Best home network multiuser backup

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SpookyAwol

510 posts

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# 143733 25-Apr-2014 10:03

Im curious if there is a better way to do this. For a home network, I have multiple users who can use multiple computers.
Is there an easy way to organize all of the Win 7 'my documents' type folders onto one PC so that the user has access to the same files no matter which computer they use? Also to make backups easier.

Im asking now, as junior has managed to screw up Windows and I need to reinstall on 1 PC

eg:

4 x Win 7 (one of which is a media server)

Each PC has 4 x User accounts

I know you can define where the 'User' files are. If these are placed on a networked server, will this cause problems?

What ideas have you got to make life easier ? :)

rhy7s

373 posts

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# 1030955 25-Apr-2014 10:25

You could use a roaming profile or home folders on a network drive if you want to set up the infrastructure but you might want to just set up synced folders with something like http://www.bittorrent.com/sync. You might also want to look at something that makes restoring computers a bit easier, either backups as you say or one of various methods for freezing a drive, e.g. http://www.horizondatasys.com/en/products_and_solutions.aspx?ProductId=18

freitasm

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Geekzone

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# 1030967 25-Apr-2014 10:33

3 people support this post

What you need is something such as HP Microserver running Windows Server 2012 Essentials. Join the laptops to this "domain" and all backup is automated, storage managed, etc from a central location. You can restore a machine from image backups or access the data from anywhere.

HiTM4N

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# 1047371 18-May-2014 10:06

I use crash plan
If you just want to backup locally it's free, just install on your machines and then point it at the install on your server.
Otherwise for about $15 a month you get unlimited backup to their cloud for up to ten devices

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raytaylor

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# 1052906 25-May-2014 16:13

As suggested above, a windows home server, or a qnap NAS drive.
A qnap will allow you to access shared files stored on it, as well as from media players around the home (android tv units) plus you can plug in a usb backup drive and schedule backups to the drive.

Also files stored on the computers could be backed up to the qnap which is what we do in office situations where only one person uses a computer (no roaming staff)

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dimsim

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# 1052937 25-May-2014 16:54

Install a NAS then use folder redirection and offline folders to redirect each users my documents. The set the NAS to backup to AMAZON S3 storage for an offsite cloud backup. The NAS will be able to share media also via iTunes or DLNA.