How to Use FTP Programs to Back-Up Your Local Computer Hard Drive

How to Use FTP Programs to Back-Up Your Local Computer Hard Drive

Using Filezilla File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to Back-Up Local Files

I know many people have asked this question and I too have often wanted to back-up my local computer files using my FTP program but it always seemed like it couldn’t be done.  I actually researchd it online only to find time and time again people concluding that you couldn’t do it this way.  Well I found a simple solution.  Whether using FTP to back-up your local files makes sense or not, I just accidentally discovered an extremely easy way to perform this task and I figured I might as well share it.

The one advantage I have found with using FTP to back-up my local hard disk files is it offers me additional options.  Now I can’t speak for all the FTP programs, operating systems, or platforms so I will specifically speak to my situation and what I have found to work successfully for me.  The current environment I am working in is Windows 7 64 Bit machine with Filezilla FTP software (Download Filezilla here for free).

First You want to open your Filezilla FTP Program.

Then You Will Open A Local Directory or Hard Disk on your computer.

(Click to enlarge image)

FTP-Local-Folder-Copy-Replace

As you can see, you then simply drag one over to the other side as outlined above and Presto!!!  You are done.  If a conflicts arise you will be prompted below as follows:

FTP-Move-Prompt

The nice thing about using files and backing up folders this way, is you now have better prompting options.  Now you can Move and Replace, Don’t Move, or Move and Keep Both Files.  I specifically like the option to move and keep both files because sometimes when I am backing up large amounts of files, folders, or data I can’t quite remember each file so making a second copy ensures that everything is backed up and nothing is ever lost.

Hope this was helpful, at least you can now do this if you wish.

 

 

One thought on “How to Use FTP Programs to Back-Up Your Local Computer Hard Drive

  1. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

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