The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/theswedishguy94 on 2025-02-01 16:14:54.

Hey fellow data hoarders,

I’ve got a situation with my archive (18TB drive, ~10TB used, thousands of files) that I need advice on. I want to maintain an exact backup on another 18TB drive, but here’s the catch:

For safety reasons, I don’t want both drives connected at the same time. Ever.

The main challenge is: When I reorganize folders or rename stuff on my main drive, how can I efficiently sync these changes to the backup drive later? I need a solution that can:

  • Track structural changes on main drive while backup is disconnected

  • Safely mirror everything when I connect the backup

  • Handle thousands of files

  • Be reliable with large datasets (10TB+)

  • Ideally have a GUI (not comfortable with command line)

I’ve looked at FreeFileSync but not sure if it’s the best solution for this specific need. What do you recommend?