Hi Folks,

 Here is an article from the Lockergnome newsletter that goes into a litle depth on data backup and then another one about backups in general.

09.11.2006 @ 12:13 PM PT | Lockergnome | Comment | Send to Friends | Discuss

I got a call the other day (I’m in the computer repair business both onsite and online) from a computer user that would have been funny except I get them often. I answered the phone and there was a short pause then the person on the other side said “my computer hates me.“

It was a sad voice, one that wallowed in desperation. I could tell they actually thought that their computer was out to get them. They had accepted their destiny with no hope of any solution. I have to admit I have seen machines that can create that type of response.

I do a lot of in home computer repair and the same scenario is often repeated. Just like in football, the best offense is a good defense. Years ago I was in the military (Army) and our company slogan was “Always Be Prepared.“ That applies to computer problems too. Only it should be “Always Back Up.“

Intermittent problems are the toughest to fix. Usually a hard drive, power unit, or section of RAM will create errors a few times before going to computer heaven. Most users ignore them if they re-boot and the problem temporarily goes away. Until the big bang, when the part has a catastrophic failure.

And then I get the call. My first question is “do you have a current backup of any important data?“ Most of the time the answer is no, but I did do one last month, year, or whatever. And then the fun starts. If the user has a current backup, a simple hardware replace and software restore is all that is necessary. It’s a pain in the neck, but not a big deal.

Going in after data, when the hard drive has failed, is a lot more involved and expensive. About 80% of the time the data can be recovered. But it’s not quick and not very much fun for all involved. And if they are graphic files like digital photos, they can be easily damaged when the hard drive fails.

So if you don’t have a current backup, please do so as soon as you finish reading this article. You’ll save yourself a lot of grief and some poor computer repair guy (like me) a lot of work. Just so you don’t have an excuse I’ll give you some pointers on how to back up easy and often.

One of the reasons many people don’t back up is they don’t have their data organized to make it easy. The first step in creating a good backup plan is to put all of the files that change often in one directory. Chances are you are a Windows user and the My Documents directory is easy to use and most software defaults to save in that directory anyway.

Create subdirectories that make it easy to find files once they have been saved. My directory looks like this:

My Documents

- Data - Web Sites - Clients - Photos - Work In Progress - Programming

Then under the subdirectories I have more specific directories by client or type of data. But when I go to do a backup, I just take the whole My Documents directory and it’s a done deal. Incremental backups can be made for just any directory that has changed that day or week. You can make your directory structure as sophisticated as you need, but put them all under one major directory.

There are other important files that you may want to periodically copy to your My Documents directory. Like Favorites from your browser, or any data that requires you save it to its own directory like many accounting packages. Also snag a copy of your email address book, important calendar, or to do lists.

Once all your data is in one place, you need a storage device large enough to back up your data. If it’s under 650 Megs, you can write it to a CD. Use either a write once or write multiple. If you have more data than can fit on a CD (or DVD, which can hold up to 4+ Gigs) you can always get a USB portable hard drive that holds up to 300 Gigs. The USB large end units go for under $100 on eBay.

OK, we have the data in one place, we have a device that can hold the amount of data we have to back up. Now you need to establish how often. My rule is every day for anything I’ve worked on. I’m lazy and hate to recreate anything twice. It really depends on whatever you are comfortable with replacing if things go awry.

If your storage device is big enough to hold multiple copies, you can do daily, weekly, and monthly in case you want to go back to a specific point in time on some of the data. It’s commonly referred to as the Grandfather Method. Many network servers are backed up in such a way so that information can be restore according to date and corrections made from that point on.

Any system you develop should be easy and quick or you won’t do it. The most common reason I get for not making backups is I didn’t have the time. So make it easy, and follow your schedule. You could also make a second copy and store offsite if necessary and the cost of replacement dictates.

You might want to test your backed-up data every once in a while to make sure that it is backing up and the data can be restored. The time to find out if the backups are bad is during a test and not an actual emergency. Better safe than sorry on data reliability.

So even if your computer hates you, you can have the satisfaction knowing that you have got a good fall back plan if it fails. A good backup can turn a disaster into a minor problem instead of a major setback.

About the Author John Dow owns a Web site that specializes in computer troubleshooting, security, and repair utilities.

[Continued]

09.29.2006 @ 05:33 AM PT | Lockergnome | Comment | Send to Friends | Discuss

According to a new survey* from Ontrack Data Recovery, the world’s leading data recovery provider, a majority of people invite the loss of critical computer data by waiting for their computers to break down and neglecting proper backup procedures. Despite the fact that 79 percent of people place significant value on their data - 40 percent classifying it as “priceless“ - poor data protection techniques will doom many people to experience data loss at some point.

“According to Ontrack’s recovery operations, two gigabytes of data - equivalent to all of the songs on someone’s iPod Nano, for example - is lost every minute of the day,“ said Jim Reinert, senior director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery. “Figures like this underscore the fact that it is only a matter of time before every hard drives breaks down. With more valuable information being stored now than ever before, people need to be aware of the risks and plan accordingly.“

Unfortunately, the survey shows a high level of preparation is rare. When asked how long they plan to use their current computer, 58 percent of respondents said “until it dies on me“ or “until it starts to get skittish.“ Coupled with the fact that 63 percent of people back up their critical data less than once a month - and 23 percent never perform backups - the outlook for safe and secure data is not good.

“Given all of the options available for data protection these days, waiting for your computer to malfunction and wipe out your files is extremely reckless. More than 60 percent of the people we surveyed have experienced data loss in the past, so data protection habits clearly need to change,“ added Reinert.

In order to help people avoid future pitfalls, Ontrack offers the following simple advice that every person can perform to protect their computer data:

Make Backups Regularly: Backups of all critical data should be made at least weekly to ensure that important files are up to date. With 64 percent of people experiencing multiple computers crashes within the past year, doing backups monthly or even more infrequently leaves too much to chance.

Test Backups Periodically: Although some people actually do backup their computer data, 45 percent never bother to check if those backups actually work. It is crucial to verify all backups to make sure that your important files and photos are there when you need them.

Store Backups in an Offsite Location: Another important step that is missed by a majority of computer users is storing all backups in an offsite location. Only 17 percent of respondents said they store their backups offsite, with the majority indicating their backups are on media in the same room as the computer. This is not effective if that location is hit by natural disasters such as fires or floods.

Monitor Your Computer’s Health: Don’t wait for your computer to break down because you’ll risk losing your data. There are several computer diagnostic tools on the market that can assess the health of your hard disk drive, file structures, and computer memory by identifying problems that could cause data loss. Most quality programs can be used to both diagnose current problems and/or as part of a regular maintenance program to identify potential problems that could lead to future data loss.

Consider Data Recovery: Sometimes, despite even the best data protection efforts, data loss still happens. In these times, it is important to know that data recovery exists and can help with a majority of situations. Twenty seven percent of respondents didn’t do anything when they lost data and only four percent contacted a data recovery company. Without solid backups, a data recovery company might be the only option, so it’s important to find a professional provider ahead of time that can return your data as soon as possible.

* Ontrack surveyed more than 1,400 computer users in June 2006 - not a scientific survey.

[Continued]

Nothing really notable in the Sunday ads this week.

Have a good weekend folks.

More Next Sunday,
Chuckstr
----My Web Site----

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