Backup Help

I just finished setting up my Apple Time Capsule with my PCs, and I have been trying to find a way to have my computers backup to it automatically.

I have it setup on all my computers as a network drive, and everything works fine, I just need to find the right software.

Everything I have found so far only lets me backup certain files, and I just want to backup Everything onto drive and to sync every so often.

What would be the best way to setup this?

Thanks!

 

Well you certainly aren't short of options, but everyone has their favoured approach. Here's mine.

1. Separate all data files into their own partition, leaving just the OS and any installed software on C

2. Use a sync program to schedule automatic sync of your data files as often as suits. I have SyncBack scheduled to run twice daily but there are many other good sync programs.

3. Use an imaging program to backup the OS drive about once every two weeks. You could try the free versions of such as Macrium Reflect or Easeus Todo, or for better functionality the paid for versions. My preference is for Acronis True Image. Backups can be automated if required.

Within both the sync programs and the imaging programs there are loads of options as to exactly how you want the backup to run. That's too big a subject to go into here.

 

EDIT - if your network is all Apple you will need to find equivalent software but the principle remains the same.

 

IF its an system running any recently version of osx, you would want to use time machine.

 

All my computers have windows.

What do you mean? How do I do that?

 

This is a pretty big subject but I'll make a start.

Your data files (My) Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos etc are the most important files on your computers. By putting all of this stuff on a separate partition from Windows you are insulating it from any problems that may affect Windows, such as viruses, failed software installs or serious file corruption from whatever cause.

So the first thing to be done is to shrink the Windows partition, the C drive usually, and create a new data partition in the vacated space. To some extent Vista and 7 can do this unaided but XP can't. However there are free third party tools that can, such as Partition Wizard.

Once that has been done you can move all of the 'My' folders to the new partition by right clicking them in Windows Explorer and using their Location tab to relocate them. You can then image your Windows partition as often as necessary without inflating it with any of your personal stuff, and you can use any of the dozens of file backup/sync utilities to regularly backup your personal stuff.