| Imagine this scenario: you have just finished backing | | | | One way of avoiding the above situation is to |
| up all your data. You have been doing this for some | | | | regularly check your backups. Every month or few |
| time, and are getting pretty good at remembering to | | | | months, you should pull out your backups and verify |
| do this on a regular basis. The process you have | | | | the contents on them, whether it would be to simply |
| developed involves copying your data from an | | | | copy the contents off the media to ensure all the |
| external hard drive to a DVD optical disc. Nothing | | | | files copy fine, or run a maintenance tool against the |
| complex, but it works nicely for you. | | | | media. It is important that you don't backup your |
| Now let's also imagine a violent thunderstorm passes | | | | data, and forget it. |
| through your area. A lightning strike hits near your | | | | Also, besides performing regular checks, ensure you |
| home and then travels along wires and into your | | | | also use high-quality media, especially when it comes |
| home. Although you have a surge protector, it does | | | | to optical discs. Using bargain-basement, bulk-selling, |
| nothing to stop this jolt of electricity from reaching | | | | cheap-quality media just doesn't cut it when it comes |
| your computer. Once it reaches your computer, it | | | | to protecting your data. For example, when using |
| fries all the electronic components, and then travels | | | | DVD's, choose brand names such as Taiyo Yuden, |
| from your computer to the external hard drive. Being | | | | Verbatim, Mitsui Gold or Sony, and while they are |
| a high-precision instrument, the hard drive becomes a | | | | more expensive, they account for the price with |
| large paper-weight. You lose all the data you had | | | | quality. In computers, you get what you pay for. |
| stored on that hard drive. | | | | Also, ensure you also make multiple copies of your |
| While a little distraught, you are relieved to some | | | | backed up files, so that way if you find one set of |
| degree knowing your data is still backed up on the | | | | backups to be defective through your checks, you, |
| optical disc. Once you have access to a computer, | | | | hopefully, still have a second valid backup set you can |
| you insert the disc. After a few moments, the | | | | use. If one set is defective, ensure you quickly |
| computer indicates it can't read the disc. It has | | | | create a replacement set so you still have to valid |
| become corrupted. | | | | sets. |
| While I use an optical disc as an example, this can | | | | So the next time you are backing up your data, |
| happen to any media you choose to backup your | | | | remember to check any other backups you have to |
| data. Nothing lasts forever, so chances are good that | | | | ensure all your data is still available to you. The point |
| the media you are using may become damage in the | | | | of a backup is to ensure you always have your data |
| future. | | | | when you need it. |