How to Backup NAS to External Hard Drive (2 Ways)
Is it necessary to backup NAS to external hard drive?
Network-A NAS (Network-Attached Storage) is a file-level data storage server that connects to a computer network, allowing multiple clients to access shared data and information simultaneously. It is commonly used in both business and home settings to enable seamless sharing of files and data between devices.
To summarize, a NAS or its hard drives can experience issues like power failure, hardware failure, or physical damage, making it essential to perform regular backups, including NAS-to-NAS backups, to ensure data safety and accessibility.
Backing up your NAS to an external drive can be a part of a 3-2-1 backup strategy, ensuring an intact copy is kept outside of the device, protecting your data from various risks.
How to backup NAS to external hard drive
Microsoft's Windows Backup and Restore tool, which comes pre-installed with the operating system, has limitations when it comes to backing up NAS (Network-Attached Storage) devices. Specifically, it does not allow users to select a network path as the source path for backups, which means users cannot directly back up their NAS devices using this tool. To overcome this limitation, users need to first map their NAS device as a network drive, effectively treating it as a local drive, before using Windows Backup and Restore to back up its contents. This workaround allows users to utilize the tool's features to protect their NAS data, albeit with an extra step involved.
☛ In Windows 7 and Windows 8:
Click Start -> Computer -> Map network drive.
☛ In Windows 10 and Windows 11:
Click Start -To create a network drive, go to File Explorer, right-click on "This PC", and select "Map network drive".
To map the NAS drive, you need to give a letter for the NAS drive and navigate to the NAS device location. This is indicated by the NAS router showing up as a letter drive under Network location, signifying a successful mapping. Once mapped, you can perform backups using either backup software or Windows' internal backup utility.
To access the backup settings in Windows, search for "backup settings" and select "Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)". This will open a pop-up interface where you can click "Set up backup" to begin the process.
First, select a destination, and the recommended option is an external drive.
Select the source data from the mapped network drive (NAS) by clicking on "Let me choose" and then selecting the drive.
The backup feature has limited functions, making it unsuitable for users who need more advanced features like incremental backup. Users who want to set up a backup schedule will find the options limited. For such users, it's recommended to use third-party backup software for reliable and comprehensive backup needs.
Tips: Some NAS brands offer add-ons to help with backing up to external drives, such as Synology's Hyper Backup, which can be found in more detail at the link.
Easily backup NAS to external drive with free NAS backup software
Qiling Disk Master Standard is a free backup software that supports various operating systems, including Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP, and Vista, and can be used with various storage devices such as internal/external drives, USB flash drives, NAS, shared folders, and cloud storage.
This software helps to backup most brands of NAS devices, including Synology and QNAP, to an external hard drive with just a few clicks.
To tailor the backup, you can schedule backups daily, weekly, or monthly, and choose between NAS incremental and differential backup methods. Additionally, you can create multiple backup tasks to implement a comprehensive data protection strategy.
Qiling Disk Master Standard, a powerful disk management tool, can help users to clone, backup, and restore their hard drives. With its user-friendly interface, users can easily clone the entire disk or select specific partitions to clone.
☛ Upgrading to the Professional edition allows for the creation of a retention policy to automatically delete old backups, as well as the ability to perform event-triggered or USB plug-in backups. Additionally, real-time file syncing between two NAS devices is also possible.
Step-by-step to backup NAS to external drive easily
With this software, you can access your NAS device without mapping it to your computer. Simply launch the software and follow the steps to get started.
1. To create a backup of your data, go to the Backup tab, select File Backup, and then choose the data you want to back up. Alternatively, you can go to the Sync tab and select File Sync to create a direct copy of your data that you can use immediately.
2. Go to Files or Folders, then click Share/NAS.
3. Add a NAS device, type in the required information, and select the folders to backup.
4. Connect the external hard drive to your computer, select it as the destination path, and click Proceed to initiate the backup process.
The three buttons on the bottom allow you to customize your backup, with some options available in advanced editions.
Options: To modify the backup settings, you can access the "Backup Settings" section in the software. Here, you can change the compression level to optimize storage space or speed.
Schedule Backup: To automate the backup, you can use a script that runs daily, weekly, monthly, or when specific events occur (e.g.
Backup Scheme: Choose your backup method as full, incremental or differential backup, and also enable automatic backup cleanup and set up a retention policy that suits your preference.
Verdict
Qiling Disk Master is a comprehensive backup software that includes powerful utilities, such as cloning a boot drive to an SSD for improved performance and restoring a system to a different computer with dissimilar hardware.
Qiling Disk Master offers centralized backup management, allowing you to backup all machines within a LAN on a single server computer. This feature makes it a handy backup software that you won't want to miss.
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