Topic: Perfect solution for backing up media files (Read 3660 times)

HTPC4ME · « **on:** March 22, 2008, 10:31:34 am »

just curious on how alot of you back up your media files. For years now i have been backing up my files , music pics vids, onto external HDD's that i disconnect after the backup.

I guess my question is there a smart backup software you guys use?

Ive noticed i am always tweaking my media center library, and my windows media folders. So when i do backups of my new edits in my windows folders my backups are no longer up to date on the externals HDDS.

So when i redo my my next backup i always have to erase all info that i previously backed up then i put all the new info back on the external drives so that i have a upto date back up.

Is there some sort of software that is smart enough to scan my windows media folders and my backup HDD when i connect it and see that i have removed or renamed files, or moved files around, and to make those changes on the external? or do i have to every time just erase the whole external and then backup new changes to it completelly?

Seems like a lot of work, and i would think there may be a better route for me to take.

Any ideas would be much appreciated

rjm · « **Reply #1 on:** March 22, 2008, 11:35:51 am »

Super Flexible File Synchronizer does what you want plus a lot more. I have been using it for many years and am a very happy customer.

dcwebman · « **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2008, 04:05:38 pm »

SyncBackSE - http://www.2brightsparks.com/
Works flawlessly for me.

AndyCircuit · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2008, 06:03:44 pm »

Free:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

HTPC4ME · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2008, 07:31:34 pm »

thanks for all the replies, ive yet to read all the links, but hope you guys understand what im asking, im asking about having an external HDD, with say 60 gigs of material on it. then backing up same FOLDERS that have been edited on windows , and say only equal now 45 gigs, is there software that will scan that external, leave the files that dont need to be moved and delete the others, OR MOVE the others that have been moved. which in tur you would end up having a new back up where one would not have to do a completely new backup. but it would delete rename move files as needed to make it a perfect backup.

thanks again.. I just didnt want this topic to get into just basic backups. so others who may be interested in this can use the same software.

darichman · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2008, 07:46:01 pm »

Like rjm, I also use Super Flexible File Synchronizer. It does all that you mention and has a lot of smart options and configurability...

pank2002 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2008, 08:44:38 pm »

I am sure you can program xxcopy to do just that. It is a nice backup program, if you do not mind cli.
-Rasmus

modelmaker · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2008, 09:02:34 pm »

Quote from: AndyCircuit on March 22, 2008, 06:03:44 pm

Free:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

I've been using Karen's Replicator to do just what you described for several years now. You can also schedule the app to do everything automatically once you have it set up. Very easy to use. And it's FREE!

BullishDad · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2008, 09:13:39 pm »

Like dcwebman, I'm using Syncback SE. Works great.

Doof · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2008, 11:49:28 pm »

I just downloaded the trial of SyncBack SE, and so far, I like it. I've also checked out various file synchronizers, and they're just not what I'm looking for. I like the idea that if I find out, two weeks from now, that I accidentally deleted a file, that it will still be on my backup drive. With an actual folder sync, I don't get that luxury.

RiderFan · « **Reply #10 on:** March 23, 2008, 01:48:54 am »

This is a great topic for me, as I have spent the last 3 days trying many backup software programs. Bestsync 2008, Genie, Syncback, Second Copy, Backup 4all, and a few others that I can't remember the names of. One thing I noticed is that if you delete a file on the destination side, most programs won't back the file up again. It sounds crazy but try it. Delete a file from your destination, do a manual backup, and I bet the file will still be missing. I think the programs go by their database of what should be there, instead of checking before they backup as to what is actually there. This is not a desired feature in a backup program to be sure.

Only 2 programs I tested will find the missing file and re-back it up. That was Bestsync 2008 and Super Flexible. I was using the mirror profile.

I will purchase Super Flexible.

Doof · « **Reply #11 on:** March 23, 2008, 02:16:16 am »

Quote from: RiderFan on March 23, 2008, 01:48:54 am

This is a great topic for me, as I have spent the last 3 days trying many backup software programs. Bestsync 2008, Genie, Syncback, Second Copy, Backup 4all, and a few others that I can't remember the names of. One thing I noticed is that if you delete a file on the destination side, most programs won't back the file up again. It sounds crazy but try it. Delete a file from your destination, do a manual backup, and I bet the file will still be missing. I think the programs go by their database of what should be there, instead of checking before they backup as to what is actually there. This is not a desired feature in a backup program to be sure.

Only 2 programs I tested will find the missing file and re-back it up. That was Bestsync 2008 and Super Flexible. I was using the mirror profile.

I will purchase Super Flexible.

SyncBack does this as well, as long as you don't tell it to do a Fast Backup. With a Fast Backup, it relies solely on its database of what's on the backup drive to determine what to copy over. The upside is that the backup will run faster, but you obviously run into the problem you mentioned. As long as you disable the Fast Backup option (it asks you if you want it when you set up a backup profile), it'll rescan the destination drive each time to determine what needs to be copied.

craft · « **Reply #12 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:57:41 am »

mesue · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2008, 11:05:06 am »

I got a Windows Home Server (HP MediaSmart) and I no longer need to obsess about backups. Love it! For my music, I store it on the server with duplication enabled, but you could just as easily add your music drive to the automatic backups and have it backed up that way.

dcwebman · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2008, 07:09:59 am »

Just to clarify what I do, all my music (and the majority of my data) is on a NAS that has Raid 1. It has two 500GB drives in it and of course uses one 500GB and the other gets duplicated automatically. Once a week, I use an external 500GB drive and use SyncBackSE to make the external drive identical to the NAS drive(s). I just did that last night and it took 9 minutes with the Fastback option. Now the external drive is off-site until next week.

newsposter · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2008, 08:24:54 am »

Windows Home Server has severe reliability problems up to and including complete loss of data. The onset of these problems is not really predictable although MSFT has ID'd some scenarios in which a server is more at risk than others. Also, 'past history' of a well-running WHS is not an indication of what might happen tomorrow.

Everything in my house gets backed up to one of my storage servers each day or two.

Then I run backups on the storage server once/twice a month. Those backups use Cobian Backup to drive an LTO-3 tape machine that I got for $200 including 8 tapes. Although external 1Gb USB2/Firewire800 drives are in the $250 range now so when this tape drive gives up the ghost, I will probably switch back tp using portable drives as 'removeable' media.

http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

olarte · « **Reply #16 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:31:02 pm »

Quote from: BullishDad on March 22, 2008, 09:13:39 pm

Like dcwebman, I'm using Syncback SE. Works great.

Ditto on Syncbackse it's $25 and it works great, mirrors\syncs one way, both whatever.

I backup all media to another home share for user and to an external mybook for archiving... have used it for a few years without any issues.

olarte · « **Reply #17 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:33:01 pm »

Quote from: Doof on March 23, 2008, 02:16:16 am

SyncBack does this as well, as long as you don't tell it to do a Fast Backup. With a Fast Backup, it relies solely on its database of what's on the backup drive to determine what to copy over. The upside is that the backup will run faster, but you obviously run into the problem you mentioned. As long as you disable the Fast Backup option (it asks you if you want it when you set up a backup profile), it'll rescan the destination drive each time to determine what needs to be copied.

Yes SYncbackSE does work fine (I don't use fast backup) and to prove it once in a while, I will do a file properties on the backed up directories (the top one being media) and both source and destination come up with the same number of files\directories\bytes.

craft · « **Reply #18 on:** March 25, 2008, 04:56:05 pm »

mesue · « **Reply #19 on:** March 25, 2008, 05:40:24 pm »

Quote from: craft on March 25, 2008, 04:56:05 pm

have you experienced any of the notorious data corruption bug on whs so far?

No, I haven't. My purpose in buying the server was not to store working files, so the bug workarounds have not impacted my usage of it very much. Except for music and a couple other things, I just don't edit files on the server.

I do have duplication enabled on my music share and I DO allow MC to edit play counts and ratings in the tags. I do bulk tagging of new music on a local drive and then move it to the server, but if I am tweaking tags here and there, I go ahead and edit directly on the server. My music files aren't irreplaceable, so I feel okay taking the chance with them but so far I have not encountered any corruption.

I also keep my Keepass Database on the server where I edit it directly, but I have incremental backups going to several other places, so if anything were to happen it would not be a big deal. So far, it has been fine.

IMO, the bug has been blown way out of proportion. It does not affect single drive servers at all. It does not affect the functionality of the automated backups. It has no affect on media streaming or remote access. According to Microsoft, it only occurs in very rare circumstances. IMO, this is a great little box that has given me a lot of peace of mind and enjoyment despite the notorious corruption bug.

NoBS · « **Reply #20 on:** March 25, 2008, 05:52:51 pm »

SyncBackSE has earned its cost many times over for me.
Also use Acronis True Image 11 Home because I got it for $10 after threatening them for the $20 rebate.
Much faster than SyncBack and is a great 2nd option but with some limits.
For a simple OS boot and compressed data recovery Ti11 has proven itself but SyncbackSE for real time data really is hard to beat.
For those who want is simple (less flexibility) SyncBack will have a higher
There are better options, but it works for me.

AustinBike · « **Reply #21 on:** March 25, 2008, 07:46:46 pm »

I have 2 D-Link DNS-323 NAS devices on my network. I use Allways Sync to keep the two completely in sync. I push from one to the other.

mattsnuts · « **Reply #22 on:** March 28, 2008, 04:12:13 pm »

I use Microsoft's free XP Powertoy, Synctoy to sync with my external HDD

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/synctoy.mspx

-Matt

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Author Topic: Perfect solution for backing up media files (Read 3660 times)

RiderFan

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