Today we’re talking about back ups and how to save your data in the face of disaster -- computer or otherwise.
I've seen storms, fires and simple hard drive crashes take out a decade of work because people did not back things up.
What if you run a business or have critical medical information? That data must be protected and possibly encrypted. Unfortunately if data is lost, it is no excuse for failing to file taxes or other reporting requirements.
With today's technology there is no excuse for not making backups. Most of the solutions are free or inexpensive.
• Online -- if you have broadband access, you can store data on a secured space online. There is normally a fee. If you have a web site, make sure your provider let's you use this space for data backups (some of them don't).
• CDs/DVDs -- You can burn data on to a cd or DVD and store offsite.
• Free backup -- If you have personal documents under 10 megs, one way to save is use a web-based email service such as Yahoo! mail or Google Gmail. I still suggest an actual physical backup, but this is another option in the tool kit.
• Other Hardware -- If you have a large amount of data (over 100 gigabytes) purchase a special tape drive and back up to tape.
USB flash drives are increasing their capacity dramatically and can store data. I purchased a 16 gig flash drive for $30 at a technology store in December. I have long been a fan of external hard drives, which you can plug in and copy your files to and then take and store in some other location.
External hard drives come in two flavors, USB connected or "network connected." I like network connected as it's not strictly with one pc. These drives can connect with multiple computers.
In our home, we have several computers with accounts, with the "data folders" pointed to the external hard drive. So no matter what computer you’re on, you have access to all the data. This is not just for documents and photos, but music and video files.
Many of the devices can be encrypted and password protected. If security is important to you, ensure the drives have these capabilities before the purchase.
Most businesses with a formalized IT structure store their data offsite in a secured facility. Using a financial institution safety deposit box can be affordable and safe.
If you’re a homeowner and have relatives living in other states you should make arrangements to have them keep these items for you in case of a disaster takes out a large geographic area.
If you work for a business, most data that is stored on the "server" should be backed up. Some networks even have the "my documents" folder automatically redirect to the network server to ensure a data backup.
So what data do you backup?
For basic personal use, I suggest backing up "My Documents" and if you have put files in another location, I would add that as well. This makes it more important to insure you are consistent and organized in where, on your computer, you store documents as well as photos or other information.
Insuring you still have your original operating software also becomes crucial when you find you have no choice but a full re-install of your computer software. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to find those original discs that came with your machine.
Most of you probably have bookmarks you can't afford to lose. In Internet Explorer, go to File, Import and Export, Export to a file, select Favorites, and it should prompt you to create a bookmark.htm file in your documents folder. This is a "mini web page" showing all your bookmarks. So you can add this to your backup routine.
If you have accounting applications or anything strictly for the business, I would definitely back data up. (Some applications have a basic backup feature built in).
Now backups can be as simple as copy and paste data, or have a program run in the background while you sleep. Unless you have Vista Ultimate or Business, you may need to invest in backup software. The cost varies depending on functionality and media.
How often should you back up?
For businesses, I believe in every day incremental backups and weekly full backups. For consumers, once a week is sufficient unless you have something critical you cannot lose.
Bottom line is if you have photos, documents, reports or anything critical in nature, a well thought out backup system is a must. Data is only as good as the means to protect it.
[Greg Moore, CEO of Burnt Mountain Technologies, has 20 years in the IT field supporting networks, telecom systems and business continuity planning. He resides in Pickens and is a volunteer firefighter. He may be reached at progress@burntmountaintech.com.]
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