Intro
This post was inspired when I checked one of my backup processes to find it wasn’t running after I wiped out a data card with information I would have liked to have kept. I have apps that create backups of certain folders from my phone to my server at home and one was not functioning as it should have, I slacked on making sure everything was working properly, and lost those files. It wasn’t the end of the world but it did make me go back and re-check my backup & sync systems are working properly.
I’ve actually been sitting on this for a few months working on it here and there. Recently I came across a Reddit thread where someone lost about 8 years worth of photos, memories, messages, etc – some business related – because their phone malfunctioned and they had no back up.
As a former systems administrator that was responsible for lots of data I can’t stress enough to make sure your data is secure and stored somewhere you’ll have access to that isn’t a service like Google or Dropbox or Apple that you can easily get locked out of.
I Lost Nine Years of Photos by Locking Myself Out of My Google Account
More horror stories … if you dare
I mostly use Windows & Android systems (with a Linux system thrown in for my automation system because even though it’s a pain in the ass it is more stable than Windows) and that’s what I’ll be covering here. Apple users of macOS and IOS more than likely have similar options. I know of a few and they are mentioned here when relevant.
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Saving Things in General
I pretty much save everything: Emails, texts, online courses, webinars, websites, youtube videos, etc. to my home server that can be accessed from other computers and devices – at home or elsewhere. This might be a bit much for some people – but too often I’ve clicked on a YouTube link only to find the video gone. Anyone remember The Empowered Dog and all the hours of dog training videos? Gone. I have a copy of my inbox from my last training gig and it’s actually come in handy to reference when old clients reached out.
Of course there is also all the “business stuff”: forms, contracts, behavior plans, vet records, text messages, etc etc.
All of it is backed up.
Do you have a copy of all that data – pictures, videos, receipt pics, texts, etc – that you store on your phone, tablet, laptop? Or are you one of those old school computer users that keeps EVERYTHING in folders on their desktop? It’s not 1995!
If you aren’t backing up your data, and you aren’t bored yet, keep reading.
My backup system has a few parts
Offsite Backup
You should always have an offsite copy of your backups. It should not be a service like Google or Amazon, even if you are already paying for it.
My concern with these services is what happens if you lose access to that account? Getting support from Google and Apple can be very difficult. Especially if your account has been compromised. I don’t mean to spread fear but it’s not uncommon for these things to happen and all your photos and anything else you have stored gets wiped out.
If You Get Locked Out Of Your Google Account, Good Luck Getting Back In.
I use a service called Backblaze that costs $9 (US) a month. It has an app that runs on my server and it’s sole job is to backup all the files\folders I specify to their storage servers. Backblaze doesn’t provide email, search services, video chat, office apps, etc. Their business is backups. And if you have an account problem you can actually contact a human. The software runs on both Windows and Mac systems.
I use this for both personal and business. You can specify what you want backed up, and what you want the system to ignore.
Use my referral link for a free month, and I get a free month: Backblaze Referral Link
I don’t have unlimited data on my phone so I don’t use the backup to Google option on my phone. Even if I can do it over wifi without using phone data I still have to watch how much space it takes as I don’t have unlimited Google storage. That is one less thing to worry or think about. More on how I get files off my phone further down.
If paying for another monthly service is not currently in your budget consider storing the most important of your data on an external drive at a trusted family member or friend’s home. You can encrypt the drive (which is easy) so they can’t just plug it into their computer and even store it in a lock box. It should also be accessible to you so you can bring it back and forth when it’s time to update.
There are many other backup systems available. I’ve found that for the average user Backblaze the cheapest and easiest to use.
Google Workspace backup
I use Google Workspace for my business: email, virtual meetings, documents, file storage. Almost everything business related is stored in Google Drive and whether I am using my Chromebook, phone, tablet, or desktop computer everything is synced back to that Google Drive.
But in order to backup that data somewhere else I have to download it to my home server. When testing backup solutions one problem was the Google Workspace files for Docs, Sheets, etc. They were basically shortcuts that just tried to open a browser. I needed something that would also convert the .gdoc .gsheet files to something a program on my computer can read (think Microsoft Office).
I found a program called Air Explorer that provides the conversion option, supports multiple cloud services, and scheduling backups. My only issue with the app was it was a bit clunky to use and slow. But I would still recommend it as it supports other cloud services like Dropbox and Microsoft 365/OneDrive. It’s also a buy it once program – no subscription for updates.
I’ve since switched to a program called Rclone – but it’s not for beginners. It doesn’t even have a graphical user interface! I have to write out the commands in a configuration file the program reads. But – it’s stable and converts the files for me. It’s also free. I have it configured to run every hour on my server so that it is as current as possible. Once any new files land on my local system they get backed up by the offsite service. If that scares you check out Air Explorer. It’s been a few years since I’ve used it so maybe it has improved.
If you don’t need a feature to convert your files to another format, FreeFileSync is a great program that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. And it’s FREE and supports Google Drive. There is an inexpensive paid version that gives you more features. This is the app I use to keep my external drives in sync (see Backup of the Backups) below.
Phone Backups
I don’t have an unlimited data plan so I don’t backup anything to Google Drive, or any other cloud service, from my phone – especially photos and videos.
The app I use to move data to my server from my phone is called FolderSync. I paid for the pro version … $10 maybe? This is an Android app. I’m sure there is a similar app for iphones. It runs every hour and copies over pictures, video, trail maps, and anything else I specify.
I have a separate app to backup my text messages called SMS Backup & Restore.
These files are also backed up by Backblaze, the offsite backup.
Computer Backups
There is software that you can use to make what is essentially a snapshot of your computer’s hard drive, which is handy to have in the event of an operating system corruption. You can just restore the image to before you had the problem. In some cases (depending on the software used) you can actually browse through that snapshot on a different computer and extract files from it.
Back in my IT days this was a fast way to get C-levels back up and running FAST. I no longer do this for my computer. But now that I’m typing this I’m thinking of all the configs and specialized tools I use and how much easier it will be to get back up and running. I’m going to start looking into this again.
This software is FREE – Actually FREE: Duplicati
I have no affiliation with them but I’m going to test it out. I see it recommended often.
Backups of the Backups
Not only do I have an offsite backup, I have an extra external drive that has another backup of the really really important stuff. It’s not stored anywhere else, which isn’t in line with “best practices”. But if something happens to one I don’t have to wait too long to restore.
Make Sure Everything is Working
A very important step! How you do it depends on your system and apps that you use. The apps on my android phone will notify me if there is an error, and the offsite backup system on my computer will send me an email if it’s been a few days since anything has backed up. I also login to their website periodically to make sure my files are there. The tool that creates a backup of my Google Workspace data keeps logs but I have to manually check them. I’m working on something to do that for me.
Even if you have to stick with using a service like Google, Apple, or Dropbox their apps should have a status notification that tells you if the backup/sync has failed.
Test Your Backups
Not the same as just making sure backups are running! If you use a specialized backup app make sure you can access those backups and the files inside them. Make sure it’s actually backing up what you want to backup! The backup for my personal text messages wasn’t working correctly until I tried to restore them. I didn’t lose anything important but the process had been broken the whole time.
Final Thoughts
Even though I have ADHD I’m not one for short attention span social media content. I tried to trim this down but the information is important. Again not to fear monger but I’ve seen people immediately tear up when I tell them their data is gone.
Reach out if you have questions or need help!
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