backup, with a twist, or two

XWrench3

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i know there are several disc cloning software to be downloaded for free. but it seems everything i do has at least one weird aspect to it. so initially my plan was to buy one usb 3.0 external 4TB hard drive, and just walk it around to all the computers in the house, and clone each hard drive to it. but as always, one calamity or another bled off money and i had to compromise. {living on a fixed income sucks!} so i ended up with a refurbished (3.5") 4tb hard drive that i installed into the spare computer (which is Windows 7 Professional). so now i will have to shuttle information to that computer somehow. the only possible good news (if it works out that way) is it is a wifi only computer. so i am hoping I can just create a home (L.A.N.) network and send each computers information that way. the first question i have is about the different operating systems. everything else in the house is running Windows 10 home edition. so i do not know if this is going to be an issue or not. my second question, is, do i download the cloning software to the Windows 7 computer, or to each Windows 10 computer that i want to copy? my third question is, can i do this over our wifi by setting up a L.A.N., or am i going to have to buy a 256gb usb flash drive to cart data back and fourth to the spare computer, and or would that be worlds easier to do it that way vs. setting up a L.A.N.? i am praying that they teach all this stuff to my young up and coming
I T Professional, who's only real expertise at the moment is gaming, at his career tech classes that start in about a month.
 
-Put all of the devices in the same Homegroup or Workgroup.
-Create a "Backup" folder on the drive you want to have your backups go to.
-Share the Backup folder, and give read/write/modify permission to the "Everyone" group (easiest method)
-Make sure all PC's can get to the folder and save a file to it.
-Install something like SyncToy from MS on your machines you want to back up.
-Setup a sync to sync specific files & folders (you can have it only sync changed files as well if you don't want to back up everything each time).
-Schedule the sync in Task Scheduler to automate it: https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/250...tomatically-with-task-scheduler-in-windows-7/
 
well, i got all the computers connected on a home group this morning. and SyncToy installed as well (which required downloading and installing an older version of NET framework (specifically version 2.0.50727, which also installs 3.0) to make SyncToy work. which seemed odd since the current version is already installed. but whatever, if that's what it needs, then that's what it needs. i will have to wait until i change the desktop into the new case around the 7th or 8th of next month assuming there is no delay in shipping. as there is no room for another drive in this little micro atx that it is in now. i even have a drive taped to the floor of the case right now. one thing i have wondered about the computers being connected on a home group. is there a way to send a text message directly to one of the other computers, and have it "pop up" on their screen?
 
well, i am going to have to try that several times. exactly how much of it do i NEED to enter? because i have no idea about session name, session i.d.file name or server stuff. /// i thought i had a temporary home for the backup hard drive. i installed it into the spare computer, which runs Windows 7. unfortunately, it is running a 32 bit version of windows 7. so i do not know if that would be compatible with everything else running 64 bit. the odd thing is i have both the 32 bit and 64 bit version of windows 7 here. i believe the processor is what determines if it has to run 32 bit, or can run 64 bit its a Core 2 Duo E8400@3.00 GHz. which according to Intel ARK can run 64 bit software. is there anything else i need to worry about, before i completely erase the hard drive (because its only 80 GB, and having 2 O.S. on it would definitely NOT work out) and reinstall windows 7 professional in 64 bit?
 
well, i am going to have to try that several times. exactly how much of it do i NEED to enter? because i have no idea about session name, session i.d.file name or server stuff.
Server name would be the computer name of the system you want to send the message to.


/// i thought i had a temporary home for the backup hard drive. i installed it into the spare computer, which runs Windows 7. unfortunately, it is running a 32 bit version of windows 7. so i do not know if that would be compatible with everything else running 64 bit.
Shouldn't be issues with networking - as long as both can connect to the network and recognize that there's a network share there, it should be fine.

the odd thing is i have both the 32 bit and 64 bit version of windows 7 here.
Since Windows Vista, Windows has been licensed for both 32 and 64 bit copies. So you just need the install media for whatever architecture you would like to install. The same key will work with both.

i believe the processor is what determines if it has to run 32 bit, or can run 64 bit its a Core 2 Duo E8400@3.00 GHz. which according to Intel ARK can run 64 bit software. is there anything else i need to worry about, before i completely erase the hard drive (because its only 80 GB, and having 2 O.S. on it would definitely NOT work out) and reinstall windows 7 professional in 64 bit?

Nothing that I'm aware of, unless you have things you would like to keep from the drive, in regards to data.
 
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yea, another full day project. well, almost anyway. its probably a good thing anyway. i have to stay out of the sun for at least another week. and these kinds of things at least occupy my little brain.
 
so, i got everything set to start transferring files. and i actually started to, then stopped. is there a way to copy and transfer the entire drive in Synctoy? I would like to start there, then update what needs updating as needed. also, i am not sure if i should have done this or not. but i divided up the big (3 or 4 TB, I do not remember off hand) hard drive, partitioning off sections for each computer. i figured it would be loads easier to remember what data went where without extraordinary labeling as each file was recorded.
 
so, i got everything set to start transferring files. and i actually started to, then stopped. is there a way to copy and transfer the entire drive in Synctoy? I would like to start there, then update what needs updating as needed. also, i am not sure if i should have done this or not. but i divided up the big (3 or 4 TB, I do not remember off hand) hard drive, partitioning off sections for each computer. i figured it would be loads easier to remember what data went where without extraordinary labeling as each file was recorded.

If you mean like an image...then no. SyncToy does individual files. Just select the root of the drive as your "left folder" to copy from. Then you can add exclusions to not copy system folders and such. Though I feel like this would be more work than just selecting the folders that you would like to backup).

If you would instead want to setup an automatic imaging server...you can look into FOG (Free Opensource Ghost). Allows you to take images / deploy images over a network from a central server that runs Ubuntu Linux.
 
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