If you use Hyper Backup to create a local copy of your Synology NAS (which you probably should), you will discover that its default setting creates a proprietary format. In my opinion, this is bad if you want a portable and universal emergency backup of your drive. If you see “HBK” files on your backup drive, you’re heading down a path that will cause you headaches if you ever want to restore your data to something other than a Synology device.

Like most Synology products, the Hyper Backup interface isn’t clear, but it is possible to turn off the proprietary format. When you create the backup set, turn on the option for “single version.” Yes, you’ll lose the ability to restore past versions of a file (ala Time Machine), but you’ll gain a simple and transportable copy of your files. (If you really need versioning, look into turning on the Snapshot Replication service for the directories where it would be beneficial.)