Back It Up!

We’ve all seen the commercials on TV with someone saying in a serious voice that they really want the latest computer virus so they don’t lose all their family pictures. These advertisers have touched on a very real issue facing any of us who use computer technology to enhance our job or our life. While computers bring us many wonderful benefits, with it comes responsibility – the responsibility to protect ourselves from potential loss. A critical step to protecting ourselves from loss is simple – make a backup. Unfortunately, this simple step is too often overlooked, forgotten or ignored.

Take Ted, for example. Ted called frantic because his computer had crashed. All the warning signs where there – the computer was making funny noises and often, the computer would lock in the middle of working. Ted tried to resolve the problem but continued to use the machine. Finally, the computer stopped working completely. We determined the hard drive had failed. Upon inspection we found that nothing could be salvaged. Yes, all of his data was gone. Gone were his daughter’s baby pictures among other precious family photos, all of his email and contact lists, all of his personal financial data and more.

Don’t let this happen to you. Implement a backup plan now.

When deciding upon a backup plan, you should ask yourself a few basic questions: How important is the data? By evaluating the importance of your data you can determine if you need to back it up—as well as when and how it should be backed up. Another basic question is: How often does the data change? The data on home computers probably changes less often than business computers. However, if you are self-employed or work from home you should treat your home computer as a critical business asset.

Some additional issues that should be considered include: The amount of data that you need to back up on a routine basis (capacity); can it be run automatically or does it require manual intervention (reliability); what is the cost of the backup solution--does it fit into your budget?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can evaluate and select a backup solution that best fits your needs. Common backup solutions include tape drive, removable media such as Iomega, CD or DVD drives, hard drives and Internet-based backup providers. When selecting a backup solution, I recommend reviewing PC magazines or information on the Internet or consulting with your local IT support provider.

Simple Backup Management Tips: Once you've established a backup routine, here are few tips to keep in mind.

Test your backups! Regular try restoring a few important files from your backup, just to make sure that your file selections and your backup media are performing as expected. I've heard plenty of horror stories that could have been avoided by occasionally running this simple test.

Check your backup logs. The logs can give you information to tip you off if things are not going right.

Keep a backup off-site! We all hate to think of it, but things like theft, fire and other natural disasters can destroy your home or business. Taking your backup media off-site is a good idea.

So, sit back and enjoy using your computer and other digital technology knowing that even when things go wrong, you’re backed up.

by Cathy Coloff
As printed in Refresh and Renew magazine, March 2005