Toolkit’s Mirror feature behaves similarly to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. But instead of mirroring your data from a computer folder to the Cloud, the data is mirrored from the computer’s Mirror folder to your external drive.
Differences between Toolkit’s Backup and Mirror features:
- Backup is a Windows only feature and Mirror is available on both Windows and macOS
- Backup provides scheduling options whereas Mirror is continuously monitoring the ‘Mirror’ folder(s) that Toolkit creates
- Backup allows users to select source folders from internal drives
- Mirror creates a new computer folder named Mirror. Data that gets placed in that folder will then get mirrored to the external drive’s Mirror folder. If the original data is not copied then some data may be duplicated on the internal drive
- Mirror is a two-way-sync, meaning if data is added, deleted, or edited in either Mirror folder, the same will be applied to the other Mirror folder
- Mirror does NOT provide a full Image/System Image of the internal drive, it is data only
Which is best for me?
Determining which feature is best for you comes down to your specific needs:
Mirror ensures the most recent changes made to any given file are on your computer and drive, while backup is appropriate for longer term plans, such as finding an old file that might’ve been deleted from the source by accident.
Windows - Most prefer the Backup feature since it provides scheduling options and allows selection of files and folders to back up, unlike Mirror which creates its own folder.
You are able to have a Toolkit Backup and Mirror plan running at the same time.
macOS – Backup is not available in Toolkit for macOS, so users will find that Time Machine best meets their backup needs. But Time Machine requires the drive be formatted for macOS only and loses compatibility with Windows.
If you would like to ensure there’s a most recent copy of your most important files, then Mirror will provide the best results for you, and does not require the drive be formatted for macOS only. Simply keep those important files in the computer’s Mirror folder, and Toolkit will continually scan for changes and update the external drive’s Mirror folder accordingly.
For additional questions and answers regarding Backup and Mirror, see the following FAQs:
