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Computer help: Back up options for my files
Back up options for my files
by benbradley - 7/10/09 6:23 AMI am just looking for some advice on backing up files that I don't wish to lose, some media and documents. I almost had to reboot my windows software and lose everything. Should I be using an external hard drive to store these files I consider valuable? Also, if I do store these files elsewhere and reset my pc to its original settings, is there a course of action I should follow to scan these files before re-introducing them to my freshly reset PC. ALso, this is all on windows xp.
Any help is appreciated.
Backup is a threesome.
by R. Proffitt
- 7/10/09 7:03 AM
In reply to: Back up options for my files by benbradley
3 copies or else it's not backup. This is old IT lore so nothing new here but no one teaches this number 3 much. Let's find out why we must have 3 copies or it's not backup.
At one copy there is no backup. Everyone can agree on that.
At two copies we have "a copy" but when one is lost we are now left with one copy and no backup copy. We are now not in a backup copy situation.
At three copies we have backup. Since any failure will cause us to always have two copies and "in a state of backup" so we can get our third copy back and be ready for the next failure.
-> So an external drive may make a fine second copy but if you follow the forums the loss of that drive is not uncommon.
Bob
My Advice
by mwooge - 7/11/09 8:55 AM In reply to: Backup is a threesome. by R. Proffitt
Copy to DVD, using reliable software. Check to see if there's a "verify after writing" option, and ensure it's on.
Put the BU in a safe place. I use a safe. A saftey deposit box at your bank is a good idea, as is mailing it to your brother.
I make two backups: one is on a spare hard drive and the other on DVD. Both kept in my safe. (I intend to make an extra DVD backup to mail to my brother.)
Notes on a safe: bolt it to the floor, and do NOT write down the combination anywhere near the safe.
Eggs in more baskets
by richteral - 7/11/09 1:14 AM In reply to: Back up options for my files by benbradleyR. Proffitt's advice is perfectly sound, incl. the note on external drives; it applies even more to USB memory sticks. I see CD/DVDs as the most reliable option for backup. In case of valuable material, pick the recordable only (as opposed to rewritable) disks, and go for brand quality. Another alternative is online storage, e.g. ADrive (50 GB for free); for pix, you might consider any of the numerous websites like Flickr or Photobucket. Often, there are obsolete machines lying around in the household, basically sound yet gathering dust. Good use can be made of them as standalone, offline backup facilities. It is possible for a CD to get mislaid, but it never happens to a computer.
From what you say you seem to harbour some suspicion of your files, which may be just as well. Unless your machine already has a good firewall (not the built-in one, but robust, most likely paid-for protection) and AV software, you need to install that, perhaps coming as a security suite (can recommend Agnitum Outpost). If you stick your files & documents in a folder to start with, you can run a targeted scan using perhaps Malwarebytes; should you be queasy about a particular file, why not upload it to Jotti.org for checking.
Rootkits might be another issue possibly affecting your operating system. If any are found by anti-rootkit software, general advice is to wipe the system clean & reinstall from scratch. The most general advice, of course, is: If there was big trouble on your PC, watch out! It should be belts & braces from now on.
Carbonite...all the way
by RicF964 - 7/11/09 1:23 PM In reply to: Back up options for my files by benbradleyI'm a photographer and do design work and cannot afford to lose any of my work. No matter how many extra hard drives (HDD) you have, they're still HDD and are apt to crash on you causing you to lose everything on it. Same goes with DROBO.
Instead, I use Carbonite. For about $55/year you can upload an INFINITE amount of data to their servers. Should your HDD crash or you delete something by accident it's all stored securely and ready to replace the lost files. The initial upload to their servers requires that your computer be up and running for several days, but once that is done, Carbonite works in the background and every time you add a new file in the folders that you have chosen it will back it up for you automatically.
I love it and wouldn't use anything else.
My thoughts:
by Paul C - 7/12/09 2:45 PM In reply to: Back up options for my files by benbradley1. Bob's advice is excellent. All I would add is that one of these backups should be kept off site. I keep a copy of backups at work, along with copies of all my software program disks (yes, this IS legal; the EULA allows one copy for archival purposes).
2. Scanning a backup prior to reinstallation is an excellent idea and also is why we should NEVER make our backups to the hard drive containing the C: drive - it MUST be made to another INTERNAL drive on the PC or to a CD/DVD (and better yet, both) so there's no way that infected file(s) on the backup can ever make it onto the C: drive without our say so. Another good idea is making sure that whatever backup routine you use allows you to verify the integrity of the backup immediately after it's created. When scanning a backup for malware, use your antivirus program and at least TWO anti spyware programs. These programs, of course, MUST be fully updated.
Paul
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