| If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will eventually... | | | | itself) or comes with software that does incremental |
| the hard drive starts clicking... the screen keeps | | | | backups on a schedule (incremental means it will look |
| turning blue on your PC... the spinning beach ball of | | | | for and backup any changed files since your last |
| death keeps appearing on your Mac... or the power | | | | backup). |
| button doesn't respond when you push it... and your | | | | Online Backup Systems: With faster internet |
| computer is dead. Do you have a backup ready to | | | | connections and cheaper data storage options online |
| restore? Or are all your photographs, videos, and | | | | backup systems like Mozy and Carbonite are growing |
| business files lost? | | | | in popularity. After installing their special software to |
| A complete crash could spell minor or major disaster | | | | your computer, it works in the background to send a |
| for a small business owner who stores everything | | | | complete copy of your encrypted files to their |
| from email and website files to financial records to | | | | storage space and then watches for changes so it |
| client projects to virtual product files on the | | | | can stay updated. It's an affordable option for |
| computer. If you only save a file to a CD here and | | | | storing a mirror copy of your computer files |
| there, or haven't gotten around to setting up any | | | | somewhere safe. |
| type of backup system yet, let's look at three of | | | | I've got multiple backup drives and I use them |
| your options. | | | | regularly. But not every night. My backup drive |
| CDs, DVDs or USB Memory Sticks: Many people use | | | | saves the most important files weekly. A crash |
| CDs, DVDs or USB memory stick to back up | | | | today could mean I'd lose up to 7 days worth of |
| important files. This is an easy way to back up just | | | | important email and work files (and the most recent |
| a few files, and take them along with you. If you | | | | pictures of my kids, too!) if I depended only on the |
| want to backup your entire system or larger | | | | backup drives. In the case of a theft or home fire, |
| amounts of data you may need quite a collection of | | | | both my computer and backup drives could be at |
| discs or sticks. They're also easy to misplace or | | | | risk. So I use online backup solutions on all my |
| break. | | | | machines as well. This allows me to feel secure that |
| External Backup Drives: A large external backup drive | | | | in the event one backup fails my important data is |
| can easily hold all your data and is more difficult to | | | | still safe. |
| misplace than a disc or stick. But you've still got to | | | | So, what's your data safety strategy? Put a plan in |
| remember to run backups. Look for a drive that | | | | place so you can rest assured that your files are |
| has the "one-touch" backup feature (you push a | | | | safe when that inevitable hard drive crash, nasty |
| button, it copies all your files from your computer to | | | | virus, or other disaster hits. |