Backup on business computers is typically not the user’s concern unless it’s a small business. A business should have a policy in place for managing backups especially due to Sarbanes - Oxyley.
Four options for backing up:
- External hard drive
- CD-RW (CD rewriteable) drive
- Tape
- Network server
Two options for what to back up:
- Everything
- Data files (.doc, .xls, .db, .ppt, .txt, etc.)
Personally, I use an external hard drive (this is a 120 gig hard drive, they also have 20 gig, 40 gig, 60 gig, and 80 gig available. I suggest getting one that is 20 gigs bigger than your hard drive.). It saved me when my computer had to be reformatted a few months ago. Typically, the hard drive is supposed to be rebootable and load everything back exactly as it was before the crash.
Obviously, that didn’t happen. It worked out for the best because some of my system files were bad. The hard drive still had my data files and programs. First, I referred to my latest copy from Belarc Advisor. This is a free program that lists all the applications on your computer. Since I don’t have a CD of every program I use, this was handy.
Using this list, I reloaded all applications first starting with the most important working down to the least important. It takes time to load everything, so you won’t want to reload everything in one sitting.
As soon as an application was reloaded, I copied all of its data files from the external hard drive back on the computer. I try to keep all of my data files in as minimal folders as possible. That is where My Documents, My Music, and My Photos comes in handy, but I hate those names. For the most part, I have /docs, /media (with subfolders for music and photos), /sites (for Web-related docs).
Keeping data files in as few folders as possible makes it easier to keep them organized and to find them when you need to restore data.
Programs like Norton’s Ghost, AlohaBob, and NTI Backup Now are useful for creating and managing back ups.
Using a RW-CD and tape back up are also viable solutions. I prefer the external hard drive since I don’t have to use an external media like a tape or CD. No sitting around and waiting for the CD or tape to fill up and inserting the next one.
Thumb drives (portable hard drives) are helpful, but typically can’t hold enough if you have as much data as I do. It’s great for critical data and data that you need at all times.
When buying a USB drive, make sure you have USB 2.0 not 1.1 as most the drives require 2.0.
At a minimium, back up your data files - the products of your work. Have a copy of these file somewhere other than your hard drive. Ideally, I’d like to back up my data on a network server because:
- if my house were on fire (ptpthpthpth), the files are safe on a server located somewhere else.
- if the computer goes crazy and ruins everything in its path including the back up hardware, the files are safe on a server.
However, storage is not cheap enough for personal use just yet. I am sure it’s one of the future options we can expect to become a regular part of safe computing.
Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl’s notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn’t wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.
Tags: computer, usb, data, backup, back up, hard drive, pc, cd
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There are about as many ways to perform data recovery as there are files and systems in the computing world.
The most important thing to know when it comes to data recovery is how to prevent ever needing to perform it. Having a separate backup for critical data is vital and there are many ways to go about doing this. The easiest way is to simply save data to an external device, such as a tape drive. You can perform the same function with a CD-R drive and burn your data to a CD whenever necessary. On the other end of the spectrum are the software and hardware solutions specifically geared toward keeping your data secure and always available. Many of the companies that offer data recovery services also provide software tools that will assist you in backing up data on your system, keeping it free from virus attacks, accidental deletion or other system failures. The type of backup system you need will depend upon the criticality of your data. Of course, it may not seem critical until its gone, so at the very least, it is a good idea to save a copy of things like your “My Documents” folder on an external device every few months.
So what do you do if you haven’t been using a backup plan and your system crashes or a virus wipes out your files? You will probably have to call in the pros at this time. There are many companies that specialize in recovering data from any type of media for just about any type of system failure. Some of the companies also specialize in recovering certain types of files that have been corrupted. For example, if you have a corrupted Microsoft Excel file, look for a company that specifies expertise with that type of file.
Remember, when looking for a professional data recovery service, it is always a good idea to get multiple quotes and check the Better Business Bureau for complaints.
Written by Deron Van, president Gotta get my info. You can find more about data recovery and all things related to computers at the Computer page at Gotta Get My Info.
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About The AuthorDeron Van is a software engineer at Intel, he received his bachelor degrees in CIS and marketing from Arizona State University and is the marketing manager at http://www.gottagetmyinfo.com you can email him at deron@gottagetmyinfo.com.
Tags: Recovery, Back up, Backup, Recover, Data
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Most of us know the old saying beginning, “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.” This unfortunate tale leads from the loss of the horseshoe to the loss of the battle and finally the kingdom.
In mid-December, it was the loss of a piece of plastic the size of a pea that led to the destruction of our database and bookkeeping computer. It was a cold Thursday in Colorado Springs when our bookkeeper came to me and told me her computer wouldn’t start. Computers that don’t start usually need new power supplies. I ran out, bought one, and installed it. Unfortunately, the computer still didn’t start.
I dug deeper into the computer and discovered my little piece of plastic had broken and the power switch wasn’t connecting correctly. I put the computer back together with the switch hanging outside the computer case so our bookkeeper could continue her projects.
A half hour later, the computer was sounding like a diesel truck idling at a stoplight. I opened it up and found that one of the unused power cables from the new power supply had fallen into the fan for the main CPU chip and had broken several of the vanes on the fan. The fan was vibrating unmercifully and needed to be replaced.
Here comes my fatal mistake. I removed the fan to take it to the computer store. Since it was only a small fan cooling the chip, I turned the computer back on to see if it would work. The smell of burning plastic filled the air, and the computer worked no more.
A new chip was $100 and had to be ordered. The computer store guys couldn’t promise something else in the computer wasn’t burned up as well. I spent Friday getting a spare computer up and running. After a tense few hours, I got the data off the hard drive. I spent the weekend loading software onto the new computer.
By Monday morning, the new bookkeeping computer was working, but some information was missing and many processes were changed. The burned-up computer still sits in pieces awaiting a decision.
Most longtime computer users can share similar tales of data lost. Hard-drive crashes, viruses, theft, fire, and flood can all wipe out your data and possibly damage your business.
There are many solutions to backing up data. Disks, tapes, and online backups are all good potential solutions for protecting information on your computer.
Our database/accounting information and the “My Documents” folders on individual computers are backed up onto a server computer daily. Our problem was that the more elusive information like the e-mail files and those tucked on the desktop were not backed up regularly. Now they are.
For individual computers, we use Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator onto a CD or DVD. I try to back up weekly and then find out it’s been a month.
It is important for you to locate all the files you want to back up. E-mail files like Outlook and Eudora in Windows are not stored in the “My Documents” folder. Sometimes these e-mails are the most critical of all your information.
Another important point is to store your backup disks off site on a regular basis. If theft, fire, or flood should occur, most of your data will be recovered.
Backing up takes time, but not as much time as recovering all your data from your paper files. Almost every computer user wishes, at some time, they had backed up ten minutes earlier. Back up often and save your kingdom.
Scott Flora is the Vice President of About Books, Inc. ABI is a consulting company helping authors and publishers edit, design and print their books. Scott is also the Executive Director of the Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN - http://www.spannet.org). More information at http://www.about-books.com or call 719-632-8226.
Tags: computer, back-up
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