As of 13 August 2026, AI can only partly back up your files to a NAS.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface, power-user skill, and roughly 1 hour until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open the NAS manufacturer's support page and record the exact NAS model, NAS software version and the backup application it supports.
   2. On each computer or phone, record the operating system version, the folders that matter, the approximate data size and whether the device connects to the home network by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
   3. List any existing copies, cloud storage or external drives, then paste those details and the prompt into a chatbot without including passwords or file contents.
   4. Follow the model-specific plan to create a separate NAS backup account with only the permissions needed for the chosen backup folder, and save the credentials in your password manager.
   5. Install the recommended official backup application on the device, select the required folders and configure a schedule, exclusions, version history and encryption according to the plan.
   6. Run the first backup while the device is connected to the home network, then compare the application log with the selected folders and resolve every reported error.
   7. Delete or move a non-important test copy, restore it from the NAS to a different location, open it, and record whether the restore and file versions work before relying on the backup.

   Prompt

   Help me set up a reliable backup of my files to my NAS. Do not assume details that I have not supplied, and do not ask me to share passwords, private keys or personal file contents.
   
   My details:
   - Computer or phone: [device and model]
   - Operating system and version: [Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS or Android version]
   - NAS make and model: [NAS make and model]
   - NAS operating system or app, if known: [details]
   - Connection: [home network, Wi-Fi or Ethernet]
   - Folders to back up: [folders]
   - Approximate amount of data: [size, if known]
   - How often files change: [description]
   - Existing backup copies: [details]
   - Other requirements: [remote access, encryption, version history, exclusions or schedule]
   
   Give me a safe, beginner-readable plan using the official software for my NAS and operating system where possible. First identify any missing information that materially changes the instructions. Clearly distinguish one-way backup from two-way synchronisation. Explain which NAS account and permissions to use, what data should be excluded, whether the backup should be encrypted, and what happens if files are deleted or ransomware changes them. Do not recommend exposing the NAS directly to the internet. Give exact menu names only when they match the supplied model and software; otherwise label them as examples and tell me where to confirm them in the official manual. Finish with a checklist for running the first backup, checking its logs, and restoring a test file to a different location. Do not claim the backup is working until the restore test succeeds.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.