USB 3

[ian16th]

Just bought another external HDD. It was so cheap it was difficult to resist.

It has USB 3 capability and for the 1st time I have benefited from USB 3.

I plugged the HDD into the 'normal' USB hub on the front of the case and set of copying my Documents file. When Windows calculated the time to copy at 3hours and 30 minutes I glitched and thought of trying the USB 3 hub on the rear of the case.

Yes it was worth it, and estimate of 2 hours & 30 minutes!

An aside, anyone able to recommend any back up s/w that does incremental back ups of only the changed files?

[Boac]

Being a traditional cheapskate, I use 'EasUs ToDo' Free Backup which allows incremental backups via the 'schedule' function.

[Rwy in Sight]

What I do is to have all the documents to be backed up on a file. I do right click send to HDD. It starts sending it there and then it stops. Few seconds there is say there are xxx files with the same name do I want to replace or ignore them. Usually I leave those files alone and only copies new files.

[Boac]

How does that cope with changed files, RiS?

[Rwy in Sight]

Boac, if I understand correctly you are referring to updated files with the same name. I do avoid the issue by making new names like ops-normal_1/ _2 / finale!

[Boac]

I would have thought you would end up with zillions of files that way? An incremental backup is much tidier.

[Rwy in Sight]

Boac, I am not sure I understand the issue. I can assure you don't end with a zillion files. Only the files with the new names/new files are copied. The rest stay as they are in the back up drive. You might have a good point which I would need to see it in order to take it under consideration.

[Boac]

I think I am confused!
"What I do is to have all the documents to be backed up on a file" - do you mean you place all the document files in a folder or in a 'file'? I assume this folder or 'file' that you 'send to HDD' has a name?

OK. let's try this:
You have a document 'FileQ' in which the contents change every few days. Your system, as I understand it, is to place copies called FileQ1, FileQ2 etc etc on the back-up drive? "if I understand correctly you are referring to updated files with the same name. I do avoid the issue by making new names like ops-normal_1/ _2 / finale!"

I assume they stay there? After a few 'FileQ's' you will have a lot of FileQxxx on the drive, no? What is the use of the earlier files? Using an incremental backup you will have only 'FileQ' which is always the latest copy.

[llondel]

I used to have a nice set of backup scripts for Linux that would do a complete backup once a week, spit the tape out and email me to remind me to put a new tape in, then it would do incremental backups of anything that changed ("last modified" time is how you do that) each night, then at the end of the week it would spit that tape out and ask me to put a new tape in for the next full backup. Cycling through a dozen tapes meant I had a couple of months of backups on the shelf. Every six months or so I'd take one of the full backups and store it in a desk drawer at work. Worst-case restore would be just before the next full backup, when I'd have to restore the last full one and six incrementals.

Sadly, the cost of a tape drive system that has enough capacity to cope with modern hard disks is too much $$$ so I just sync all the user files onto a couple of other hard drives in different machines every night. Standing instructions to everyone in the household in case a sudden evacuation is required is to get themselves and the animals out, and if there's time grab the box with important paperwork and the small NAS box with a complete backup of files and photos.

[OFSO]

I use the same name plus the current date for backups copies. That way I know WHAT and WHEN. I keep the backup disc locked in a safe in the cellar so I can justify forgetting to do the backups.

[Rwy in Sight]

I think I am confused!
"What I do is to have all the documents to be backed up on a file" - do you mean you place all the document files in a folder or in a 'file'? I assume this folder or 'file' that you 'send to HDD' has a name?

OK. let's try this:
You have a document 'FileQ' in which the contents change every few days. Your system, as I understand it, is to place copies called FileQ1, FileQ2 etc etc on the back-up drive? "if I understand correctly you are referring to updated files with the same name. I do avoid the issue by making new names like ops-normal_1/ _2 / finale!"

I assume they stay there? After a few 'FileQ's' you will have a lot of FileQxxx on the drive, no? What is the use of the earlier files? Using an incremental backup you will have only 'FileQ' which is always the latest copy.

I have a folder full of subfolders with plenty of sub-folders and sub-sub-folders. Let's say I have a folder named RiS DOCS which contains folders named Aircraft, Boobs, Cognac, Drinks, Emperor A, Fish... Aircraft folder contains a folder named B727-284, a folder named A320 etc. the file Boobs contains sub-folders for A cups, B cups etc. If I right a text about B727-284 it is named Landing System 1 and once a revision is made it called Landing System 2. When I finished working with the landing system I make a file called Landing System Final. I may erase the previous document or not - they are useful to know how much work is made on each file revision and if I need to have access to previous versions.
So yes incremental back up may be useful but fairly often the files with the subversions are few both in numbers and small in volume.

OFSO I loved the second phrase of your input

[Boac]

RiS - right....... Stick with it! At least you understand it.

OFSO - IF you had a bottle of hooch in the cellar you could find an excuse for more backups..........

[OFSO]

Lidl Whiskey, €8 a bottle (or something like that) sadly as of last night, empty. Have to go to the backup, Ardbeg 12.2.2020. (See ?!)