flashdaddy Loc: Berlin PA

Is there a software package (Windows 10) that will allow me to backup my work as I make changes during the day? I'd probably use a 1 or 2 TB WD drive. (I always turn my PC off at the end of the day before leaving the studio).

Presently I'm using Acronis 2019 (which I don't like) and backup my whole PC every Saturday. I have a 500gb SSD (which only has 64GB free) and 2-1 TB drives. Should I consider upping the SSD to a 1TB drive and then use my 500 as a Scratch Disk? To do so I'd have to swap my 2-1TB drives for a single 2TB drive.

Somewhere I saw that Apple has software that backs up as you go....don't remember the name, and was wondering if there was something similar for the PC.

drmike99 Loc: Fairfield Connecticut

The Apple software is called Time Machine and ships at no extra cost with all Mac computers as part of the OS. The initial backup takes hours. After that all backups are incremental and run in the background and the whole process is automated.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I am using CrashPlan with my Win10 desktop. It backs things up continuously. Whenever a new file is generated or an old file is changed, it gets backed up. I have it set to check at 10 minute intervals. Costs around $10/month. Insurance for peace of mind. It runs automatically in the background and I haven't noticed any impact to the performance of the desktop.

CrashPlan includes cloud storage. It also includes local storage. I use both, so when I have a problem I can restore from the local storage. No bandwidth problems. CrashPlan stores versions so if one of your files gets corrupted, you can return to an earlier version.

I have a 4 TByte disk in my desktop. That's where the local storage is kept. It is duplicated in the cloud in case my computer burns up and destroys the hard drive and the backup hard drive. In addition to CrashPlan I just copy all my important files to a couple external hard drives. Some are kept off line and some are kept remotely. They are all synchronized at random intervals when I think of it, approximately monthly.

My wife has an apple laptop. I'm barely apple literate, but I believe that the time machine only backs up what you tell it to. So you have to set it up when you set up your machine.

drmike99 Loc: Fairfield Connecticut

Time Machine backs up the entire disk and then backs up all changes hourly.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Apple’s Time Machine backs up everything, EXCEPT what you tell it to skip...it assumes you want everything backed up so it defaults to copying everything unless you exclude drives/folders. It also runs an incremental backup every hour by default. It is one of the easiest backup systems to set up and use. Restores can be done thru Time Machine with various versions or by finder by just copying files.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Thanks for that clarification. As I said, I am not an Apple user, only looking at it from nearby.
Does it save the backup forever? Is there a charge for cloud usage over some limit? If you delete a file is it also deleted on Time Machine?

drmike99 Loc: Fairfield Connecticut

Time machine thins out the pack over time. If you go back a way you retain only one backup for a day, then one per week etc. It is a local not cloud backup by default. So today I have hourly backups (for the time the computer was active) but less frequent retained backups for a few weeks ago etc etc.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Time Machine is not cloud storage, it is local. For example, I have a 10 TB external drive for my Time Machine backup. It will maintain backups every hour after the initial backup and clear away old redundant backups as needed when space gets short. Recommended setup is at least 1.5 times your system disk space...

10 TB provides me plenty of room to maintain a year or two of current backups before it will clean up redundant files.

At this moment, I have complete backups that are locally restorable from 7/18/2019 till 2/28/2020 and still have almost 5 TB of unused space on my TM backup.

If you delete a file it is not removed from TM.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

OK. I was conflating Time Machine with iCloud, I guess. Clearly I'm not literate in Apple stuff.

Sounds like it's something you can use as one leg of an archival system.

Are the data stored in a format that you can copy and save a snapshot of the TM in a remote location?

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Not as a snapshot, but the files & folders can be copied anywhere there is enough space.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

So the copy is in clear? Not compressed or anything?

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I like the way GoodSync works.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Yes

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Another vote for GoodSync

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

I use Time Maxhine and Back Blaze.