Why Doing Regular Backup is a Matter of Life and Death for your Files

Backup Basics

One of the most important basic computer chores you can do is a proper, regular, backup. There are several reasons for doing regular backups.

One of the main reasons is that if you have sensitive data on your computer, if you don't have a regular backup schedule, you may lose everything, which could cost you a lot of money and hard work. It is not hard to do a good thorough backup, so there is really no excuse for not having one setup on your computer, and doing it regularly.

There are different issues in play today than there were when I first started in computing. One is the much larger hard drive size, as well as the larger amounts of important files, that even regular users have that are important to them. Because of this, the old style of backup using a floppy disk is not really practical.

Another change is that newer computers often don't come with a floppy drive, but do come with Rewritable CDRom drives. This makes it much easier to do a large backup e.g. 700 Mb. You can also get a Rewritable DVD drive which allows for an even larger backup.

The final change is that new computers are bootable from the CDRom so you don't have to create a rescue floppy disk unless you own an older computer. What this means is that you just have to insert your operating system disk, in the case of a catastrophic computer failure, to reinstall your operating system.

Setting up Your Backup

To set up a backup, is really not too complicated, given the importance, OR maybe that is why computer operating system software manufacturers make it easy to do. One of my first jobs in computing was as a combination bookkeeper/network technician at a smaller company. One of the first things I did was to institute a backup schedule where all of the accounting and inventory information was backed up at the end of each working day.

Once we had our backup Zip disk created, I took it home with me so that the data wan't in the same place as the computers in case a fire or destroyed the computers. This way we would have the last backup from the previous day so that if something happened even the next day, we would only lose about four to eight hours hours of work. This backup took about an hour to set up initially and could be completed in ten minutes on subsequent occasions.

I will go through the procedure for setting up a backup in Windows 98, Windows XP has setup a system restore option so that you can return to the last good configuration. In Windows 98 first go click on the Start button and go to Programs|Accessories|System Tools|Backup. The backup dialog box will open and at this point, you can choose the files and or folders you wish to include in the backup.

You can also choose a location to backup your files, such as a Zip or Jaz disk, or a re writeable CDRom drive. At this point your back up is ready to run, all you have to do is go to Programs|Accessories|System Tools|Backup again and choose the backup you have saved to run it. Simple right? That is why I can't understand why everyone doesn't have a backup set up.

Backup Conclusions

Now even though you don't have to use backup for Windows XP, it is a good idea to back up your important files to a disk. You can do this by using Copy/Paste to move them to a Zip or Jaz disk. Or else use the CD burning software(if you have a CD burner) to create a data disk and save it to run every day In this way you should never lose important data.

In conclusion, I can't stress enough the importance of doing regular data backups, even though it may not be valuable, you will still have to do a lot of work to replace it. So don't forget about it, go set up your backup right now!

Why Doing Regular Backup is a Matter of Life and Death for your Files

Backup Basics


One of the most important basic computer chores you can do is a proper, regular, backup. There are several reasons for doing regular backups.


One of the main reasons is that if you have sensitive data on your computer, if you don't have a regular backup schedule, you may lose everything, which could cost you a lot of money and hard work. It is not hard to do a good thorough backup, so there is really no excuse for not having one setup on your computer, and doing it regularly.


There are different issues in play today than there were when I first started in computing. One is the much larger hard drive size, as well as the larger amounts of important files, that even regular users have that are important to them. Because of this, the old style of backup using a floppy disk is not really practical.


Another change is that newer computers often don't come with a floppy drive, but do come with Rewritable CDRom drives. This makes it much easier to do a large backup e.g. 700 Mb. You can also get a Rewritable DVD drive which allows for an even larger backup.


The final change is that new computers are bootable from the CDRom so you don't have to create a rescue floppy disk unless you own an older computer. What this means is that you just have to insert your operating system disk, in the case of a catastrophic computer failure, to reinstall your operating system.


Setting up Your Backup

To set up a backup, is really not too complicated, given the importance, OR maybe that is why computer operating system software manufacturers make it easy to do. One of my first jobs in computing was as a combination bookkeeper/network technician at a smaller company. One of the first things I did was to institute a backup schedule where all of the accounting and inventory information was backed up at the end of each working day.


Once we had our backup Zip disk created, I took it home with me so that the data wan't in the same place as the computers in case a fire or destroyed the computers. This way we would have the last backup from the previous day so that if something happened even the next day, we would only lose about four to eight hours hours of work. This backup took about an hour to set up initially and could be completed in ten minutes on subsequent occasions.


I will go through the procedure for setting up a backup in Windows 98, Windows XP has setup a system restore option so that you can return to the last good configuration. In Windows 98 first go click on the Start button and go to Programs|Accessories|System Tools|Backup. The backup dialog box will open and at this point, you can choose the files and or folders you wish to include in the backup.


You can also choose a location to backup your files, such as a Zip or Jaz disk, or a re writeable CDRom drive. At this point your back up is ready to run, all you have to do is go to Programs|Accessories|System Tools|Backup again and choose the backup you have saved to run it. Simple right? That is why I can't understand why everyone doesn't have a backup set up.


Backup Conclusions


Now even though you don't have to use backup for Windows XP, it is a good idea to back up your important files to a disk. You can do this by using Copy/Paste to move them to a Zip or Jaz disk. Or else use the CD burning software(if you have a CD burner) to create a data disk and save it to run every day In this way you should never lose important data.


In conclusion, I can't stress enough the importance of doing regular data backups, even though it may not be valuable, you will still have to do a lot of work to replace it. So don't forget about it, go set up your backup right now!

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Computer Backup

Computer backup involves the process of storing data in a location apart from your hard drive, on any possible medium in order to ensure that you always have a copy of that file. We all know that damage can come to a computer resulting in a loss of data, and having proper backups can greatly ease the pressure off of us in the event that such a thing does occur. If you have a loss of data on your machine for any reason, you can easily restore these files through the use of your previously made backups.

Zen and the Art of Computer Backup

Zen is an ancient Asian philosophical system which arose in China and then traveled to Japan. It is a combination of the teachings of Siddhartha Gotama, the Buddha (enlightened one) from India and the Taoist philosophies which had grown up in China from the teachings of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching.

One might wonder how Zen could play any part in the modern technological world of computers, especially such a seemingly mundane task as computer backup. However, zen can play a great part in computer backup. Zen is the art of becoming one with that which you are doing. It is a form of meditation that puts you in a state where you are sure of exactly what is going on around you. It is a way of life, and can become a part of all aspects of your life, especially something as essential as computer backup.

Practicing Zen and the Art of Computer Backup

When you are backing up your computer, do not just consider it a mundane task that must be performed. Allow yourself to become one with your data, and with your computer. There are many different methods of computer backup, and you can practice zen with any different method of computer backup.

Traditionally, floppy disks were used in the performance of computer backup. However, floppy disks are becoming increasingly obsolete. After all, a floppy disk can only hold 1.4 megabytes, while a CD-R can hold 800 megabytes. It is easy to see why such a method would be seen as ineffective.

Zen is all about effectiveness, and living properly. While computer backup is a very important thing, and a practice that should be performed often, it merits us nothing to take much more time and disks to backup on floppy disks than to backup on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other medium which holds a great deal more data.

Another form of backup that is becoming very popular is the use of what are called key drives. Key drives are tiny drives which can fit on your key chain but can still hold up to a gigabyte or more of data. You then plug these drives into your computer, and on most newer machines your key drive will automatically be read by your computer, without the need for any device drivers, the perfect conception of plug and play technology.

Zen and the Art of Computer Backup

Computer Backup


Computer backup involves the process of storing data in a location apart from your hard drive, on any possible medium in order to ensure that you always have a copy of that file. We all know that damage can come to a computer resulting in a loss of data, and having proper backups can greatly ease the pressure off of us in the event that such a thing does occur. If you have a loss of data on your machine for any reason, you can easily restore these files through the use of your previously made backups.


Zen and the Art of Computer Backup


Zen is an ancient Asian philosophical system which arose in China and then traveled to Japan. It is a combination of the teachings of Siddhartha Gotama, the Buddha (enlightened one) from India and the Taoist philosophies which had grown up in China from the teachings of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching.

One might wonder how Zen could play any part in the modern technological world of computers, especially such a seemingly mundane task as computer backup. However, zen can play a great part in computer backup. Zen is the art of becoming one with that which you are doing. It is a form of meditation that puts you in a state where you are sure of exactly what is going on around you. It is a way of life, and can become a part of all aspects of your life, especially something as essential as computer backup.


Practicing Zen and the Art of Computer Backup


When you are backing up your computer, do not just consider it a mundane task that must be performed. Allow yourself to become one with your data, and with your computer. There are many different methods of computer backup, and you can practice zen with any different method of computer backup.


Traditionally, floppy disks were used in the performance of computer backup. However, floppy disks are becoming increasingly obsolete. After all, a floppy disk can only hold 1.4 megabytes, while a CD-R can hold 800 megabytes. It is easy to see why such a method would be seen as ineffective.


Zen is all about effectiveness, and living properly. While computer backup is a very important thing, and a practice that should be performed often, it merits us nothing to take much more time and disks to backup on floppy disks than to backup on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other medium which holds a great deal more data.


Another form of backup that is becoming very popular is the use of what are called key drives. Key drives are tiny drives which can fit on your key chain but can still hold up to a gigabyte or more of data. You then plug these drives into your computer, and on most newer machines your key drive will automatically be read by your computer, without the need for any device drivers, the perfect conception of plug and play technology.

Why Should a Small Business Spend Time and Money on Data Backups?

What is a Data Backup and Why is It Necessary?

Data backup is as important as the data you store on your system; if that holds valuable information critical to the daily operation of your business, then making a backup of it is also critical. Think about the customer information, supplier details, debtors & creditors, etc. stored on your hard drive, and then imagine that one morning you can no longer find them.

Backups are for your peace of mind, and to save you a lot of time and money if anything terminal happens to your data files. Your data is fundamental to the operation of your business, and should be valued as an important asset.

Any backup is basically copying your data files to disk or some other storage device, to provide a working copy of your data ready to be restored if the original copy is lost, damaged, or corrupted. This can can occur in a surprising number of ways - viruses, power failures, power spikes (these may not even be noticed! ), system crashes, external events such as flood, fire, theft, or vandalism , or even a simple user error.

A Sample Data Backup Procedure

How often you make a data backup depends on how frequently the data changes, the value you place on the information, its importance to your business, and the cost of replacing or recreating it. If you consider that your data file is too important to lose, or that it would be costly to replace, then you must backup regularly.

If you open and update your data files every day, you should set aside a labeled disk/tape for each day of the week and make a backup everday. The following week, when you next enter the backup file name, you will be prompted to overwrite or append the previous weeks file. If you overwrite, you will then be in a weekly cycle. If you are confident that you will always have space on the media, you can append and have a two weekly cycle.

If you feel your information doesn't alter that frequently, you can backup once a week and rotate disks on that basis - Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, back to Week 1 again. The ultimate system is to keep buying new media, backing up daily and working on a very long (6 monthly or more) cycle. This is to ensure that there is always a clean backup if a fault goes unnoticed for any length of time, but it is really overkill for a small business.

Don't Forget to Check That Your Data Backup Has Worked!

Don't be misled into thinking that because you have run a backup that it has worked, there are numerous horror stories of PC users suddenly needing to restore and only then finding out that their backup procedure has been routinely failing. You should regularly test the backup media to confirm that the data has been successfully backing up.

Don't put off learning how to recover files until disaster strikes. Practice to familiarize yourself with the process and make this a regular event, especially after any upgrades or changes.

Why a Small Business Should Spend Time and Money on Data Backups

What is a Data Backup and Why is It Necessary?


Data backup is as important as the data you store on your system; if that holds valuable information critical to the daily operation of your business, then making a backup of it is also critical. Think about the customer information, supplier details, debtors & creditors, etc. stored on your hard drive, and then imagine that one morning you can no longer find them.


Backups are for your peace of mind, and to save you a lot of time and money if anything terminal happens to your data files. Your data is fundamental to the operation of your business, and should be valued as an important asset.


Any backup is basically copying your data files to disk or some other storage device, to provide a working copy of your data ready to be restored if the original copy is lost, damaged, or corrupted. This can can occur in a surprising number of ways - viruses, power failures, power spikes (these may not even be noticed! ), system crashes, external events such as flood, fire, theft, or vandalism , or even a simple user error.


A Sample Data Backup Procedure

How often you make a data backup depends on how frequently the data changes, the value you place on the information, its importance to your business, and the cost of replacing or recreating it. If you consider that your data file is too important to lose, or that it would be costly to replace, then you must backup regularly.


If you open and update your data files every day, you should set aside a labeled disk/tape for each day of the week and make a backup everday. The following week, when you next enter the backup file name, you will be prompted to overwrite or append the previous weeks file. If you overwrite, you will then be in a weekly cycle. If you are confident that you will always have space on the media, you can append and have a two weekly cycle.


If you feel your information doesn't alter that frequently, you can backup once a week and rotate disks on that basis - Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, back to Week 1 again.


The ultimate system is to keep buying new media, backing up daily and working on a very long (6 monthly or more) cycle. This is to ensure that there is always a clean backup if a fault goes unnoticed for any length of time, but it is really overkill for a small business.


Don't Forget to Check That Your Data Backup Has Worked!


Don't be misled into thinking that because you have run a backup that it has worked, there are numerous horror stories of PC users suddenly needing to restore and only then finding out that their backup procedure has been routinely failing. You should regularly test the backup media to confirm that the data has been successfully backing up.


Don't put off learning how to recover files until disaster strikes. Practice to familiarize yourself with the process and make this a regular event, especially after any upgrades or changes.

Back-up Your Data Today and Avoid Trouble Tomorrow

Data loss can’t just happen to your important files; it could also happen to your music, movies, and audiobooks. Files can be accidentally deleted, damaged by a virus or a hard disk failure, etc. On other occasions, it may have been deleted by none other than us.

Having an online backup system will save your day should your premises ever burn down, or the fireproof box containing your backup disks get stolen.

The easiest means of backing up online is to set up a leased line to a remote server, and transfer data to it at whatever interval you think appropriate. This requires extra hardware and is an obvious non-starter for a company that works from only one site, but luckily there are various third parties.

Do you want to lose all the emails that you have collected for years?  Think of the hassle it will cause you getting them all again.  Do you want all the saved game data you have stored to just disappear?  Think of how many hours you will waste getting to that highest level you have already gone to.  How about the files you have for work?  Do you want to start everything from scratch? 

Now if you don’t want to suffer the same story or maybe worse, it is a smart idea to back those important files up. 

Backing your files up is one of the necessary things that are often neglected.  Maybe we are just so busy doing some other things like Tweeting.  It won’t take us a day copy-pasting those files to a removable drive.  That is the simplest way to back up files  and it is what most users traditionally prefer.

There are a number of ways to back up files.  Even Dropbox would allow you to do that.  Then there are software that syncs or mirrors your computers to each other.  These steps are for the more tech savvy ones who's willing to take time doing techie stuff.

The two accepted criteria of a disaster recovery plan are the Recovery Time Objective and the Recovery Point Objective. Recovery Time Objective is the time in which normal business must be restored, this naturally wants to be as short as possible. Recovery Point Objective is the time to which data must be restored to successfully resume processing, commonly the last backup point.

It might be a task that doesn’t require lots of effort but it would greatly impact your life tragically once failed to be done.

You might ask what happened after that unfortunate incident, well, I have to retransfer albums, re-download discographies and ask friends to give me mp3's as my birthday gift.

I have learned a lesson, all things will eventually be gone, but our files could stay if we learn to back them up.