October 29, 2003
Table of Contents
Back to Basics
If your computer were to stop tomorrow, would you be able to restore your data? In most cases, the answer would be no. We used to use expensive tape backup systems and backup the entire computer. This can be time-consuming and costly. Another disadvantage to “system backups” is the fact that if you had a virus, worm, or any other problem with your operating system, you would be including this with the backup. When you restore the system with this infected backup, you would be right back where you were before – using a computer that is not operating properly.
Below is a quick backup routine that can be run by any user with large-capacity removable media. By large-capacity, I’m referring to media that will hold more data than the 3 ½” floppy. Zip drives, jump drives, CD R/W are examples. Now that removable media is less expensive, and can be plugged into a USB port, it is more efficient and convenient to backup only your data to removable media.
You will only be backing up DATA. Microsoft Word, Excel, Corel WordPerfect, etc., usually saves documents to the My Documents folder. Other specialty programs such as Top Producer, Quicken, ACT, etc. backup their data to a folder in a different location.
First, within the My Documents folder, create a new folder called Backups. When you backup your specialty programs, change the location of where the backup is saved so that it is saved directly to this folder. The rule of thumb for backing up data – backup as often as you can remember the data or as often as you do not want to recreate the data. For example, it would be easier to remember all new contacts for one week than for one month.
If you decide on a weekly backup, each week, copy the My Documents folder to your removable media (zip drive or CD for example). If the folder is too large for your media, you may have to copy part of the My Documents files to separate disks, drives, etc. It is suggested that you rotate between at least two sets of backup medium. If you backup your data to the same CD all of the time, and if that CD is lost or damaged, you would lose all of your data.
Also consider copying your “my favorites folder” to the My Documents folder. Don’t forget to backup your e-mail addresses. In Outlook and Outlook Express, you can export the information to a text file. This file should be saved in the My Documents folder so that the text file is also included with the backup. Check your e-mail program as to backing up *.wab or *.pst files. Any of these files should be placed in your “backup folder” that you created in the My Documents folder.
Pictures – Pictures take up a large amount of disk space. On average, one digital photo will take up 1 MB space – that’s one 3 ½” floppy per photo. You might consider saving those photos in a separate folders. Copy those folders to a CD or other removable media, label clearly including the date backed up, and place in a safe place. Depending on how valuable your photos are, you do not have to back up the same pictures every week. By devising a folder system by date, it would be easy to see which folders had been backed up before.
Besides backing up to removable media, you might consider saving your backup online. Check with your ISP. In most cases, when you subscribe to their service, you are given a certain amount of disk space on their web servers. This can be used to host a small web site or to store data. For security reasons, you might prefer to have your data stored in another part of the country (consider the possibility that floods, fires, tornados, hurricanes, etc. in your area may also affect your ISP.) Ask your ISP, your bank and anyone else who may save their data in a secure area for any recommendations.
Whether you decide to have a program automatically back up your information or if you prefer to backup the information yourself, don’t procrastinate. I leave you with a technician’s most popular phrase – Backup, backup, backup.
Copyright 2003 FAR