How to back up your Synology NAS to an external USB drive
To back up your Synology NAS to an external USB drive, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Connect the USB drive to your Synology NAS
- Ensure that the USB drive is compatible with your Synology NAS model.
- Locate the USB port on your Synology NAS and connect the USB drive to it.
Step 2: Configure the external USB drive
- Log in to your Synology NAS management interface.
- Go to "Control Panel" and navigate to "External Devices."
- Click on "USB" and select the connected external drive.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to format and prepare the USB drive for use with your Synology NAS.
Step 3: Set up backup tasks
- Open the "File Station" app from your Synology NAS desktop.
- Select the folders or files on your Synology NAS that you want to back up.
- Click on the "Actions" button and choose "Copy" from the drop-down menu.
- In the destination selection, browse and choose the USB drive as the target location.
- Click on "Copy" to start the backup process. The time taken for the backup will depend on the amount and size of data being copied.
Step 4: Schedule automatic backups
- Go to "Control Panel" and select "Task Scheduler."
- Create a new task by clicking on the "Create" button.
- Set the backup task frequency, such as daily or weekly.
- Specify the source folders on your Synology NAS and the destination as the USB drive.
- Configure any additional settings, such as notifications, compression, or encryption, according to your preferences.
- Save the task, and the automatic backups will be scheduled accordingly.
Step 5: Monitor and verify backups
- Use the "Task Scheduler" to monitor the status of your backup tasks.
- Regularly check the backup copies on your external USB drive to ensure they are up to date and functioning correctly.
- Periodically test the restore process to ensure that your data can be recovered from the USB drive backups.
Remember to keep your external USB drive in a safe and secure location to protect your backup data from physical damage or theft.
