How long to keep backup disk images?

[Munkus]

Just curious how long you guys keep your backup disk images. I've got about 5 years' worth and I need to free up some space on my NAS soon.

[ugly]

I don't even do disk images anymore.

Linux Mint comes with Timeshift. I just leave it at the default setting, which is an incremental back-up every week. And it keeps the last 3.

And if that fails, I have install scripts that have a big chunk of my setup automated.

So the only thing I need to make a point of backing up is my user data. I should probably have a better process for that.

I still have a Windows install, but I don't use it enough to bother with backup images.

[andino]

I do the auto backup once a month and I keep 3 months. And I'm starting to think that is overkill.

Installing a fresh Windows isn't that big of a deal for me. Plus I back all my important stuff up on the cloud and my server. That and all my games are on steam. Keeping a drive image is starting to become rather pointless these days.

[Munkus]

I do the auto backup once a month and I keep 3 months. And I'm starting to think that is overkill.

Installing a fresh Windows isn't that big of a deal for me. Plus I back all my important stuff up on the cloud and my server. That and all my games are on steam. Keeping a drive image is starting to become rather pointless these days.

Yeah, I'm starting to think it's pointless as well. I have never had to restore a backup disk image to recover files. All my important stuff is on OneDrive and reinstalling Windows isn't the time suck that it used to be.

[Lazy8s]

I was thinking I was being irresponsible by only keeping the last image

Then again my needs are pretty simple.

[KAC]

I don’t backup. I have 8 HDDs with key folders repeated. Rest not sure what to use backups for?

Which cloud service you gays using?

[Hapatingjaky]

Don't do disk images anymore, have my NAS and anything on there is mirrored so meh.

All my systems could have the storage straight up and die and I wouldn't lose a thing.

Cloud service I use Qnap Cloud for my NAS and it just backs up automatically so I don't have too worry.

[andino]

Which cloud service you gays using?

Dropbox and OneDrive.

[Johnmcl7]

I don't use disk images for my home PC's because I don't rebuild them that often and when I do, I find there's usually updated drivers, applications etc. so I end up installing all the software manually anyway so there's no saving with the image.

[Ryo-Ohki]

I don't either.

All of my data is on a Synology with an external backup on a eSATA drive.

The Windows OS itself is on a MDT image I tinkered to my liking. As John said, the few applications I use are updated frequently enough that I'll use the latest version available if I must reinstall.