How to Copy and Sync Personal Files using Backup Software

This is typical usage scenario for our backup software,

Customer asks:

I would like to make copies of all my personal files in their native programs on to a hard drive (use 3 by rotation).

When I update the copies, I would like only those that are changed in my computer to be accordingly changed in the hard drive copy.

I would like to be able to read the copied files in the hard drive in the native program without the need to access the files through the program (BackupChain) that created the copies (e.g. from another computer that does not have BackupChain).

I just want to keep only one copy (the most recent updated) on each hard drive of all the files from my computer and not have older generations still maintained adding to clutter and using up hard drive space.

 

Does your program do this? If yes, which version? Thank you

 

BackupChain Response:

Yes, all of the above can be done using any BackupChain Edition. On a typical PC running XP, Vista, Windows 7 , or Windows 8 you could use the Professional Edition.

Below are some suggestions and comments on how to set up the file synchronization and copy task in BackupChain:

 

Backup Drive Rotation (perhaps using USB):

First of all, you’ll need to set up the 3 drives to use the same drive letter. This can be done using the Windows Disk Management screen. Remember not to plug them in simultaneously because Windows will change the drive letter arrangement if there is a clash.

Backup Task Creation to Set up a File Copy Task

When you create a task in BackupChain, use the option ‘I want to choose different settings’,

then click no compression, and set deduplication to off.

The box “automatic clean up” should be set to 1.

By switching off both compression and deduplication, you effectively create a file copy task, or file synchronization task. All files and folders will be copied / replicated to each drive separately.

In case of a restore, you could use any of the 3 or more drives you have to do a full restore. All backup drives are treated as independent vaults.

In addition, all your files can be opened directly from the backup drive without using BackupChain’s Restore Screen, since all files are available in their native formats.

 

Automatic Deletion of Backup Files After Original Has Been Deleted

If you want deleted files to be deleted in the backup, too, use the File Types table and set Delayed Deletion to 0 sec or some time frame of your choice, such as 7 days for example

 

Customer asks:

Thank you. So if I open the ‘backed up’ files in the hard drive from another computer, for instance, I will see all the files exactly as it was in the other computer from which the copies were made and can be read using Word, pdf, jpg etc. programs. And there will be no old versions of the files(i.e.the files from the last ‘back up’ as they were before the changes)

 

BackupChain Support:

That’s correct. The default setting is 10; hence, you would see up to the last 10 changes for each file. However, by setting ‘number of backups’ to 1, BackupChain will delete all older copies automatically and keep only the most recent one.

You may download BackupChain Backup Software here.