Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

Ok, you have all helped with the new computer questions and hard drive storage and Lightroom.

Some have mentioned Backblaze and GoodSnyc. Are there others you would recommend and why?
I need easy and not looking to break the bank.
Thanks again for yet more info.
Beth

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Maybe some are familiar with Adobe and use with LightRoom and add that into your query. I need to do something as well!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I've been using Carbonite for years now.
After the initial backup, changes are backed up quickly, I can add folders and/or files to the default items, and one can set a little dot indicator for the files in Windows Explorer that shows backup status.

Don't forget to include documents, spreadsheets, and other important files, not just photos.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

There are two parts to a disaster recovery solution: backup or mirroring SW and a cloud storage provider. In terms of the provider, I strongly suggest that you choose a major cloud provider such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft or Apple, etc. A major provider will store your data at 3-6 geographically separate locations with your primary site relatively close to you. Backblaze is a well known tier 2 provider (tier 2 because they are smaller with less financial resources and fewer data center locations than the major providers) that is popular because of their relatively low pricing for unlimited storage. In your situation with slow internet access, I would pick a provider that will loan you a drive to put all your initial data in the cloud - Backblaze provides this service. Avoid the small cloud services with names you’ve never heard of with a single data center like the plague, regardless of the price.

In terms of the backup applications that will copy your data to the cloud (automatically), there are a number of choices and GoodSync is one of the 3rd party aps (which I use) as is Syncback, Acronis, etc., but everyone has their favorites. If you’re on an Apple platform, the built in TimeFinder Ap backing up to ICloud is an obvious choice. If you’re on a Windows platform, the built in backup Ap works well if you choose the Microsoft OneDrive cloud. If you’re a novice at this, Backblaze may be a good choice for you as they have their own Ap to use with their cloud, which is very easy to set up, plus they’ll loan you a HD to do your initial upload (or download in the event you need to restore your data quickly).

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I am a retired software engineer. That doesn’t make me “special”, but it does mean that I’m hard to ‘snow’.

After a while using Linux on our desktop computer, I have purchased a Win 11 laptop computer. I was surprised to discover that OneDrive {in the cloud} is now their default drive, and there is no easy way to use the C:\ drive; very early on, Microsoft expected money from me to pay for more storage. For now, my strategy is to use an external D:\ drive. I’m not sure how that translates to Adobe products.

13 Loc: I am only responsible to what I say..not what

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I shut off "auto access" to One Drive and must manually log into it if I want to use it.
WAY TOO MUCH GARBAGE on the directory (left side) of Explorer using One Drive active! So convoluted.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

Add some SSDs to your system and back up to them. Cloud has 2 drawbacks - you have to keep paying and paying and paying, and it doesn't work if the internet is down.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

GoodSync has a cloud option. Anything you do with cloud choices will be effected by your internet speeds.

GoodSync shines when you are syncing to your own external HD. I use a pair of 8TB Western Digital "My Book" drives and alternate between them.

The idea of "sync" is that once you make the first big copy, it only updates the backup drive with changes. And, it does it quickly.

srt101fan

The cloud backup shouldn’t be an alternative to local backups but an addition to. I use Backblaze for cloud backup and am very happy with it. Money well spent.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If my house id destroyed, I'd be darn glad I was paying and paying, just like an insurance policy, like for your car.

So, how long is your internet down when it goes? My cloud backup backs up changes within minutes, and if the internet is down (a rarity) backup commences right after it returns. I'm not worried.

No backup when my computer is off or sleeping, but then I'm not changing anything that needs to be backed up if that is the case.

tramsey Loc: Texas

I've used Carbonite for more years than I can remember. It is easy, quick and doesn't slow my equipment down. However I do remember the first time I used it and it took a very long time to do everything but even back then I had a mountain of pictures and important documents that I wanted on it. But now, like I said, it is quick and easy. I would buy it again and go through the same loooooong wait to have it again. I don't know how much it is. I stopped looking and just put it on auto pay.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Ditto!

Walkabout08

Good advice, and it’s much faster than any cloud based solution.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Definitely.
One should always perform local backups for speed of recovery, but the cloud is for disaster recovery.