Windows 10 Backup Solution

[PaulF]

looking for a backup solution for my aged parents. They used to have a hard disk connected that backed up automatically for them but contracted some form of ransom ware that encrypted all of their files which were also r placated in the backup


For that reason I'm looking for something that is manually initiated preferably with a single click from an icon and hopefully free.


I've looked at the backup utility in Windows but that seems to a regular backup that relies on the backup drive being permanently connected.

[freeflow]

Allwaysync if the destination is dumb (usb drive) or syncthing if smart (NAS).  Both support versioning which means if a file is encrypted it won't affect the other versions on the destination.

Also have a look at WD MyCloud which would allow files to be backed up over the net to a device at your home on your network so no local access and no drive mapping.

[Afasoas]

To overcome the ransomware fiasco, the backup needs to be 'off-line' except during the backup window.
I'd suggest more than one hard disk drive on rotation.

You could use a robocopy script that backups the essential folders.

Or if onedrive supports versioning, maybe that's an option?

[zendog]

Paul

I use the windows file history - not sure if you have looked at this.

After the first (BIG) backup it copies over changed files only every n hours.
I don't think you need the drive plugged in all the time - although mine is.
It's just going to store a list of changes until it detects the backup medium.

[Morat]

You want to be careful, the ransomware viruses are annoyingly good at finding drives that are accessible to the user and encrypting them too.
When we were hit at work, one user was infected and everything that user had write access over was encrypted. The backups were safe because they were handled by a different user and copied to a resource that normal users don't see.

You might be able to replicate this sort of set up by running this windows file history thing as a Local Administrator with a drive letter mapped to a backup drive, but not making that backup drive available to your normal everyday account.

Or you might not.. but that's what I'd try and do in a home setup with files I cared about.