Saturday, December 20, 2008

Backup Your Precious Data

Computers, for better or worse, are now integrated into our lives. In this article I will outline some of the devices available to backup your data so that when your pc fails you will not lose your precious data.


Purchasing A Backup Device.
This is the most obvious but seldom done step to ensuring you can recover from computer failure. Backup devices come in many flavours but the primary three I will deal with are : USB keys, USB external Hard drives, and Network attached Hard drives.


USB Keys.
USB keys can store up to 8 gigabytes of data. That’s about 8 cd’s worth of data. If you have a large music or video collection a usb key may not have enough space to store your data. USB keys are small and easily lost!

USB External Hard Drive.
There is a huge selection available starting at around €90. Be careful and don’t buy the cheapest model as you will be relying on this device when your computer fails. Avoid the large capacity models, 750 gigabyte and over, as these drives need proper cooling and I’ve found that many of the cheaper models have no fan and overheat and fail. You must connect the drive to each computer you wish to backup and this can be a disadvantage if you have more than one pc in the house.

Network Attached Hard Drive.
These Hard drives are designed to run continuously and are normally attached to your broadband router. They offer the ideal solution for backup as any networked computer in the home can access and store information on the drive. You can also use them to store music and videos and thus reduce bloat on your pc. Remember if you store data on the drive and nowhere else you need to backup the drive to another device.

Backup Software
You can simply copy your information to your backup device but if your device comes with backup software I advise you to take advantage of it. Backup software normally allows for both scheduled unattended backups and also allows you to keep multiple copies of your data. Thus if you accidentally delete a file you can retrieve it from one of copies stored on your external device. Most of the external backup drives come with backup software included.

Conclusion:
Take the time to secure your data and I can assure you that in the future you will be glad you did.