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info@pyc.net |
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Hard Drive Back Up It's a brand new system… nothing can
go wrong. We're too busy right now. We'll do it tomorrow. Is this absolutely necessary? While most every computer user knows the importance of backing up data, the wake-up call for completing this task on a regular basis is too often the sudden need to restore the system. A destructive virus, file corruption, a hard drive crash or the theft of the computer itself could seriously threaten the survival of your business. Consider also that the hard drive is a mechanical device and it can, and will, wear out at some point. Like many, you may routinely back up your files, or at least the most important files, on CDs or with other back-up media. However, do you have back-up copies of all the application programs and utilities that you regularly use? You should have the original disks for most of these but have you customized some programs or created shortcut keystrokes? Do you have a back up of your e-mail address book? CDs are an inexpensive means to back up files such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mails and address books. They cost less than a dollar each and the capacity is 700 megabytes. However, if you need to back up a 60 gigabyte hard drive, this would require several blank CDs. It would be a slow process for doing the back up and a slow process if you needed to use these to restore your system. Generally, you should consider doing a full back up of your hard drive each month. Have you considered using a second hard drive? Given the constantly falling price of hard drives coupled with their increasing capacity, backing up to a second hard drive makes a lot of sense in terms of time, efficiency and flexibility. The choice then becomes whether to install a second hard drive in your PC or to add an external hard drive. The addition of an external hard drive connected through the USB port does not require opening up the computer or incurring costs for the services of a computer technician. A self-contained unit with a USB connection can cost as little as $200. Current operating systems, such as Windows XP, recognize the newly plugged in drive within seconds without any user intervention so you can be backing up your data in minutes. Another advantage to the external hard drive is that you can remove and store it safely off site by simply unplugging the USB connection and the power cord. If you purchase a second external USB-based hard drive, you can ensure that you have the security of an on-going back up in place and operating when the first unit is off site. Exchanging the two units on a weekly basis will ensure that you always have a secure off-site back up that is no more than one week out of date, while the on site unit remains handy if a file becomes corrupted or is inadvertently erased while the system is in operation. You can also use the back-up hard drive in another system in a matter of minutes should there be a catastrophic situation such as a fire or flood making access to your main computer impossible. There are numerous back-up programs that
allow the user to either selectively back up files or back up the entire system on a
continuous basis. Some of these programs are bundled with the external USB-based hard
drive. These programs allow you to specify the frequency of back ups, e.g., every two
hours, or at start up or shutdown or at Advances in technology and hardware have made back-up management easier and more reliable than it was even a very few years ago. When you consider the relatively modest cost of the tools that can help you avoid the losses that could occur with a computer failure, backing up is not an option. Your livelihood may depend on it. Search the Internet and talk to your computer specialist. There are many excellent products and tools available as well as a wealth of information detailing and comparing the various approaches to
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