LFC Consulting - Save Your Data

My job is to protect your data.  Since data backup is so important to you I wanted to expand on my Back Up Tips article

Frequently I am asked to provide a computer system for a client. This will include the PC (or a laptop), flat screen monitor, mouse, keyboard and usually a printer. For the past few years I have also included at least one external drive into the system purchase. Having an external drive is the simplest approach to redundancy for your data. The 3rd party backup I include with the drive purchase allows your system to be completely duplicated overnight. If you have a computer crash you will not lose more than a day's work. The main benefit is reduced downtime. After a crash all  I have to do is restore the backup to a new drive and you are back in business. What I do not have to do is a) Install Windows from scratch, b) Install all your software programs and c) Copy your data back to its original locations. All I have to do is restore one big file that contains your operating system (Windows), your software and your data. The turn around time could be as little as 3-4 hours.

What if you purchase a computer system (or a laptop) and prefer not to purchase an external drive and 3rd party backup software. Does that mean your data will not be copied safely? The answer is no. Windows XP has a simple backup program where you pick and choose what directories you want copied. Windows Vista (Business and Ultimate versions) include backup software that will copy the whole system, including the operating system and allow you to restore to how you had your system working. Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium do not include this feature but you still can copy your files manually.

Where do you copy your files? To where do you backup? Of course there is the aforementioned external hard disk, which range in size from 40 Gigabytes (40 billion bytes) to 1 Terabyte (1 trillion bytes! Wow!) I sold one of these to a client. Even I was impressed by the amount of data it could store. In case you were wondering, it was no bigger than a 40 Gigabyte drive. You do have other options for backup media also. You can use the popular USB thumb drives, commonly called flash drives. These devices are so convenient. They are called thumb drives because they are about that size. The common capacity now is from 1 Gigabyte to 32 Gigabytes. What size is good for you? I would start off with a 4 Gigabyte drive. This is a good capacity if you have a lot of photos and music you want to protect.

Lastly, I will mention DVD disks. While their minimum 4.7 Gigabyte (certain disks have dual layering allowing for twice this much) capacity is a good amount of storage, getting the data on there requires using DVD burning software. If you are not comfortable with your DVD burning software it will require patience to use it. I can not even give you instructions because all the programs use different menus and steps. However, DVD disks are an excellent media to archive data. If you burn your data and store it safely in a fireproof safe your data will be protected for years. The durability of the data's safety is estimated between 30 and 300 years, depending on the disk writing format.

Here is an example of using the DVD disks for fun.  If you are having a party or reunion, you can copy your photos to a disk and play it on your home DVD player and display your photos on your TV. You can also copy all your MP3s to a DVD and play them on your home DVD player and listen to them through your home audio video system. 

These are various methods of protecting you data. Remember, redundancy is the key. If your data is stored in more than one area you will not lose important files if your hard drive ever fails.

Rafael Miranda is a computer consultant with LFC Consulting, Inc.

He started the company in 1991 to provide Sales, Service and Support of PC Hardware and Software.

Rafael services the small business community, as well as home networks and laptop users.

Please call 973-316-9191 for more information.