| It should be well known and understood that all | | | | a laptop hard drive. This solution is also subject to a |
| computer data should be backed up. What is less | | | | virus attack which could be designed to delete all of |
| understood are the reasons for backup, backup | | | | your data files. If your computer is stolen and your |
| strategy and the different types of backup solutions. | | | | USB HD is nearby, it may be stolen as well. |
| This article aims to provide a high level overview of | | | | USB Thumbdrive |
| backup reasoning. | | | | A USB thumbdrive is a portable storage device that |
| There are many ways that a computer user can | | | | uses flash memory and connects to your USB port. |
| unintentionally lose information on a computer. | | | | Thumbdrives have a reasonably large space for you |
| Deciding what to back up will depend on each | | | | to store files and are compatible with many different |
| individual. However, the golden rule is that anything | | | | operating systems and computers, which make it |
| that one thinks cannot be replaced easily or is | | | | ideal for data which you are going to bring around |
| extremely vital should have the priority to be placed | | | | and use. The size of these devices can range from |
| first on the list. | | | | 2MB to 4GB or more, but they don't (yet) come |
| As suggested before, it would be easier to organise | | | | close to the size of hard drives. The price per size |
| if one is to make a checklist of the files to back up. | | | | ratio is much higher than with regular hard drives. |
| This will make things easier for one to determine | | | | Although they don't have physically moving parts, |
| what to back up, and also as a reference in the | | | | they are so small that they can still be physically or |
| event when one eventually decides to backup. | | | | electrically damaged and your data destroyed. |
| The following list showed some files to which are | | | | CD/DVD Writers |
| being backed up most of the times: | | | | CD and DVD combo drives are inexpensive and |
| - Bank records and other financial information | | | | widely used. DVD media offers a storage capacity of |
| - Digital photographs | | | | up to 4.7GB of data, easily dwarfing the 700MB |
| - Software purchased and downloaded from the | | | | offered by CDs. Recordable discs are very cheap, |
| Internet | | | | making them an economically smart solution for |
| - Music (MP3) purchased and downloaded from the | | | | backing up your data. They are great for archiving |
| Internet | | | | data that you don't need often, but they aren't the |
| - Personal projects | | | | best solution for constantly changing data. Discs can |
| - One's e-mail address book | | | | also be scratched or damaged by the sun, which may |
| - One's Internet bookmarks | | | | result in the loss of data. A CD/DVD Writer is simply |
| FACTS: | | | | a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that can save |
| Hard drive holds three things, namely, the operating | | | | information to recordable CDs (CD-R or CD-RW) or |
| system, applications or programs and data. | | | | DVDs (DVD-R or DVD-RW). CDs/DVDs are more |
| The operating system can be Windows, Mac or any | | | | flexible than most media because they can be used in |
| other operating system. Although you might lose | | | | many different types of players (computer, home |
| some settings that may have been customised, the | | | | stereo, etc.). |
| operating system can be restored from the original | | | | Computers are taking a bigger part in people's life |
| CD that came with the computer. | | | | than ever before. People shop, work and play using |
| Programs - Disregarding some the personal settings, | | | | computers. They've replaced CD player, |
| theses can also be restored from their original CDs. | | | | encyclopedias/ dictionaries, and even the postman. |
| Data includes all of the files and documents that one | | | | They have become an essential working partner with |
| has created their favorites and/or bookmarks that | | | | the population. |
| are used in to surf the internet, settings, and all of | | | | What can happen? |
| the photos, graphics, and other files stored on the | | | | "When I was studying for my final year of school, I |
| computer. | | | | was shocked when I realized that all my work folders |
| Certainly, there are many important things to backup. | | | | were missing! All my research and report materials |
| The best way to ensure that we don't lose | | | | we just disappeared overnight for no reason. I |
| important documents is to always back up our data | | | | panicked as my report was due the next week!" - |
| in multiple locations and not hoard it all in one location. | | | | Student Z |
| The more conscientious we are in our backup habits, | | | | Sounds far fetched? It happens more often than you |
| the less likely we will face frustration, and even | | | | think. And by the time it does, it's too late. Thus |
| unsuccessful recovery efforts. | | | | once you have decided to backup and planned what |
| Study papers, notes, research, thesis, dissertations, | | | | and where to backup to, it is time to do the actual |
| address books, and bookmarks are all files that are | | | | process. |
| difficult to almost impossible recreate. Software | | | | There are 3 ways for you to backup, straight copy, |
| applications, on the other hand, can be reinstalled; | | | | imaging and ghosting. |
| although again we may need to spend time | | | | Backup 1: File Copy |
| configuring or customizing the software each time. | | | | The first method of backup is to copy and paste the |
| Keeping multiple copies of important files in different | | | | relevant data from your hard disk to the backup |
| folders on the same hard drive won't help. Hard | | | | media. For small sized data like word documents, |
| drives can break down and fail, just like any piece of | | | | spread sheets or even short songs, you can |
| hardware. Consider the worse-case scenario, where | | | | practically drag the files from your computer to the |
| the computer/laptop is stolen and the information | | | | backup media. This is the simplest and oft used |
| data AND backups are all on the same hard drive. | | | | method. |
| Malware (Viruses, spyware and more) | | | | Backup 2: Disk Image/Ghosting |
| One of the most common problems these days are | | | | These two methods are used to backup a whole |
| virus/spyware infections and hardware failure. Many | | | | disk where file copy, although possible, is not really |
| users choose to repair their machines to resolve | | | | practical. This is due to the large number of files and |
| these malware infections or hardware damages (due | | | | file sizes and the risk of having the process getting |
| to impact or and any other external forces). To | | | | interrupted and corruption occurring is high. |
| recover back their lost data in situations like | | | | Thus disk imaging/ghosting would address those |
| corruptions or hard disk crashes; they would have to | | | | problems. However, imaging/ghosting would require a |
| turn to companies which provide professional | | | | software, of which there are many and range in |
| recovery services. | | | | costs. |
| Backup strategy | | | | Personally, I'm using ADRC's data recovery tools not |
| Backup strategy is a plan to ensure that one can | | | | only does it has imaging and ghosting tools, it is free |
| recover data whether it's lost, deleted, or destroyed | | | | to use. |
| under whatever reasons. Having a good data backup | | | | Download ADRC's data recovery tools. |
| strategy can guard against data loss and more | | | | Disk Imaging |
| importantly, even protect one's life hood from | | | | Once you have downloaded the application, run it and |
| disaster. | | | | in the application, under "tools" menu, select "image |
| The list below is a four-step approach on how to | | | | restore/backup". Then select "Create Image from |
| create a backup strategy. | | | | Disk" radio button. Then, I specified the "Image File" |
| - 1) Decide on what is needed to back up. Do you | | | | target location. The location in this case was the |
| want to save everything? Only documents you've | | | | backup external hard disk. |
| created? What about application settings? Things | | | | Under "image disk" select the disk which had the lost |
| you've downloaded? | | | | data and click transfer. Then wait for process to |
| - 2) Decide where to back up the data to. There are | | | | finish. |
| plenty of options: network servers, a USB drive, a | | | | Ghosting |
| Zip disk, a rewritable CD or DVD, a second hard drive | | | | The difference between ghosting and imaging is that |
| and so on. | | | | in imaging a disk image file is created, thus you can |
| - 3) Make it easy to back up the data. Set up your | | | | "burn" the image file into a cd or dvd should the |
| system so that you can back it up with one | | | | image file be small enough to fit into the optical disk. |
| command (or at the very least, in the fewest steps | | | | In ghosting, the entire contents of the disk are |
| as possible). This will take a fair amount of work, but | | | | copied directly from disk to disk. |
| you'll realize its worth when your system crashes. | | | | For ghosting, we are going to use ADRC's data |
| - 4) Make daily backups a habit. The longer the period | | | | recovery tools still. Under the "tools" menu, select |
| between backups, the more you have to lose if | | | | "raw copy instead' Select the "source disk" (the disk |
| anything is to happen suddenly. | | | | you want to backup) and the "target disk" (the |
| Backup media | | | | backup disk) and click transfer and wait for the |
| The following are several common back up solutions | | | | process to finish. |
| which are used generally: | | | | Conclusion |
| Manual Data Backup Solution | | | | Computers aren't perfect. Files become corrupt, |
| - USB Hard Drives | | | | hardware may malfunction which all contribute to |
| - USB thumbdrive | | | | losing of precious data. |
| - CD/DVD Writers | | | | For this reason, the best resolution is data backup. In |
| Manual Data Backup Solution | | | | this article there are 3 methods of backup which you |
| All of these solutions are manual, meaning that you | | | | can apply, depending on your data size and needs. |
| have to manually find, select and copy the files that | | | | Backing up data is crucial for businesses; lost |
| you want backed up. Also note that all of these | | | | information can cause unwanted situations and |
| solutions are limited in the amount of data that they | | | | worse, lead to business failure. Individuals who don't |
| can store and they typically can not backup your | | | | backup computer data run the same risk. While this |
| entire hard drive, only data files. | | | | may not cause financial ruin, it can certainly be |
| USB Hard Drives | | | | frustrating and distressing. |
| The benefit of this solution is that it's a one-time | | | | Therefore backing up data requires a degree of |
| charge, assuming you buy a hard drive that is large | | | | level-headedness. No one can ever predict when their |
| enough and you can buy external drives that are as | | | | data can be loss due to any reasons, but come to a |
| large as your computer's hard drive. The biggest | | | | point if disaster strikes, that backup will be your most |
| problem with this solution is that it relies on yet | | | | appreciated precaution made. |
| another hard drive, which is prone to failure, just like | | | | |