Looking for a good Cloud Backup Vendor: Hey guys - I am currently using several external hard drives for my backups. I have lost data before so I am very paranoid about making sure I...

jcwall396 Loc: Roswell, GA

Hey guys - I am currently using several external hard drives for my backups. I have lost data before so I am very paranoid about making sure I have several backups of my photos both on my desktop and stored in a fireproof safe. I'm now looking for a good cloud backup vendor. I have about 3TB worth of data and as we travel, that's getting larger. What do you guys use? Looking for something not very complicated that I can backup to and restore if needed and quick / easy access.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I've been using Carbonite for years.
Haven't need to restore anything yet.
I like the way it "dots" the files and folders with a backup status, and I can say "Back this up as soon as possible" for new stuff. But new stuff is backed up rather quickly without requesting ASAP.
With any cloud backup, it will take days depending on how much you have to backup and your internet speed.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Backblaze. https://www.backblaze.com/
--Bob

jcwall396 wrote:

Hey guys - I am currently using several external hard drives for my backups. I have lost data before so I am very paranoid about making sure I have several backups of my photos both on my desktop and stored in a fireproof safe. I'm now looking for a good cloud backup vendor. I have about 3TB worth of data and as we travel, that's getting larger. What do you guys use? Looking for something not very complicated that I can backup to and restore if needed and quick / easy access.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

If it were me (and it is not), I would get a pair of Seagate or WD desktop 8TB external drives. Then use GoodSync to reliably keep them current.

WD: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1415979-REG/wd_wdbwlg0080hbk_nesn_8tb_wd_elements_desktop.html
Seagate: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1639080-REG/seagate_stkp8000400_stkp_8tb_expansion_desktop.html

For cloud services, it appears that the key choices are Carbonite, Backblaze, iDrive and Acronis. Tim Grey (one of my favorite gurus) promotes Backblaze. I have yet to use any because I am comfortable with a matched pair of large, affordable but simple drives.

jcwall396 Loc: Roswell, GA

bsprague wrote:

If it were me (and it is not), I would get a pair ... (show quote)

That's kind of what I'm doing now. Here is my scenario: We are lucky enough to have a house in Roswell, GA and one in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. I have my photos stored on three external drives (one primary and two backups). I take the primary drive with me when I travel from one home to the other. Unfortunately, I have limited USB ports on my Mac in Santa Rosa Beach so I can't take one of the external backup drives to perform a backup while I'm there. Just don't have enough ports on that Mac. So......that's why I'm looking for a Cloud vendor. Because sooner or later, I'm afraid I will drop my primary drive and lose whatever I added at the beach house.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Backblaze is easy and inexpensive. Like others have said, look for the first backup to take a long time. Most internet services have limits on how much you can upload each month even if you have unlimited download. It took me 3 months to get everything uploaded (about 4 tb all told) as I did not want to upgrade my internet plan. I just did as much as I could on my existing plan and waited. Now the backups take very little upload time.

ddetloff Loc: Fair Haven, MI

One more vote for Backblaze.

jcwall396 Loc: Roswell, GA

I looked at the Backblaze website and it does look very easy. A couple of Questions: It looks like it backs up EVERYTHING. Does it also let you select what you do or do not want backed up? And how easy it is to restore a single file? If, for example, I delete a photo and decide I need it back?

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

jcwall396 wrote:

Hey guys - I am currently using several external hard drives for my backups. I have lost data before so I am very paranoid about making sure I have several backups of my photos both on my desktop and stored in a fireproof safe. I'm now looking for a good cloud backup vendor. I have about 3TB worth of data and as we travel, that's getting larger. What do you guys use? Looking for something not very complicated that I can backup to and restore if needed and quick / easy access.

Carbonite!!!

https://www.carbonite.com/

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

frankraney wrote:

Carbonite!!!

https://www.carbonite.com/

Carbonite has basic things it backs up by default, and you can add folders or only certain files within folders (not the whole folder) if you like.

jcwall396 Loc: Roswell, GA

Perfect, thanks! For the Backblaze users, will it also do that?

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

I think I'm going to start fresh in the new year from scratch.
I have a lot of old information that's been backed up but it's gotten disorganized. I think a fresh 8 t drive will work and when I have time Transfer and reorganize

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Sidwalkastronomy wrote:

I think I'm going to start fresh in the new year from scratch.
I have a lot of old information that's been backed up but it's gotten disorganized. I think a fresh 8 t drive will work and when I have time Transfer and reorganize

Confused...
1. How does it get disorganized?
2. Why do you have to reorganize the backup? Isn't the backup the same file structure as your hard drive?

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Carbonite works for me.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Longshadow wrote:

Confused...
1. How does it get disorganized?
2. Why do you have to reorganize the backup? Isn't the backup the same file structure as your hard drive?