StayGeo

Ever since I bought my first PC back in 2008, keeping my data backed up has been a priority. Those were the ThinkCentre desktop days - reliable machines, and thanks to IBM’s proprietary backup software, I felt safe, at least initially!

But there was a catch.

The backups were stored in a proprietary format, with the actual files buried deep under cryptic folder structures. To make matters worse, the backup would be split across multiple DVDs. Restoring anything manually felt like a small archaeology project.

Over the years, my backup strategy kept evolving. Storage was expensive back then, so I limited myself to burning only the most important files onto optical discs or copying them manually to an external HDD every few months. It worked - but it wasn’t elegant. And it definitely wasn’t efficient.

Eventually, I realized something important: Backups should be simple, fast, and trustworthy. But most GUI backup tools fail miserably at this. They hide everything behind animations and vague progress bars. You never really know:

• what is being copied
• what is being skipped
• or worse, what is being deleted.

On top of that, many tools bury the actual data under odd folder names, or store everything in proprietary formats that require the same software just to restore your own files.

I wanted something cleaner, predictable that told me exactly what was happening and didn’t hide my files from me. So, with some help from ChatGPT, I built a simple, interactive rsync-based backup script that I use to backup to two external hard drives.

Total Transparency

This script shows you which files

• have changed
• were copied
• were deleted (the most important!)

in addition to how much data moved and a fully readable, color-coded log. Nothing is hidden with every action being visible and verifiable.

TL;DR: Correct PAN first. If your broker rejects a demat name correction, transfer holdings (CDSL) to another broker, fix the name, then transfer back. Expect transfer fees and 10–14 day turnaround for transfers.

Brokers fetch account-holder names from the PAN database; sometimes that entry differs from the name printed on the PAN card. Here’s how I corrected my wife’s name.

My wife’s last name was misspelt and was broken into three parts in the PAN database. The steps involved the correction of the name in PAN, followed by the movement of stocks to another demat account and back to Zerodha. We returned to Zerodha because of trust and a better interface.

Correction of name in PAN

PAN correction was straightforward and completed in ~2 weeks. We had to fill the forms online with the corrected name, attach proofs and send them to Protean. You may be able to e-authenticate if the name matches in Aadhaar but that was not the case with us. We only had initials in Aadhaar for the second name.

Attempt to correct name in demat account

Her account was with Zerodha and we tried submitting the account modification form and KYC, Annexure B, new PAN and address proof as outlined here. However, the request was promptly rejected as they considered it a major change and requested a gazette notification for a name change or passport to be submitted. Our attempts to make them understand that ours was a name correction and not a name change were unsuccessful. That is when I sought advice from Manmohan whom I know through the ever-helpful AIFW community. He was quick to point out that these attempts would be futile based on his multiple experiences and suggested that I move my demat account elsewhere and come back to Zerodha later if necessary. Another suggested option was to transfer the holdings to my account temporarily, close the Zerodha account and move the holdings back to a new account - this will have to be backed by documentation.

Every good idea starts somewhere. This is my first post on StayGeo refreshed, after moving from Blogger. I’ll write about technology, telecom, personal finance here.