In part two of of my PC Backup Solutions blog, we're going to look at seven specific ways to backup our valuable data. As mentioned in my previous blog, in PC Repair Indiana computers will inevitably fail. Not to mention natural hazards, such as floods, ice and lighting storms. And, given our increasing reliance on these machines in our day to day lives, data backup is essential. (If you haven't read my first blog on the subject, I'd definitely take a minute to scan that one to find out the importance of backing up)
So, now let's get into the knitty-gritty of actual ways to back up your personal information. We'll take a look at some of the various backup methods, their strengths, their weaknesses, and the associated costs. In particular we'll look at 7 backup methods that are most relevant to a home PC user.
1. CD Backup
Burning important files to CD-R's is a cheap and easy way of backing up your important documents. CD-R's are incredibly cheap costing only maybe $12 for a 50 pack, readily available, and usable on nearly any machine made in the last 6 years. They are however prone to scratching, not rewritable meaning that you can't update the files, and relatively low capacity. While light years ahead of a floppy, they won't store more than say, 150 photos or songs. They're great for burning a single important album or backing up a couple years of tax info.
2. DVD Backup
Burning important files to DVD's is an affordable and easy way of backing up important files and documents. DVD-R's are only a little pricier than CD's at maybe $15 for a 50 pack, easy to find, and store six and a half times as much information as a CD-R. There are even more expensive dual-layer discs that store 9 Gigs of information! Like CD's though, they are prone to scratching and will get torn up if mistreated.
3. USB Flash Drive
Keeping backup copies of important files on a flash drive is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to help ensure your data is protected. A 4 GB flash drive, which would be enough for say, 900 photos or 1000 songs, can be purchased at many stores for as cheap as $11-12. An even larger drive, such as 8 GB runs only $16-18, and you can buy even larger drives if storage becomes an issue. Using one, couldn't be easier. You just open two windows, select the files or folders you want, and drag them onto the flash drive. USB drives are fairly resistant to most damage if treated with any amount of care, though personal experience has shown, it's best not to run them through the wash in your pocket.
4. USB Portable Hard Drive
Sometimes you just have too many photos, or too much music, to make backing up on DVD's or a flash drive feasible. Enter the USB Portable Hard Drive. These small, pocketable hard drives can carry enough storage to backup most laptops, and most small to midsize desktops. They don't require any special plugs or adapters, just a single USB port for data and power. Like the flash drive you can simply drag and drop your data on to the new drive. Some even come with software tools to make backing up even easier. Portable hard drives are pretty rugged, but much like a laptop excessive shaking and harsh drops should be avoided.
5. USB Desktop Hard Drive
This is the biggest and best of the add-on type of discs/drives. These are larger drives, both physically and in regards to storeage amount. Many drives even have higher speed connection types, such as firewire or e-sata, to make backups and file transfers incredibly fast. There is enough storage on most of these drives for 10,000+ photos or songs, and to back up nearly any desktop or laptop. Most large drives include backup software as a standard feature. The drawback with these drives though, is that they require a separate plug for power and are a little bulky to carry around.
6. RAID Array Backup
When purchasing a new PC, there is one option that is especially great for data backup and reliability. A RAID setup can have many forms, the one we're ideally concerned with is what we call RAID 5. Avoiding the technical end of things, this allows your computer to run faster, and keeps copies of your data on multiple drives, so that even if one drive fails, a new one may be substituted in its place. The computer reconstructs the data, and it's like it never happened. Raid is not terribly expensive to setup, however it needs compatible hardware and must be done at the time the machine is made, which are a couple of the system's only drawbacks.
7. Offsite Remote Backup
This backup solution is the ultimate in protection and security for your data. It is a powerful way to keep your data safe in even the most severe of circumstances. It's also what we normally recommend for our IT Support for Small Business customers. Since your data is backed up to a remote location, your files are kept safe even in the event of catastrophe like a fire or flood. While it is a little more expensive than some of the other options, it is the most reliable and easy way to ensure your valuable data is kept safe. We provide this service for many of our business customers, and so called "cloud" backups are available for home users as well.
So hopefully you've learned not just why we need backups in today's society, but also about some of the various ways we can backup our important data, files, and memories. If you have any questions, or would like us to help you implement a backup strategy of your own, please don't hesitate to call us. As always, we're here for all your Computer Repair Mooresville needs.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
So, now let's get into the knitty-gritty of actual ways to back up your personal information. We'll take a look at some of the various backup methods, their strengths, their weaknesses, and the associated costs. In particular we'll look at 7 backup methods that are most relevant to a home PC user.
1. CD Backup
Burning important files to CD-R's is a cheap and easy way of backing up your important documents. CD-R's are incredibly cheap costing only maybe $12 for a 50 pack, readily available, and usable on nearly any machine made in the last 6 years. They are however prone to scratching, not rewritable meaning that you can't update the files, and relatively low capacity. While light years ahead of a floppy, they won't store more than say, 150 photos or songs. They're great for burning a single important album or backing up a couple years of tax info.
2. DVD Backup
Burning important files to DVD's is an affordable and easy way of backing up important files and documents. DVD-R's are only a little pricier than CD's at maybe $15 for a 50 pack, easy to find, and store six and a half times as much information as a CD-R. There are even more expensive dual-layer discs that store 9 Gigs of information! Like CD's though, they are prone to scratching and will get torn up if mistreated.
3. USB Flash Drive
Keeping backup copies of important files on a flash drive is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to help ensure your data is protected. A 4 GB flash drive, which would be enough for say, 900 photos or 1000 songs, can be purchased at many stores for as cheap as $11-12. An even larger drive, such as 8 GB runs only $16-18, and you can buy even larger drives if storage becomes an issue. Using one, couldn't be easier. You just open two windows, select the files or folders you want, and drag them onto the flash drive. USB drives are fairly resistant to most damage if treated with any amount of care, though personal experience has shown, it's best not to run them through the wash in your pocket.
4. USB Portable Hard Drive
Sometimes you just have too many photos, or too much music, to make backing up on DVD's or a flash drive feasible. Enter the USB Portable Hard Drive. These small, pocketable hard drives can carry enough storage to backup most laptops, and most small to midsize desktops. They don't require any special plugs or adapters, just a single USB port for data and power. Like the flash drive you can simply drag and drop your data on to the new drive. Some even come with software tools to make backing up even easier. Portable hard drives are pretty rugged, but much like a laptop excessive shaking and harsh drops should be avoided.
5. USB Desktop Hard Drive
This is the biggest and best of the add-on type of discs/drives. These are larger drives, both physically and in regards to storeage amount. Many drives even have higher speed connection types, such as firewire or e-sata, to make backups and file transfers incredibly fast. There is enough storage on most of these drives for 10,000+ photos or songs, and to back up nearly any desktop or laptop. Most large drives include backup software as a standard feature. The drawback with these drives though, is that they require a separate plug for power and are a little bulky to carry around.
6. RAID Array Backup
When purchasing a new PC, there is one option that is especially great for data backup and reliability. A RAID setup can have many forms, the one we're ideally concerned with is what we call RAID 5. Avoiding the technical end of things, this allows your computer to run faster, and keeps copies of your data on multiple drives, so that even if one drive fails, a new one may be substituted in its place. The computer reconstructs the data, and it's like it never happened. Raid is not terribly expensive to setup, however it needs compatible hardware and must be done at the time the machine is made, which are a couple of the system's only drawbacks.
7. Offsite Remote Backup
This backup solution is the ultimate in protection and security for your data. It is a powerful way to keep your data safe in even the most severe of circumstances. It's also what we normally recommend for our IT Support for Small Business customers. Since your data is backed up to a remote location, your files are kept safe even in the event of catastrophe like a fire or flood. While it is a little more expensive than some of the other options, it is the most reliable and easy way to ensure your valuable data is kept safe. We provide this service for many of our business customers, and so called "cloud" backups are available for home users as well.
So hopefully you've learned not just why we need backups in today's society, but also about some of the various ways we can backup our important data, files, and memories. If you have any questions, or would like us to help you implement a backup strategy of your own, please don't hesitate to call us. As always, we're here for all your Computer Repair Mooresville needs.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
- Backups!: Why Backups Are Crucial in Today's Electrical World (Part I)
- Computer Basics: Better Understanding Your Computer
- Has Your IT Rack Gotten Out Of Hand
- Wireless 3G Networks...Which one do you choose?
- Get Empowered with Oracle Software Products
- Benefits of Volume Licensing
- 10 Handy and Free Software Programs
- Free Microsoft Antivirus Software
- 3 Great Ways to Help Speed Up Your Computer
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