What do you use for back-up of client files

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#1
Gr8ful  
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I recently changed my system from Mac to PC and thought OneDrive would be backing up my client files from ProSeries. I do not believe it is working so I wonder what cloud-based systems you are using for frequent (hourly or at least twice a day) automatic back-ups of your files. I formerly used an external hard drive but do not want to go that route.

For perspective I am a one man shop with about 500 returns, no bookkeeping or other work.
 

#2
rotsky  
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Backblaze is great.
 

#3
ocdtax  
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Carbonite
 

#4
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CrashPlan Business, ShadowProtect SPX to different USB-C portable SSDs (they're the size of a credit card).

Everything in my OneDrive is also backed up using Spanning, in addition to being captured by the first two I mentioned.
 

#5
CathysTaxes  
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Carbonite.
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CathysTaxes
 

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Carbonite.
 

#7
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Thank you everyone! I was able to get OneDrive to back up the proseries files by moving the data folder BUT it seems like a good idea to have another backup just in case. I'll be installing Carbonite today!
 

#8
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Have redundancy. Just my two cents, I have had a lot of issues with Carbonite which is why I do not use it. This includes backups that appeared to exist but when attempting to restore, they were nonexistent. That was when I still handled IT for various companies and encountered it more than once, which is why I ditched Carbonite in favor of CrashPlan Business.

Since I am now using a virtual server for tax and Quickbooks Desktop, I do have the provider doing daily backups as well as the CrashPlan Business backups, but I am contemplating adding another cloud backup to the server. I just need to identify what that third backup solution would be since I cannot back up to a physical drive since it is a remote, virtual server.
 

#9
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Gr8ful wrote:Thank you everyone! I was able to get OneDrive to back up the proseries files by moving the data folder BUT it seems like a good idea to have another backup just in case. I'll be installing Carbonite today!


Im on the cloud….. not MS one Drive but similar.

BUT….once a quarter, I back up that cloud to Amazon drive.

BUT. I use one drive personally. Isn’t it permanently in the cloud?

Maybe NOT a physical back up but if your files are on one drive , what am I missing? They are available, online permanently unless you delete them no???
 

#10
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Southpark I believe it is a matter of trust and not risking that the cloud actually has your files AND you can actually use that file for recovery.
 

#11
ATSMAN  
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I use the backup feature of my tax prep software to backup all client files to a local 1TB SSD. The C drive is backed up separately.
 

#12
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southparkcpa wrote:
Maybe NOT a physical back up but if your files are on one drive , what am I missing? They are available, online permanently unless you delete them no???


Microsoft only protects against data loss from a server failure, for example, with their own backups you have zero access to. They do very little or nothing to protect against accidentally deleted files (advanced subscriptions to MS 365 have protection nets and I have them implemented, but the average user does not have access, know they exist, let alone implement if they do have access).

This is why I have my OneDrive fully download all folders and documents to my primary PC, which is then backed up using CrashPlan Business and to rotating SSDs via ShadowProtect SPX, and I keep the SSDs not currently being used in pretty heavy duty safe. Additionally, I use Spanning to back up Exchange, OneDrive, my contacts and calendar, etc., on at least a daily basis. I have had to use one or all three backup methods to restore data at one time or another.
 

#13
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I use a free product called Resilio Sync (I've paid a 1x fee for an upgrade of $79 I think). It is loaded on multiple computers and all files within specified folders are immediately transferred as copies to my other computers. I have a second laptop at my office and a third at home. If any one dies or is destroyed, I still have two working copies. It's a modified torrent product and everything transfers encrypted. I also have a usb travel drive which I back up ALL that stuff every other Friday.
 

#14
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I just also implemented iDrive in addition to my other backups. 5TB of backup space for up to five computers, also backs up Windows Servers. You can never have enough redundancy with backups, IMO.
 

#15
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I work from home far enough from our main office that if a natural disaster were to take out both locations we have bigger worries than tax backups. Files are stored on a physical server at the main office. We take weekly full copies and regular copies of changed folders, frequency dependent on priority. Those backups are stored on a linux server in my office. Monthly backups of the full copies go on a hard drive and are archived (fancy word for in a box in my closet).

The cloud still means "someone else's computer", so I'm a bit hesitant to bother going that way when the setup we have is cheap, low-maintenance, and reliable. Of course, if you see a weakness, I'd be glad to hear.
 

#16
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Curious, how many of you routinely do test restores of backups? Or EVER done a restore?

Are the backups encrypted?
 

#17
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Yes to testing, at least twice a year.

Did you have to ask that second one and embarrass me?
 


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