Community Newsletter: Q&A: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data
- 10/12/06 5:27 PM
No backup is a backup unless it is OFFSITE!
by Loraneb - 10/13/06 9:38 PM In reply to: Lost my computer to a fire by noslenilAbsolutely right about the fire. When my husband's 4,000 sq foot dental practice burned down to the ground, the only thing we had left from it was the backup tapes that were in my car (safely parked in my garage at home). If I hadn't had those backup tapes SEPARATE AND OFFSITE, we would have been out of business for sure. I even had a ''fireproof'' safe where I stored more recent than 1 week old backups. The safe was returned to me by the police about 3 weeks after the fire, and the safe was sloshing with water. And you know that tapes and water don't mix. I didn't even bother to try to get them restored. I had week-old backups in my car and I just used those.
Now I don't store any backups in our office. I take the backups home every night. I use a combination of a couple of 80GB Iomega external hard drives and Iomega REV 35 GB drives. I use the most wonderful freeware software called Syncback to backup the network servers and my computer to these drives.
The only thing I don't have going on now is encryption of the backups. That's what I'm investigating now . . but that's another topic!
You never know when a disaster can strike, so please everyone get an offsite backup system going!
Lorane
Nod.
by R. Proffitt - 10/14/06 6:30 AM
In reply to: No backup is a backup unless it is OFFSITE! by Loraneb
Thank you for that. Great post and story.
Bob
But wait! A question.
by phrubin - 10/13/06 1:07 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
One problem no one has addressed, and I find most irritating, is the fact that many Programs or Utilities save data in subfolders under the program folder.
I have moved many of these to my Data (or My Documents) folder. Some of these programs don't allow that. Any suggestions on easily finding and backing up such data?
Natalie, I have found
by Themisive - 10/13/06 1:15 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The best way of backing up data is to do the following:
If you don't already have one, get a GOOD CD/DVD recorder, and a supply of DVD recordable disks, use a reputable burning programme as well (don't use RW disks for backup, they're not worth the trouble and you can easily lose data from them), I use Nero 6 - one thing I must impress, keep that burning programme up to date as well.
Next step, organise ALL your irreplaceable data into one huge file (just copy and paste it) that can be deleted after backup. This file should include ALL you irreplaceable data, that is files YOU have created, as well as backups of your e-mail and of your favourites. The e-mail should be able to backed up from your e-mail client, the favourites may be found at C:\Documents and Settings\yourname\Favorites. you may also want to backup your cookies, the address for that is :\Documents and Settings\yourname\Cookies. I have said yourname here, as I don't know what that part of the C drive is named on your machine.
Unless you do not have the programme disks, don't bother about them, as you can always re-install from the disk. If you DO need to copy a programme for some reason, make sure that you copy it's registry keys as well, otherwise there's a good chance it won't work.
I back my data up on a fortnightly basis (bi-weekly), and it usually takes two (2) DVD-R disks. You can easily make mistakes here, one of them is that WHATEVER YOU DO when you are backing up the e-mails, do not just copy and paste the original files (if you find them), copy and paste the backups instead.
Another way of avoiding possible errors is - if your burner programme supports it (not all do) - check the ''verify data''; this makes it compare the saved data against the original data, whilst it does add to the backup time, it does insure another layer of security for the system.
As you will see, Loo and myself are in agreement over most of the problem and if you have any queries, please contact me on my profile.
Your backup plan should include recovery of software
by dddiam - 10/13/06 1:55 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Consider your installed software as part of your backup plan.
You may eventually need to rebuild your system from scratch. If you have a good image of an early state of your system (e.g., a Norton Ghost image), you are off to a fairly good start.
However, you have probably invested in quite a bit of software since then. And you can't just copy software. Most software will require reinstalling.
(1) Keep all software installation CDs in a place where you can find them.
(2) Keep all of the Software Installation Keys in a safe place that you can find (e.g., with the CDs). You cannot reinstall the software without them.
(3) Make backup copies of your software CDs if you can. Most software CDs can be copied because the installation key, and sometimes also registration, is used to check legitimate ownership.
(4) I always try to install software by first copying the CD to my hard drive (all files and folders), and then installing from the hard drive. Not only does the software install much faster, but you do not need to find the CD if you need to add another feature or upgrade.
Installing from a hard drive works for most software, but not all.
I also add a text file to the hard drive copy of the CD that contains the installation key.
Remember to copy your software CD images to your backup hard drive.
Software is expensive, so be sure to be positioned to reinstall if you need to.
- David D.
free 2GB online storage
by abner_mality - 10/13/06 2:36 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
click here: http://mozy.com/ and see bottom right-hand corner of web page
Backup compression
by angel67919 - 10/13/06 2:42 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am going to use the backup software that comes with XP. I have an external drive to do a complete backup to. It doesn't let me pick the option to compress the files. Does anyone know why? How can I fix this?
DOING back-up
by bholc - 10/13/06 3:15 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
With all this information about the need for backing
up-----nowhere do I see a work about HOW.
I have a Dell with slot for a disc and I have discs.
I use spreadsheets on MS Works.
Everyone tells me to "save" the spreadsheets that
took a lot of work.
No one takes the time to tell me HOW.
Boyd HOlcomb
Backing up data
by bgharp - 10/13/06 3:29 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Thanks, Wayne. Most informative and well written. I suspect you are a successful author.
I shall heed your suggestions.
B
An Option for Hard Drive Crash
by rfultonjr - 10/13/06 3:38 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
All the advice I've seen relative to this post is really great advice. I will probably change some things I am doing now based on all the suggestions. My first hard drive crash was Western Digital in 1997, and no, I had nothing backed up (that is how we learn). I have crashed three (laptop) hard drives in the past five years, and I am very glad that I back up daily/weekly.
However, if you do find yourself in a situation where you HAVE TO recover data from a crashed drive, there is an option. Firms such as Data Recovery Group (Southfield, MI) specialize in getting a lot of this lost data back again. Yes, it can be expensive but doesn't have to be. The cost is usually related to the type of crash and the difficulty of recovery. They can recover data from drives that a layperson would consider toast.
I hope this post may help someone in dire need.
HD backups
by alfcrane - 10/13/06 5:35 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Interesting article. however, seems a bit complicated and time-consuming.
I still have not been able to figure out why people go to such lengths to backup their hard drives.
Here is what I do, which could not be simpler or safer:
I purchased a regular hard disk, even smaller than my PC hard disk, together with an external USB enclosure.
I use a program called Casper (I guess just to make fun of Ghost - which is not worth a damn), which allows me to make an identical copy (clone) of my hard disk in about an hour and a half, also allowing making incremental copies in half that time.
I then store the external hard drive in a safe location, making backups every so often. Matter of fact, I have two such external hard drives, rotating the backups and always having two of them available, with no more than 15 days difference.
It's hasslefree, safe, secure, and allows me to sleep deeply every night.
A. Crane
HD Backups
by paultarcha - 10/13/06 9:48 PM In reply to: HD backups by alfcraneTo: A. Crane
I like the simplicity of your approach. It would be helpful to know if you have done a recovery from a total HD crash. Do you simply replace the internal drive with the external drive?
Paul Tarcha
Major HD crash recovery
by alfcrane - 10/14/06 5:17 AM In reply to: HD Backups by paultarchaYes. Quite recently, matter of fact. I just switched the two HDs and was back in business in a jiffy. I was even able to recover all the work I'd done, since the faulty HD luckily allowed me to access the needed files.
I've tried Acronis, Ghost, you name it, with catastrophic results. This is the only one that does this, every time, reliably. Go for it. It's worth the cost (not all that much, actually, considering the excellent - yet to be topped - system you end up with).
A Crane
10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data
by Milo98 - 10/13/06 9:19 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There is only one way to completely back up all your data, settings, preferences, installs, etc. Just backing up your user data alone is not enough. If you have a catastrophic failure, you may have your data backed up, but depending on your system, you still may have a huge headache getting your SYSTEM back the way it was before you can even think about restoring data.
Forget about CDs, DVDs, and all that nonsense. It is a frsutrating waste of time. Just get a USB external drive that is about twice the size of the total used space on your current hard drive. Then, instead of doing a conventional ''backup'', you do what is called drive imaging, which is a bit-for-bit copy of the entire hard drive or partition. This way, if you have a hard drive failure (which you will sooner or later), you don't have to wonder, 'What do I do now?' When you restore an image to a new drive, your system is up and running exactly the way it was when the image was created, in an hour or two. One simple step and you're done. No installing the Operating system, all your programs, remembering all your pet little settings. It's all back the way it was at your last image. This is the ONLY way to go, and you can't do it just with a backup.
Obviously, this method can also be used to rescue a whole computer if you somehow get it so messed up that nothing works right. Instead of fighting with it for days, just reload the partition from your last image and it's back the way it was. Just doing conventional backups will never provide you with this capability, and especially, peace of mind that no matter what happens, you can get your system back exactly the way it was in one step. Backups will NOT do this for you; only imaging will. I would maintain two image files and alternate them.
So how do you do this? Simple. There is also only one software out there worth looking at, and that is Acronis. Product name is Acronis True Image (acronis.com). You can do incremental images, but I would recommend you just do a complete file each time. It does not take long at all to do a complete image and that makes the restore much simpler. You can start it to run before you go to bed at night. I run mine from a boot CD, though it can run from Windows. The Acronis program creates the complete boot CD; you don't have to do anything extra.
This is literally the only way to do a complete ''backup'' and cover all your bases, no matter what happens. One really nice feature with the Acronis imaging software is that after an image file is created, you can then ''connect'' to the image file as though it were a drive. You can view the actual image and copy files. So in that regard, it works like a conventional backup, in that any individual files can be ''restored'' by just using Windows Explorer (after connecting to the file using Acronis). Bottom line, Acronis True Image is a very worthwhile product. And no, I don't work there. I am just very impressed with it and what it can do, which is far more than any backup program can do.
When ever you get ready to upgrade to a larger hard drive, it couldn't be simpler. Just make an image, install and prep your new drive, and restore the image. Acronis even has a built in drive copy feature, but doing the image would also provide a "backup" copy at the same time. Nothing could be simpler.
Milo
Acronis True Image
by paultarcha - 10/13/06 10:59 PM In reply to: 10/13/06 Getting serious about backing up your data by Milo98Milo,
I have purchased the "Acronis True Image 9.0 Home" and am having difficulty verifying that it will work. Is there a User's Group? Have you done a recovery or a restore to a drive on another computer?
Paul
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