Ask Dr. LJ: Computer Backup Edition

[mizarchivist]

The cobbler's children have no shoes and the archivist's files have no backup.

What system do you use to backup your computer files? I have the expectation to back up both mine and QE's. We both have a fair bit of music, he has videos, I have photos, and only a handfull of text-y documents.

Wex suggested Mozy.
QE wondered about Carbonite.

What say the peanut gallery?

Comments

[aristabulus.livejournal.com]

I may be swimming upstream, but I'm a firm believer in doing backups manually. I am wary of any do-it-for-you system that I have to trust completely with my data, strictly on technical concerns... nevermind the rash of client data breaches in the news lately. Things can go wrong in many ways, and if/when that happens to me, I'd rather shoulder the responsibility for the aftermath.

Big hard drives are super cheap these days; my regular newegg e-flyers have been showing a lot of 1TBs for 50 bucks, 1.5TB or 2TB for 70-80. (3.5" OEM) I know that my own data doesn't change often, and a few minutes once a week is often overkill... YMMV

[minkrose]

Yay newegg!

I got this and put it in this fifteen months ago, and it's still working great (though some of the recent reviews say they received dead drives). Plus, it was $140 total when I bought it, so it's a better deal now.

I only use it for back ups, and I haven't (knock on wood) had any issues.