Question Is it ok to backup two different computers on same hd?

[jfelano]

I have a an external hd that I use just for backups. Is it ok to back up two different PC's on that same hd or will that cause problems when I need to do a restore or soomething? Thanks in advance.

 

[aigomorla]

depends on how to structured the backup.
You could have each PC backup into its own specified folder, and i don't see how you would run into any issues.
The key thing is to not share the root folder each PC is backing up into.

Also i would make sure you do a backup on that backup since its now 2 PC critical.
I would also make sure your backup to have some form of fault protection. Like a RAID-1 or a RAIDZ.
These external drives usually have 2 drives in them, and will say able to "MIRROR".

 

[jfelano]

Hmmm two different folders, how does that work when doing a restore will Windows know to look in folders for the file it needs, and know which one? Since one will be Win7 and the other Win10.

It's not really an ext. Hd, it's a regular sata drive in a external hd dock. I have several hd's I do not use, so I do a backup on one, pull it out, pop in another, and do a backup again. THat way I have two copies.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you're talking about the built-in Windows 7 Image Backup feature, it prefers to have a HDD all to itself, don't mix it with anything else, IMHO.

Windows 10's built-in "backup", is really just garbage, it saves "previous file versions" to your "backup" directory.

Get a real backup program, like Macrium Reflect (they have a free version, not just a free trial, although they have one of those too, make sure that you get the right one to use). Then set up scheduled backups, it can only do differential and full backups in the free version. (Although, one of the free versions tried to throw in incremental backups too, into the scheduled backup task, and then failed, saying unsupported. Watch out for that.)

Macrium can backup multiple systems to the same destination directory. (I use a NAS.) Just make sure that "Image Name" is unique per PC.

 

[Charlie98]

I do what the OP is describing... I use a USB portable 2TB HDD, but same-same as far as the OP is concerned... but I use a program like Acronis to do it. My typical file method is to have a clean OS install (from when I first installed it, with all updates and basic drivers and programs,) and then I have FULL backup images created every night... I can have as many as 10 full OS images on my drive. Booting from the Acronis disk, I can select whichever image I want... and have that installed on the OS HD, you are in complete control. I don't really trust anything within the Windows OS for backup, and I even have Windows Backup turned off.

Further, I have one portable that I make images from my 3 PC's here at the house once a month; as long as they are labeled (so you can tell them apart) backing up a specific image from a specific PC isn't a problem

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I have a an external hd that I use just for backups. Is it ok to back up two different PC's on that same hd or will that cause problems when I need to do a restore or soomething? Thanks in advance.

How critical is the data? It all depends on that, and what you're trying to protect against.

Generally, unless data exists in two copies on separate drives, it doesn't exist. Three if you're being paranoid.

These external drives usually have 2 drives in them, and will say able to "MIRROR".

Don't forget, RAID1 only helps with drive failure. It does not protect against data loss.

 

[craftech]

With hard drives so cheap I do disk clones as a backup. Never had a problem with this method.