| As I write this, it's early December, and
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| | data. They're cheap, but 1.44 MB is less
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| try as I might, I can't remember what my
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| | than two percent of the ten gigs of data
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| new year's resolution was last time
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| | on my hard drive. Even if each of those
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| around. One thing I can say with near
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| | files were smaller than 1.44 MB (and each
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| hundred percent certainty is that
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| | weren't), I'm not keen on the idea of
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| whatever it was, I failed to keep it.
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| | buying, labeling, and storing fifty
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| Maybe you're the same. Maybe you resolved
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| | diskettes. Next idea, please.
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| to quit smoking, lose weight, or read
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| | Most computer experts rely on removable
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| more. We all make promises with
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| | hard drives for memory backups. The most
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| ourselves, then fail to keep those
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| | popular of these drives are the Zip drive
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| promises. Worst of all, those promises
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| | from Iomega and the ORB drive from
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| might be exactly what we need most.
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| | Castlewood. They're relatively
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| Consider this: When was the last time you
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| | inexpensive and hold up to two gigs of
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| backed up your computer files? Last
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| | data. Basically, you'll save your data on
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| month? Last year? Never?
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| | a Zip disk, then transfer it from the
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| Let's make a new year's resolution
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| | disk to the portable drive. The catch is
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| together, you and I. Let's promise to
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| | that removable drives fail about as often
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| back up our computers. It's important, I
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| | as regular hard drives. They may even be
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| promise. Just yesterday the automatic
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| | more susceptible to damage from dust and
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| backup feature in MS Word saved me about
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| | rough handling. A sub-option here is to
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| an hour's work when my computer froze up.
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| | use a permanent hard drive as a removable
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| Given that I haven't backed up my
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| | drive. At up to two hundred gigs,
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| computer in almost a year, I can't even
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| | conventional hard drives are bigger than
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| imagine how much data I'd lose if I
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| | removable drives, and prices have dropped
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| suffered a power surge or hard drive
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| | enough in recent years to make this idea
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| failure. It can happen to the best of us,
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| | practical. Whatever kind of hard drive
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| and often does. Even high end hard drive
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| | you decide to use, make sure to keep it
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| manufacturers report an average failure
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| | isolated from dust, magnetic charges, and
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| rate of between five and eight per
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| | static electricity.
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| thousand every year. That may not sound
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| | Optical drives use a laser to store
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| like much, but let's face it, somebody
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| | information, rather than a magnet. Even
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| has to be those five to eight people.
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| | if you're not a tech junkie, that's
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| Feeling lucky? There are about 185
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| | probably enough information to give you a
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| million household PCs in the U.S.,
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| | clearer idea what we're talking about:
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| according to Computer Industry Almanac,
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| | namely, CDs and DVDs. Less common are EO
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| so that means about 150,000 hard drives
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| | (erasable optical) and WORM (write once,
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| fail each year. But even if your drive
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| | read many) media; they're less common
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| stays intact, about a tenth of all
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| | because they cost over $1000 per drive.
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| computers suffer minor data loss in any
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| | CDs, on the other hand, cost less than a
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| given year. A power surge, the magnets in
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| | buck and can hold up to 650 megabytes.
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| your home stereo speakers, or even an
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| | DVDs hold up to five gigs and cost about
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| accidental nudge can affect data storage.
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| | fifteen dollars apiece. Most computers
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| According to a report from the ONTRACK
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| | nowadays have either a CD or DVD writer
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| data recovery service, data loss can be
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| | (or both), but write times can be slow.
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| caused by natural disasters (3% of
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| | My CD writer, for example, works best on
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| cases), computer viruses (7%), software
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| | the 300 kilobyte per second setting-if
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| problems (14%), and plain old user error
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| | then. I'll be using the remote server
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| (a whopping 32%). Now, I'm sure you never
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| | option. At $250 and up, tape drives are
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| hit a wrong keyboard button, but do you
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| | more expensive and slower than hard
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| have a button on your computer that
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| | drives or optical media, hence less
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| prevents a bolt of lightning? I didn't
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| | common, but also extremely reliable.
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| think so.
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| | Remote servers are third party companies
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| WHEREAS our data is important, and
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| | that store data online for a fee. This is
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| disaster can befall even the most noble
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| | a great option for broadband Internet
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| and undeserving of us, BE IT RESOLVED
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| | users, especially people like me who
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| that you and I shall back up our computer
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| | don't own a reliable data writer. SkyDesk
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| files forthwith.
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| | runs Backup.com, Back-Up Solutions
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| Amen, brothers and sisters. Now, where
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| | maintains BackUpHelp.com, and Iomega
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| and how do we start?
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| | hosts iServer (Iomega.com/iStorage).
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| STEP ONE: Choosing Favorites
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| | XDrive.com, once a free service, now
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| Not all files are important enough to
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| | charges ten bucks a month for up to five
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| preserve for posterity. The most critical
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| | gigs of storage. Promotions and other
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| files on a computer are its operating
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| | rates change, so it's a good idea to shop
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| system files. If you're a good little
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| | around before selecting a remote storage
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| consumer, you bought the operating system
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| | service.
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| and kept those CDs handy and secure from
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| | STEP THREE: Git 'er Done
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| data loss. If you're not, then remind
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| | Now it's time to put the files you want
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| yourself to go stand in the corner later.
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| | to save on the storage medium you've
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| The drones at Microsoft did not work for
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| | chosen. There are several ways to do
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| years just to watch you steal their work.
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| | this. Your CD writer, for example, may
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| It's people like you that keep Bill Gates
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| | come with proprietary disk writing
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| from buying his second planet. Now that
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| | software. That application may even
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| you've been suitably chastised, either go
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| | include a backup option. If it does, and
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| buy a legal copy of the operating system,
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| | you're more familiar with that software
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| or include the necessary files in your
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| | than Windows features, then that's the
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| "must back up" list.
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| | way to go. Otherwise, backup is still
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| The same principle goes for software
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| | relatively easy on all MS operating
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| applications. Maybe you bought an ad and
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| | systems since Windows 98. Windows 98,
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| spyware blocker you really like, but the
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| | Windows ME, and Windows XP Professional
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| company that coded it has since gone out
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| | include a built-in Backup utility. To run
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| of business (perhaps because other
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| | it, just click on Start, then Programs,
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| consumers weren't as scrupulous as you).
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| | then Accessories, then System Tools, then
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| If so, include the files you need to run
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| | Backup. How easy was that? If you're
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| the app in your must list.
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| | using the XP Home edition, you may need
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| Now it's time to look at the remaining
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| | to add the utility manually. If so,
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| files on your computer and prioritize. If
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| | insert the Windows XP CD into your disk
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| you're not a digital packrat like me, it
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| | drive and wait for the "Welcome to
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| may be possible to save everything. If
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| | Microsoft Windows XP" screen. (You may
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| so, congratulations. I don't have ten
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| | need to double-click the CD icon in My
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| gigabytes of portable media at my
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| | Computer.) Then click on Perform
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| disposal, so when I back up my computer,
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| | Additional Tasks and Browse This CD. In
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| I'll be leaving a few gigs of MP3s and
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| | Windows Explorer, double-click the
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| questionable Windows Media files at risk.
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| | ValueAdd folder, then Msft, then
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| One of the first things I will save is
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| | Ntbackup. Double-clicking on Ntbackup.msi
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| the folder I use to save my writing
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| | will install the utility. Once it's
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| assignments, because that data represents
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| | installed, you can also run the program
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| money in my pocket. I'll back up my email
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| | by clicking Start and Run, then typing
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| address book, plus my digital photography
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| | msbackup.exe (Windows 98 and Windows ME)
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| and fiction writing efforts. I can live
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| | or ntbackup.exe (Windows XP) in the Open
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| without "Milkshake" (what was I
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| | field. Click OK, and you'll be off to the
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| thinking?), but the guitar piece my
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| | races.
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| friend recorded and sent to me is going
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| | Incidentally, the Windows XP Backup
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| on the list. Your results may vary.
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| | utility also includes a bonus application
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| STEP TWO: In Which I Tell You Where You
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| | called the Automated Recovery Wizard.
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| Can Put It
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| | This creates a bootable floppy that
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| That's right, this is the section in
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| | initiates backup if the hard drive must
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| which I'll tell you where to store your
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| | be replaced. Other options for "disaster
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| data. It's not a good idea to put backup
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| | recovery" include BackUp MyPC from Stomp
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| files on another drive on the same
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| | (StompInc.com, $79) and Norton Ghost 9.0
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| computer. That defeats the whole purpose.
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| | from Symantec (Norton.com, $69.95). Ghost
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| Duplicating your files on another
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| | actually allows users to duplicate the
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| computer in the same LAN is almost as
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| | contents of their computer over the
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| risky, because computer viruses can
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| | Internet. Both have earned stellar
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| spread as fast as an imaginary Anna
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| | reviews from top PC magazines.
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| Kournikova JPEG. You need to find a
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| | Don't let another month go by without
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| portable storage medium that can hold all
| |
| | protecting the files you value most. My
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| the files on your must list. Your options
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| | girlfriend justifies her messy car by
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| include floppy diskettes, portable hard
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| | saying she "lives out of it." Well, I
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| drives, optical drives, tape drives, and
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| | live out of my computer. It's not just my
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| remote servers. We'll look at each in
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| | office; it's the home of cherished
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| turn.
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| | memories in the form of pictures, MP3,
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| Hard diskettes, the old familiar 3.5"
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| | and other data files. I'm resolved to
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| squares, hold up to 1.44 megabytes of
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| | keep it safe.
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