Why would I write such an article? Mainly because I have experienced with what I am about to write about.
Did you ever do a backup of files, email or pictures only to find out they weren’t really backed up. I have and so have many of my clients.
Tape drives, DVDs, CDs and even USB drive ‘s can fail. You should periodically test the backups to be sure they are actually working. Another problem is that they may not be backing up what you think they are. They may not even be backing up to the chosen drive or location you want them to. This could be because you configure it wrong or just because the software is defective. Because the drive, tape, or other media can go bad.
Obviously there are many kinds of data people can back up. This data could be very critical base files that many small and large businesses have, important family pictures, emails or just a file you think is important.
What do I need in order to do a backup?
You need media to copy data to. This could be a second hard drive, USB drive, tape, CD, or DVD. Tape drives have become fairly obsolete but there are still many around. Some companies back up to a server or even an online service.
Once you establish were your going to put the data you need to decide how you’re going to get it there. If you have a small amount of data you simply need to select the file or folder and drag it to the location were you plan to store it. Be sure to right click when you drag it. If you left click you actually remove the file or folder from its previous location. What’s worse is that it may not be obvious that you did it. If that happens, you will probably need to copy it back again.
What about large amounts of data?
Here is where things can really get tricky. First of all you need to store the files you want to back up in a single directory. I recommend keeping anything you want to see again in “My Documents”, or a directory (folder) of your choice. If you want, you can simply right click the folder, drag it to its destination, and copy it.
WAIT! What about the files you copied there last time?
Yes! This is why it is better to have a USB drive and have two of them. It is also better to store one off site in a safety deposit box or at a different address. That way if there is a fire or other catastrophic situation you have your data.
What about programs?
You can not “copy” programs. The industry has taken steps to license the programs they sell for this very reason. Copying is called pirating and you can get penalties, fines, or even jail in some cases. You MUST have a legal copy of the program. This is why it’s better to take an image of the drive. An image will copy all your settings, programs, files and anything else that is on the drive.
Wow! How do I do that?
You need a program that will do it! Buy Norton Ghost or any other program that can do this. This actually will create an image of your drive. This includes absolutely anything you had on your drive. This is the best method to move the data from one drive to another. If the current drive ever goes bad or you just run out of disk space this image of the drive will be a life saver.
What will all this cost?
It would cost a lot more to have a technician do it. These costs have skyrocketed. You can easily spend $150 or more. This may not include the programs you need to buy and time you may loose. Break down and do the right thing. You save nothing by trying to take shortcuts. An ounce of prevention here will save you time also. If you have an image or even a file backup you can get up and running fairly fast.
I hope this article helps! Just be sure you verify that your backup is really working and you will be fine.
