| No matter whether you’re a copywriter like | | | | 4) Perform a few test restores of the backups |
| me, or you’re in an entirely different field of | | | | you’ve taken |
| work, if you rely on a computer, then you need to | | | | There’s simply no point backing your computer |
| ensure that it’s secure and that you can | | | | up if you can’t restore the data when you |
| bounce back should you be struck by | | | | need it! Fortunately, restoring with Acronis is easy (if |
| ‘disaster’. | | | | a copywriter can do it, anyone can!). You just open it |
| Computer Security | | | | in Windows, select Restore, and choose the backup |
| Norton Internet Security – If you gotta have | | | | you want to roll back to (even if it’s an |
| security (and let’s face it, you gotta!), Norton | | | | incremental backup, it’s still that simple; Acronis |
| Internet Security is as good as any, and better than | | | | will automatically combine it with the relevant full |
| most. I’ve tried a few others, but | | | | backup to give you your complete data set). |
| Norton’s definitely my favourite. It provides | | | | In my experience, there’s very little risk |
| the two most important elements: Virus Protection | | | | performing a restore (whether you’re |
| and Intrusion Protection (firewall). It scans incoming | | | | restoring a single file or a complete system). |
| and outgoing emails for viruses, allows you to scan | | | | I’ve performed numerous restores with both |
| files for viruses before opening them, stops popups | | | | Norton Ghost and Acronis, and I’ve never had |
| on the Internet, and stops people from hacking into | | | | a problem. (In fact, I restore my entire computer |
| your computer. All wrapped up in one fairly easy to | | | | once a month, just to keep it running quickly and |
| use tool. Go to to buy or get further info. | | | | smoothly. I’ve found that no matter how |
| Spyware / Adware / Trojan protection – Even | | | | clean, secure, optimised and defragmented my |
| with Norton Internet Security installed, I still like to | | | | computer is, it still slows down over time and gets a |
| run a variety of other protection programs. My | | | | little ‘flaky’. By restoring periodically, |
| favourites are AdAware ( Spybot ( and | | | | I’m basically getting a new computer each |
| SpywareBlaster ( Depending on how you plan to use | | | | time.) |
| them (i.e. home v business), you can get free version | | | | 5) Store your USB hard drive somewhere safe and |
| of all of them. Just run them once a week - for | | | | secure |
| peace of mind if nothing else. TIP: Always do an | | | | The best place to store your USB hard drive is in a |
| update for latest version each time you run them. | | | | safe. If your budget permits, buy a PROPER |
| CCleaner – Even after a couple of days of | | | | fire-proof safe (aka a ‘data safe’). I |
| moderate to heavy Internet surfing and general | | | | don’t mean something from Office Works or |
| computer use, your computer can accumulate a | | | | your local hardware. If you look closely, those things |
| HEAP of temp files and various other fluff. I use | | | | aren’t really fire-proof at all (at least, not when |
| CCleaner ( at least once a week, and it always | | | | I last checked). They get as hot as an oven inside, |
| removes more than 100MB of rubbish! Just | | | | literally! The temperature far exceeds what a hard |
| don’t use the registry cleaner. (For that | | | | drive can withstand. What’s more, |
| matter, don’t use any registry cleaner. Unless | | | | they’re not water-proof, so if the heat |
| you know what you’re doing, a registry | | | | doesn’t destroy your data, the fire-fighters |
| cleaner is the surest way to ruin your computer. As a | | | | probably will! No, what you need is a tested and |
| technically challenged copywriter, I learned this the | | | | approved fire safe that keeps the temperature at |
| hard way...) | | | | levels that are safe for data. In Australia, the best |
| Disaster Recovery | | | | value I’ve seen are the ‘Data |
| If you’re not already backing up your | | | | Safes’ offered by API Security – see [ |
| computer, you’re taking a HUGE risk! Backup is | | | | You’ll pay upwards of AUD $600, but |
| essential (no matter whether you’re in | | | | you’d lose far more than that if you lose your |
| copywriting like me, or in a completely different field). | | | | computer system and business data in a fire. |
| And I don’t mean simply relying on | | | | 6) Back up at least your business data using an online |
| Windows’ inbuilt, automatic restore facility; | | | | backup service |
| what happens if your computer completely dies or is | | | | Of course, if your computer AND your fire proof |
| stolen or your house burns down? | | | | safe are stolen, or your office burns down and your |
| If you have all your business data on just one | | | | safe isn’t as fire-proof as it’s supposed |
| computer, there are sooooooooo many things that | | | | to be, it’s good to have a fallback option. |
| can go wrong and cause you to lose everything. | | | | Something that’s offsite and secure, yet still |
| Your livelihood relies on your computer, so you need | | | | convenient. |
| to be able to bounce back after a | | | | There are a lot of online backup services around, but |
| ‘disaster’. And the only way to do this | | | | most are too expensive for a small or home business. |
| is to protect yourself properly. The following is a | | | | But there are a few that are good and affordable. |
| setup that should cover you for just about | | | | The best value I’ve seen are: |
| everything. | | | | Carbonite – – Carbonite allows you to |
| 1) Buy at least one external USB hard drive | | | | back up as much data as you like for one annual fee |
| Because a USB hard drive is separate from your | | | | of USD $50. After you tell it the folders / files you |
| computer, it won’t die if your computer does. | | | | want to back up, it continuously monitor your |
| And it can also be stored separately, either in a safe | | | | computer. If you change one of those files, it backs |
| or offsite. This means you can use it to safely store | | | | it up automatically. And it’s an incremental |
| backups of your business data and system files. | | | | backup, so it only backs up the changes. It encrypts |
| USB hard drives are very easy to install and use | | | | your data before uploading, so it’s as secure |
| (even for a copywriter!). In fact, assuming you buy | | | | as most online banking, and it compresses it to |
| one that’s already formatted and comes with | | | | minimise your upload time. Also, it doesn’t hog |
| a case and cables, Windows will recognise it as soon | | | | your bandwidth or slow down your computer. With a |
| as you plug it into a USB port. But make sure you | | | | decent broadband connection and computer, you |
| buy one that’s big enough to handle your | | | | won’t even notice it. Carbonite requires you to |
| needs. Don’t waste your money on anything | | | | install a client application, which integrates with |
| smaller than 150GB. Oh, and get one that has its own | | | | Windows Explorer. (You can right click on a file or |
| power. Backups take quite a while to complete, and | | | | folder and choose to back up or not back up a |
| they require a consistent power flow throughout. If | | | | folder, file or type of file.) Note that Carbonite |
| you use a USB hard drive that’s not powered, | | | | doesn’t back up system files. So you |
| it will rely on your computer’s power supply | | | | can’t use it to take a backup of your entire |
| and you’ll be lucky if you ever get through a | | | | computer system (operating system + applications). |
| complete backup. | | | | SOS Online Backup – – SOS Online |
| If you’re in Australia, you can get a 320GB | | | | Backup has tiered pricing; the more space you need, |
| USB drive + case for around AUD $150 at [ Actually, | | | | the more you pay. But it’s still affordable. 2GB |
| these little beauties are coming down in price so | | | | of storage space will cost you only USD $39 per |
| quickly that by the time you read this, they’ll | | | | year. Like Carbonite, it does incremental backups, and |
| be a lot cheaper! | | | | it encrypts and compresses your data prior to |
| 2) Buy dedicated backup/restore software | | | | uploading. However, unlike Carbonite, it doesn’t |
| I recommend Acronis True Image Workstation | | | | run continuously. You set a schedule or run backups |
| – around AUD $150 at It does a great job and | | | | manually. Apparently, it will soon offer a ‘bare |
| is very easy to use. It can perform incremental | | | | metal restore’, which means you’ll soon |
| backups, it can run while you’re working and | | | | be able to use it to back up and restore your entire |
| it’s very reliable. (If you don’t believe a | | | | computer system (operating system + applications). |
| lowly copywriter, take it from a network manager. A | | | | This is great in theory, but you’d have to buy |
| friend of mine manages 300+ servers for a major | | | | quite a bit of storage space, as it’s not unusual |
| Australian television network. He uses Acronis | | | | for your system backup to be around 20GB or more. |
| software to back up and restore all of these | | | | That would cost USD $360 per year with SOS, and |
| servers.) If you also buy the Universal Restore | | | | the first backup could take a month or more to |
| module (included in the AUD $150 price tag mentioned | | | | complete! |
| above), you’ll also be able to restore your | | | | TIP: Before committing to an online backup solution, |
| existing operating system and all applications – | | | | check that your ISP doesn’t charge excess |
| set up exactly how you like them – to a | | | | usage charges for uploads. |
| completely new computer, even if that computer has | | | | 7) Perform a few test restores of this backup too |
| a different sized hard drive. Not all backup / restore | | | | As per your core backup, it’s only useful if |
| software can do this. | | | | you know you can restore when you need to. So |
| TIP: In my opinion, Acronis is heaps better than | | | | make sure you test it. |
| Norton Ghost. I used Norton Ghost for about a year | | | | 8) Back up your system partition offsite |
| and didn’t like it at all. The backup process | | | | If you really want to ensure you can bounce back in |
| used to hang all the time, causing all sorts of | | | | the event of a disaster, you need to store a backup |
| problems. And the recovery process was fraught | | | | of your computer’s system partition |
| with issues too. (Way too taxing for a | | | | somewhere offsite. Then, if your computer AND |
| copywriter’s little brain!) | | | | your fire proof safe are stolen, or your office burns |
| 3) Back up your System partition and business data | | | | down and your safe isn’t as fire-proof as |
| to a USB hard drive | | | | it’s supposed to be, you’ll still be able to |
| Back up your business data every day! A good | | | | restore your computer to its original state in about |
| backup model is to do a complete backup one day a | | | | half an hour. |
| week, and incremental backups every other business | | | | Unfortunately, your system partition is probably quite |
| day (i.e. only back up the files changed that day). | | | | large (at least 10-20GB). In most cases, this makes it |
| Also back up your System partition (operating | | | | impractical and cost-prohibitive to back it up through |
| system + applications – usually the C drive). If | | | | an online backup service. And most don’t take |
| you’ve ever bought and set up a new | | | | disk image backups anyway (apparently SOS Online |
| computer, you’ll know it takes weeks to get it | | | | Backup soon will – see above discussion). |
| working just the way you like. By backing it up once | | | | Perhaps the best bet is to back up to another USB |
| it’s at that point, you’ll be able to roll | | | | hard drive and store the hard drive at someone |
| back (restore) to that point in about half an hour, at | | | | else’s house – preferably in a safe. Or |
| any time in the future. | | | | maybe you can get a safety deposit box at your |
| But don’t back up your system partition every | | | | local bank or with your solicitor? It’s not so |
| day. You want to have a backup of your computer | | | | important that it’s safe from fire (the chances |
| when it was running perfectly. So get your computer | | | | of your home office AND the offsite storage location |
| running just the way you want before backing up | | | | BOTH burning down are pretty slim...). However, it is |
| the System partition. Then, if/when Windows dies, | | | | important that it’s safe from theft. |
| you can simply roll back your computer to that point | | | | Of course, the biggest problem with this method is |
| in time when it was running perfectly. | | | | that it’s difficult to update the backup, |
| This sort of backup is also known as a disk image. | | | | because you have to get your hands on the disk |
| It’s not the same thing as copying all the files | | | | before you can do it. Fortunately, it’s your |
| on your C drive. I won’t get into the | | | | system backup, so you won’t be updating it |
| differences (in all honesty, I don’t know them | | | | that often, anyway. |
| all – I’m just a copywriter, not a | | | | Conclusion |
| technical boffin!), but they’re significant. | | | | So now you should be safe from external malicious |
| TIP: If you install new software on your computer, | | | | threats and able to recover from virtually any |
| and you want your backup to include it, just take a | | | | disaster. |
| new backup. If you’ve been running your | | | | For information on what computer hardware you |
| computer for a while since your last restore, ensure | | | | need for the perfect home business IT setup, please |
| that it’s healthy before taking the backup, | | | | see part 1 of this series. For information on a few of |
| otherwise you’ll just have a backup of an | | | | the vast array of miscellaneous software applications |
| unhealthy system. A good way to ensure this is to | | | | and service providers that will help you in your |
| restore to your last backup (you know it’s | | | | day-to-day operations, please see part 3 of this |
| healthy), re-install the new software, then back up. | | | | series. |