Guide · Mobile workplaces
Backing up field staff laptops reliably
In short: laptops are rarely in the office long enough for a complete backup. It only becomes reliable when the backup runs in the background over any internet connection, survives interruptions without loss, transfers only what is missing and needs nobody to take part.
Why laptops are so often not backed up
- Rarely on the company network: the backup is designed for the office, but the laptop is at a customer's, on the train or in the home office.
- Lid closed in the middle of the backup: many solutions then start again from the beginning – and with large amounts of data never finish.
- Slow connections: hotel Wi-Fi and mobile networks are not enough for a first backup of a hundred gigabytes in one go.
- User involvement needed: if users have to start a backup or wait for it, it does not happen.
- Local data: quotes, calculations and presentations of all things are often stored only on the device.
How to recognise a good laptop backup
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| Runs over the internet | The destination can be reached from anywhere, encrypted via TLS |
| Resumes after interruptions | Standby, shutting down, a flat battery or a dropped connection cost no work already done |
| Transfers only what is missing | Deduplication and resuming save time and data volume |
| Runs in the background | On a schedule, without anyone having to start anything |
| Can be throttled | Limit bandwidth or pause when the connection is needed |
| Encrypts before transfer | A lost laptop is bad enough – the backup must not give anything away |
| Reports when something is missing | IT sees which device has not been backed up for days |
Planning the first backup
The first backup transfers everything and takes correspondingly long. It is easiest in the office over the fast network. If it has to happen on the road, what matters is that it arrives in several stages – two hours in the hotel today, one on the train tomorrow – instead of starting over each time. After that the daily backups are small, because only changes are transferred.
How AegisGrid backs up laptops
AegisGrid backs up Windows 10 and Windows 11 laptops on a schedule in the background to a backup server or the cloud storage, encrypted before transfer. Resuming is always on: after standby or a dropped connection, AegisGrid continues the same backup; after shutting down or a flat battery, it picks it up again at the next start, and only what is still missing is transferred. A backup only counts as finished when it is complete. Running backups can be paused or limited in bandwidth. If a device stays away, the backup server reports this to the responsible contacts. More on this on the page Laptops and mobile workplaces.
Frequently asked questions about laptop backup
Is OneDrive enough as a backup for laptops?
OneDrive synchronises selected folders but does not back up the whole device, and deletions or encryptions are synchronised as well. How long Microsoft keeps deleted items is explained in the article Backing up Microsoft 365.
Does the user notice the backup?
The backup runs in the background. If you wish, a small window shows the progress; bandwidth can be limited so that video conferences and downloads do not suffer.
What happens if a laptop is stolen?
The data is preserved on the backup server and can be restored to a new device. Because the backup is encrypted, it gives a thief nothing; the device itself should additionally be encrypted with BitLocker.
Back up laptops on the road
In a pilot project we back up your field staff's laptops – even over slow connections.