SMJ Solutions

Backup, backup, backup

September 20th, 2005

Hard drives fail. Operating systems corrupt. It’s your basic Second Law of Thermodynamics, things fall apart.

Even though most of us know the Second Law of Thermodynamics (few have it memorized, but most understand it intuitively), somehow we still fail to perform one of the most basic and essential tasks in computing: the all-important backup.

We’re now in the digital age, photos are no longer stored in shoeboxes, songs aren’t on CDs, recorded TV shows aren’t on videotape, journals aren’t written by pen on paper and hidden under a pillow — they are all stored on your hard drive. As digital media proliferates, computer users still back up as much as they always have — rarely, if ever.

Having a complete and comprehensive backup solution takes a lot of work. However, a few simple steps can prevent major disasters. Here are three basic recommendations everyone should be following:

1. Indentify the data (pictures, emails, address book, Quicken files) you can’t lose. Make this step easier by separating your data from all of your program files and operating system. Windows XP does this by default (for most files) by storing them in your My Documents folder. Beware of other user profiles on that machine and the location of their important files if the computer has more than one user. This is the data you will be backing up.

2. Put the data (from step 1) on removable media. Almost all computers these days come with a burner. CD and DVD media are very inexpensive and should have plenty of room to store your most important data.

3. Repeat Steps 1 & 2 at regular intervals. It won’t do you much good to have a backup from a year ago. You need to get into the habit of backing up your files. The frequency is really up to you, but I would suggest at least monthly.

These three steps should make losing a hard drive an inconvenience instead of a total disaster. Sure you will still need to install an operating system and all of your program files, but most people keep the original install discs around. Restoring the OS and the programs is the easy part — it’s the loss of those personal files and data that hurts. Performing these three steps will prevent much pain and heartache when the Second Law of Thermodynamics pays an unexpected visit.

Entry Filed under: Hardware,Software