
What you're looking for would likely be classified as a file syncing program. First one on the techspot download's list is GoodSync 8.3.5.7.

 

[Leeky]

As HK has commented, that is an option.

Another option (following the thread title) would be to use the external drive as a backup drive. e.g. to make a weekly/daily image of the hard disk in the laptop and use the external drive as the storage means for those backups.

There are plenty of freeware, and paid versions available that will be suitable for your needs. You need to decide if what you want is to synchronise files, or make backups of your (girlfriends) entire hard disk.

Synchronising files will ensure you don't lose them, but will do nothing to help you recover the entire OS should something happen. Regular backups will protect your entire hard disk from failures, and will also make restore the previous image backup much, much faster as well.

 

[hughva]

I'm fond of Sync Toy:
https://www.microsoft.com/downloads...36-98e0-4ee9-a7c5-98d0592d8c52&displaylang=en
Remember, your files are never safe on a hard drive.
Make optical or cloud backups also if you care about your files.

 

[matchu]

Mostly, I'm just concerned about backing up files. For an OS backup, I will just create an image backup DVD. I hate the lack of OS disc on laptops nowadays =(

Thanks for the input! I will look up these programs