Online data storage.

[ajlelectronics]

To simplify matters Chunk, if you use cloud storage, you have a number of disadvantages.
1) The upload speed is governed by your internet provider. In general terms, it will be pedestrian, so will take forever to do the upload.
2) Your internet provider may well limit the amount you can use the connection. If you exceed this amount, you could find it getting costly.
3) What happens if the storage company you use folds? I assume all that data goes west.

To do what you are hoping, then the NAS advice seems best. It is a single or pair of hard drives in a housing that you can connect to your router. Some of these NAS units have automatic backup software, but otherwise, using something like Acronis, you can get it to backup once a week or so in the background. For data security, the NAS could be put in a less vulnerable part of the building. You only have to run a network connection to it.
You can connect remotely to a NAS. All your data is available wherever you are. A NAS will have more storage capacity than you can shake a stick at, with no monthly fees. In fact I use a 2Tb NAS as the central storage for my computers, rather than clutter the individual machines.

The RAID business put simply just means that any data is copied onto 2 drives, so if one should die, you do not lose your data.

 

[arthur]

Well depends on what level of RAID to how its configured (but lets no go too far down the rabbit hole...lol ) google raid to find out more, some levels use more drives to form a way of recovering data should any of them fail, don't help if your struck by lightning! Also some more expensive NAS drives now have WiFi so easy to place in a room etc with no Cat5 network/router cables...

It's all a case of MONEY how much you wanna spend...just like anything hey....

 

[rtbcomp]

Download this program http://www.ssesetup.com/sdb.html and backup to an external USB drive if you want simple.

 

[Will_Davis]

Some good points there gentlemen, especially being able to access it remotely.
Now excuse my lack of understanding here.
I click on 'Computer' on the windows button and it says
'OS' C) 175 of 283Gb free. Does this mean that I have used up 108Gb and would need to take that much space? I dont think so but I am not clear on these things.

If thats the stats for your harddrive C; Then yes you have used up 108 Gb.

however for security and back-ups you need to prioritise;

Cat 1: The most important, MUST be kept secure data is usually very small: personnal documents, personnal databases ( like your password file ). This data can be stored on a CD or 1 Gb memory stick. You are looking at 100s of mega bytes - no problem. Bachup every month or so

Cat 2: Wouldn't like to loose it data: Like family photos, rare music ( sampled vinyl etc ), family videos ( from old VHS tapes ). This data set gets updated only now and again ( read added to ). This is more suitable to DVD storage or the cloud

Cat 3a: Old software that I love and want to keep. This is a one off archive and would fit on a DVD or the cloud. IF after 3 years you decide Windows 8 is for you then archive under Cat 3!!!

Cat 3b: Music/Videos that can be reloaded: No need to archive

Cat 4: You probably need to loose this old stuff so Cloud it or just delete it!

A 1Tb external hard drive is so cheap then why not have one. Also USB sticks with 32 Gb are cheap.

When I first started in computing in 1973 a 50 MegaByte exchangeable disc store was about the size of a Large washing machine and cost £ thousands in 70s money.

 

[arthur]

It's funny how its moved on...lol I still have an old MFM 10mb 5 1/4 hard disk it's cost me 600quid...lol

The BIG thing with ANY kind of backup is learn your file system, learn where your files are stored, learn how to create folders and store files in them, then you will understand how to find your files and back them up, this way you will not backup system files that have nothing or little to do with your files, it's the best thing you could ever learn about computers and will take the head ache out of it for you. Then you can quickly check properties of folders you have files in to see how big they are etc...

If your stuck checkout YouTube videos on how to guides etc or ask some of the boffins on here....

 

[rtbcomp]

When I first started in computing in 1973 a 50 MegaByte exchangeable disc store was about the size of a Large washing machine and cost £ thousands in 70s money.

and ran off three phase mains! At least you could exchange the platters.

 

[Robotstar5]

The BIG thing with ANY kind of backup is learn your file system, learn where your files are stored, learn how to create folders and store files in them, then you will understand how to find your files and back them up, this way you will not backup system files that have nothing or little to do with your files, it's the best thing you could ever learn about computers and will take the head ache out of it for you. Then you can quickly check properties of folders you have files in to see how big they are etc..

Good advice, I always partition the HD and throw all my pics/docs/music etc on there so it's always in one place and easier to back up.

 

[rtbcomp]

I......
The BIG thing with ANY kind of backup is learn your file system, learn where your files are stored, learn how to create folders and store files in them, then you will understand how to find your files and back them up, this way you will not backup system files that have nothing or little to do with your files, it's the best thing you could ever learn about computers and will take the head ache out of it for you. Then you can quickly check properties of folders you have files in to see how big they are etc...

Too true. My day-to-day data is stored beneath C:\DATA, family research below C:\FAMILY and other stuff such as downloads which I don't need to backup under C:\DOWNLOADS.

In it's simplest form backing up consists of dragging and dropping the first two directories to an external drive.

 

[Robotstar5]

Too true. My day-to-day data is stored beneath C:\DATA, family research below C:\FAMILY and other stuff such as downloads which I don't need to backup under C:\DOWNLOADS.

Into genealogy then?

 

[rtbcomp]

Yes, but I like to keep it in the family.

 

[arthur]

lol! hahahaha... maybe I shouldn't laugh at that....

 

[Dev]

If you have a web host chunkolini they may already have an easy to set up online backup service, many do. If not you can certainly use amazon, or google have a service called google drive which is easy to use, so do Dropbox and hotmail as far as I know. Even apple have one.

Yes the initial upload is probably going to takes ages but in the case of Dropbox and google and probably others its simply a case of picking the folders on your pc you want to save online and it does it in the background. And the truth is once that big initial bit is done there is probably a relatively small amount of data that changes.

You can encrypt the important stuff like financial details.