Computer back up to external hard drive

[JBR]

I hope an expert on here can help me, perhaps Klon?

I have two external hard drives on to which I have been backing up all my files on my computer.  I have been using Macrium Reflect, but this now seems to have been closed down with the exception of a free alternative which will not work permanently, so in my opinion is not worth the risk.

I have Googled for alternatives but there are so many so I hope someone can advise me of the best option.

I would like to do an initial full copy of everything on the computer in case of complete loss, and then regularly add new or updated files and images.  I assume that I shall have to delete what is already on the external hard drives as these were saved using Macrium and I'm not sure that I can restore them without using Macrium to do so?

Thank you for reading.  I should be very grateful for some expert advice.

[Ashy]

I just copy the files I want. If it's all of them, start higher up the directory tree and copy all the subfolders. It takes time of course.

[klondike]

You may be wrong about Macrium Reflect. I've been using the free version for years and they frequently try to push the paid options usually by a limited time free trial. Mine was updated pretty recently.

To be honest I've moved away from taking images as I have never once needed to restore one and now it is easy to download the installation media to install Windows and produce a bootable USB drive to reinstall. You would clearly need a PC to do that and I do have two but if you can borrow one or get somebody to do the job for you that is the operating system sorted apart from the hassle of reinstalling other software you use.

I use a Synology NAS for secure long-term storage which can tolerate a single drive failure although a fire would be a problem. I use Dropbox cloud storage which syncs across all my windows machines for most of my working documents and they go back many years. I got about 7GB free years ago which is fine for text and the like. Pictures, videos audio books and the like go on the NAS and I have lots of films and box sets on USB drives -.if they fail then many could be downloaded again anyway.

[JBR]

Thanks, both, for the advice.
I have accepted a 30 day trial of Macrium Reflect for now.  I shall have to think about whether or not to pay an annual fee which, I think, is around £30 or so.
I'll have a look at Synology later.

[klondike]

There is no need to use the paid version. That is the trick I was talking about.

You can get the free version here

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html

From memory you register it and get a key associated with your email address.

[JBR]

Thanks for that, Klon.  I have downloaded it and shall look into it when I have more time.  At first glance, though, the interface appears differently to what I have used before, but I shall try to work it out later.
Thanks again.

[klondike]

It should be the current version. I installed a free version years back and have just installed updates when prompted. 

As I said in my first post I rarely use it anymore as the images are so large and reviving a windows machine with a reinstall is so easy now. Restoring individual files from an image is possible but a bit of a PITA. I use Dropbox for anything I'm going to update as it maintains versions so fixing finger trouble by reverting to an earlier version is easy. Long term stuff gets moved to the NAS.

[JBR]

An update.
I have installed the free version of Macrium Reflect.  Upon opening it up, it looked completely different to the version I have been using which presented a layout of both my C drive on the left and my backup E drive (external) on the right.  I found that very helpful as it demonstrated clearly what was on each drive for comparison.  It was then easy to click a button to transfer anything new from C to E.
The new version looks completely different and, having explored all the settings, I cannot reproduce what I have become used to, so I have decided not to bother with it.

Instead, I have decided to do what I think you suggested.  I already routinely save a copy of any new or updated file to Google Drive, and I then back up these to my external E drive by dragging each file from Google Drive to the appropriate place on my E drive, which I have now found quite easy to do.  The only minor problem is to remember where to put each file on my E drive, which Macrium used to do automatically, but I must first check where each file is stored on my C drive.  This just takes a little bit of extra work, though for most things I can usually remember anyway.  I hope this makes sense.

Although a little extra work compared to Macrium, which did it automatically, it is no big problem and I think that is what I shall do in future, although perhaps more frequently so as not to have a big job with quite a lot of files on Google Drive.

I have to say that I was very happy with Macrium until they changed things, which I think happened at the beginning of the new year.  I have also saved myself around £40 a year for the privilege of using Macrium!

Thanks again for the advice.  This forum does come up with some very helpful ideas sometimes.

[klondike]

Macrium Reflect has never dealt with individual files. It is an imaging program which will backup entire partitions or drives into a single img file. The reason the Macrium Reflect you installed looks nothing like what you have been using is because what you have been using wasn't Macrium Reflect. 

[JBR]

Macrium Reflect has never dealt with individual files. It is an imaging program which will backup entire partitions or drives into a single img file. The reason the Macrium Reflect you installed looks nothing like what you have been using is because what you have been using wasn't Macrium Reflect.

My apologies.  You are absolutely correct.

It appears that I once had FreeFileSync on my home screen.  For some reason, possibly because I haven't used it for some time, the shortcut on my home screen seems to have been replaced by a shortcut for Macrium Reflect.  I don't know how that should have happened, but as my brain is becoming aged and failing to work properly, I assumed that Macrium was the programme I have been using.

I have searched on my computer and found the FreeFileSync software hiding away in some corner somewhere.  I opened it and was advised that it has been updated a few times, so I updated it!
It is a 'donation' edition, to which I have probably donated in the past.  I opened it and, of course, it appears exactly like I remembered (and assumed was Reflect).  I shall now use it, just as I have done back in the olden days.  I shall also donate again because it is exactly what I wanted.

Thanks again for the suggestion which prompted me to search for what I was looking for, even though I couldn't remember what it was called.

[klondike]