I have several computers that are otherwise identical, and I want to automatically backup certain files on each to a central repository. The files on the computers will not be identical. I have tried this with OneDrive but it appears to be two-way sync only, I’d rather not have users with direct access to the other data though it is not particularly sensitive. I have tried to circumvent this by putting all the files synced to the Documents folder, and then only putting the need-to-know files on the desktop as shortcuts. However, I’ve found OneDrive to be very problematic and unintuitive, with the identical computers deciding to sync different things and ignore others, or behaving strangely on one and not the other.
So is there a good, non-suspicious third party program you can recommend? Preferably open source and backs up at minimum daily, though more is nice.
Do you want each of these client computers to back up to entirely separate folders in the repository?
I’m assuming the answer is yes, because otherwise you could have computer A writing a file, then computer B overwriting it with a different file that happens to have the same name.
Also, are the computers online all of the time? If so, it might just be easier to keep their documents in the cloud and work directly from there - don’t even create any local documents - so there’s no need for backup/sync at all
I use Google’s Back up and Sync, I think there’s a setting to do what you want it to do.
If not, see if Microsoft SyncToys is still around. That one I know can be set so that everything on your computer is reflected in your storage space, but changes to the storage aren’t mirrored on your computer.
What does this mean in your context? That the backup tool is trustworthy and not laced with hidden malware or upgrade pressure tactics? Or that your users won’t suspect the existence of the backup process? Or something else?
@Mangetout Yes. preferably something like
Main Data Folder > {Computer 1 Folder, Computer 2 Folder, …}
Not necessarily on all the time.
@Joey_P Yes SyncToy is still around and works great even though MS doesn’t host it anymore. But it’s not automatic. But it’s features are what I’m looking for. I’ll look into GB&S, thanks.
@gnoitall Yes malware and all that. Users will tend towards non computer-savviness, so I don’t except them to go poking around. The solution I thought of above would have worked, but I’m not trusting OneDrive now. Any needed security (still getting the details) would likely be solved by anonymizing data.
I should add: because Covid etc. users will have their computers at home for an extended period, hence automatic saving. If other updates would need to be made, I can’t assume they’re technologically inclined to install TeamViewer type software for us to check their results, though maybe I could set that up early as a redundancy.