New, trying to make this work
Just purchased True Image 2013 and I'm trying to do something very very simple.
I have Several Folders that i want backed up to a connected external Hard Drive. I want the program to JUST copy the folders I select, and then check the folders once a day (at times I choose) and copy new or updated files to the new HDD. No compression. No special folder called "backup" that Acronis seems to want to do. I literally want just a straight copy to the selected HDD, so I should be able to go to the external drive and see an exact copy of what exists on the main drives inside the main computer.
I have a business where each client has its own folder, and over time it starts as a folder with perhaps one word document, and ends with dozens of files. If my system crashes, I want the ability to plug in the external drive, and literally copy the contents of the folders on the backup drive to the main drive (or the main drive of alternate computers) without need of external software, etc.
Is this possible with the software?
I agree with Mark.
Acronis True Image is primarily a drive imaging application. It can also perform file/folder backups, but there are many tools that can do that with more fine-grained control.
If you want to do it in Acronis True Image, I would create multiple backup tasks, one for each external drive. If you will always backup at the same time, you could create them as scheduled tasks. If connection times will be irregular, you could set them as manual tasks that you launch when needed, which can be done from desktop shortcuts.
Like Mark, I used Microsoft SyncToy for a long time. Now I use Robocopy (also free from Microsoft, and installed in every version of Windows) as it provides greater control over what's backed up, inclusion/exclusion options, control over file attributes, etc. I still use Acronis True Image for disk/partition imaging.
Ditto. I personally use SyncBack SE, which is paid-for software. It provides great control of what and how things are synched, and provide the possibility to setup retention rules for deleted or modified files. I really like it.
Some other software that does similar things is Genie Timeline Pro. It is much simpler to use and can simply copy the files "flat", as well as keep deleted files and versions.