Is copy-paste a bad backup strategy?

nocrapman · Apr 11, 2013

I have been using external HDDs as my main back up strategy for my home pc with music/movies/family pics etc. The current main data buildup is secondary to my photography hobby. I have added carbonite for cloud based back up for these files as well. I am hoping never to have to resort to retrieving data from them.

Does monthly copy paste add errors over time especially going form one HD to another as my storage needs increase. Am I better off using backup software?
I did try some avenues:
My copy of Acronis did not work very well on my windows 7.
The inbuilt windows 7 backup keeps eating space on the HD and fills them up fast over time.
A free backup solution that was recommended here last year - had a very tedious interface and I ended up not using it (cant remember the name).

So continue what I am doing or use a different backup modality.

Please advise.

FordGT90Concept · Apr 11, 2013

HDDs have no limitations on read/writes. As long as the head still works and the platters spill spin, it'll store and retrieve data.

I just use a batch file with an xcopy command to backup my data.

BiggieShady · Apr 11, 2013

FordGT90Concept said:
I just use a batch file with an xcopy command to backup my data.

This. You can use task scheduler also to run it periodically automatically - just make sure task is scheduled under your admin account that has all rights set on source and backup folders.

nocrapman · Apr 11, 2013

Thanks guys!
I did not know about this... would have saved lot of frustrating hours manually backing up.
Now I just need to learn how to write the correct cmds!

One of the questions I have been wondering about is will errors creep in over time from this copying?

Wrigleyvillain · Apr 11, 2013

Yeah the weakest part of the copy/paste or any manual method is 'the human factor' so anything you can automate is always going to be more reliable and thus superior.

What do you mean by 'errors over time' exactly? Like physical degradation of some sort?

revin · Apr 11, 2013

nocrapman said:
One of the questions I have been wondering about is will errors creep in over time from this copying?

As he said :

FordGT90Concept said:
HDDs have no limitations on read/writes. As long as the head still works and the platters spill spin, it'll store and retrieve data.

You can use a Hdd software like DiskTrix Ultimate Defrag to keep the Hdd tidy.
I've been using it for a looong time, with 9+ Hdd's and 5+Tb's of crap it keeps the drive's data in great working order :toast:

Only other thig would be to [scandisc](of some type) every so often to ensure no sector's are going bad

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Is copy-paste a bad backup strategy?

nocrapman

FordGT90Concept

"I go fast!1!11!1!"

BiggieShady

nocrapman

Wrigleyvillain

PTFO or GTFO

revin

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