Creating backup copies of your devices is incredibly important if you don’t want to lose any data. Your Synology NAS is a perfect tool to store backups and it’s super simple to set everything up and have it run automatically. I’m going to show you exactly how in this guide.
How to backup a Windows PC to Synology NAS
You don’t require the best NAS to set up backups on your Windows PC. Here’s how to configure Windows to backup using your Synology NAS:
- Open Explorer.
- Right-click on This PC.
- Click on Map network drive….
- Choose a drive letter.
- Hit Browse.
- Browse to the network location.
- Click Ok.
- Click Finish.
- Hit Windows Key + Q to bring up the search.
- Type in “backup”.
- Choose Backup settings.
- Select More options.
- Choose See advanced settings.
- Select Add network location.
- Choose a folder on the network drive. (It’s a good idea to add a dedicated folder.)
- Choose Select folder.
- Hit OK.
File History will back up all your files and save them to the NAS. This is great if you somehow manage to accidentally delete an important file or your PC drive completely fails. File History will let you set up schedules as well as what folders to copy across. If you want yet more data backed up, use Backup and Restore.
Backup and Restore
- Hit Windows Key + Q to bring up the search.
- Type in “backup”.
- Choose Backup settings.
- Select More options.
- Choose set up back-up.
- Select Save on network.
- Hit Browse and choose a location on the NAS.
- Enter your username and password.
- Hit Next
- Choose whether or not you want Windows to handle everything.
- Hit Next.
- Confirm everything and choose Save settings and run backup.
By saving restore points externally, you’ll be able to apply them to a Windows PC should it encounter issues. If you fear drive failures, I recommend picking up the best NAS drives to ensure your backed-up data is safe.
How to backup a smartphone to Synology NAS
Your Synology NAS can be used to store photos and videos from your mobile devices, freeing up space on them and allowing you to stream media to various devices. It’s really simple to get started.
- Download DS File for Android or iOS.
- Open DS File on your mobile devices.
- Enter in the NAS IP address (including port) and your login credentials.
- Hit the hamburger menu button.
- Select Photo Backup.
- Select Enable Photo Backup.
- Re-enter your NAS IP address and login credentials.
- Click Next and follow the wizard.
As with all data, it’s best to have a further backup of all your important memories on an external drive, as well as the NAS. This helps avoid any potential data loss in the event of a device failure.
