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Choosing Backup Methods

January 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Way, way back in Internet time (just a few years ago in non-Internet time). backups were performed using floppy disks. Does anyone even still have a computer that will actually accept floppy disks? Anyway, during those times, you may have found yourself struggling to fit your backups onto this media. You would run into single files that were actually larger than the media capacity.

Thank goodness, today there are other options, including CDs, DVDs, and external hard drives. Compression programs have helped immensely with the backup process. So why would anyone not be performing backups on a regular basis, especially when it is now easy to choose the best backup media? Here’s some simple tips to follow to get the best media for your backup needs.

  • Establish how much data you will be backing up.
  • Establish the total size of any types data, application, or files that you may want to put into a permanent archive. This can be archived to any removable media or backup option.
  • Make sure you plan for any future growth of your total data size.
  • Determine your allowable budget for the purchase of your storage device. Remember to include the costs for any required media such as CDs or DVDs.
  • If you plan on archiving photographs or other files, take this into consideration. You may also need to determine if a CD recorder will also be used to make music CDs to be played. These need to be verified along with your backup needs.
  • Consider any needs for portability of this backup media.
  • Calculate the cost of the media per Megabyte of space.
  • Buy CD burners if you don’t have a lot of data that needs to be backed up. DVDs can back up more data, and external hard drives have the most space available. Choose the one the best suits your needs and budget.
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Backing Up Storage On An External Hard Drive

December 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Losing computer files that were not backed up is a big mistake for many people. We all want to believe that our computer will never give us problems or ever crash. But your computer crashing is something that could eventually happen. It’s always important make sure you back up all your files. Especially the ones you can’t afford to lose.

While all computers come with a hard drive, the external hard drive can provide additional storage to help keep the files off the computer. Doing this could prevent your computer from crashing. This is perfect for storing music, media and data files. You can even find a relatively large external hard drive at pretty affordable prices.

The advantage of having an external hard drive is that you can store a large amount of files without having to keep them on the computer. The external hard drive also allows you to access those files from any computer. Simply plug in your external hard drive and you’re good to go. The majority of the external hard drives are “plug and play,” so you can bring them anywhere and can be used on any computer that’s compatible with the hard drive.

The best part of external hard drives is that they’re not bulky at all. They come in a variety of sizes and the majority of them can be placed right up against the computer, not taking up much desk space. When you’re not using it, simply unplug it and stick it on a shelf.

Prices for external hard drives will vary based on the brand, but prices could range between $75 – $300 depending on what size and brand you’re looking for. The nicer the brand and bigger the size, the more money you’ll spend.

It’s always important to back up all your important files. It’s recommend to back up those files you can’t afford to lose on an external hard drive. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Blu-Ray Discs for Data Storage

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Even if you don’t have a Blu-Ray player in your home, most people by now are aware that it is an alternative to a DVD player. Few people, however, know that a Blu-Ray disc can be used as a viable option for data storage. Storage on a Blu-Ray disc functions the same as a DVD, but they can hold 25GB compared to a DVD’s paltry 4.7GB on a single layer. A dual layer Blu-Ray disc can hold 50GB compared to only 8.5GB on a dual layer DVD disc.

Many people have chosen alternate data storage methods apart from DVD’s simply because of a DVD’s fragile nature. They can be easily scratched, ruining your chances of easy data recovery. Blu-Ray discs, however, use a scratch resistant material that is hard-coated onto each disc to make them more resilient.

Unlike an external hard drive, a Blu-Ray disc has no moving parts therefore it is less susceptible to damage from being dropped or mishandled. The discs are larger than a small flash drive and so they are less likely to get lost in the clutter of your desk.

The cost of this kind of storage may be prohibitive. While many PC’s are equipped with DVD writers, only the very newest come with Blu-Ray writers installed. Therefore you would need to purchase and install a Blu-Ray writer and the costs for this hardware device can be around $150.00. Then there is the cost of the discs themselves. Blu-Ray discs cost about $1.00 per disc with re-writable ones costing slightly more.

One can never be too safe when it comes to backing up files. Highly sensitive data should always be backed up off-site, and there are many services available to help you do this. For the average user, with average data back up needs, the Blu-Ray writer and discs may well be a viable option as they afford you greater space than conventional discs with all the same levels of convenience.

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Recover Lost Data

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Have you ever worked on a Word document for hours only to lose everything you’ve written due to a power surge or some other inexplicable blip? Maybe you have a report for work that you’ve been writing for weeks and one day you try to open it, only to find it has somehow vanished. Panic sets in as you realize that all that work and all that time is gone instantly. Everyone has probably experienced this phenomenon and has learned the simple lesson to always have multiple backup files saved in multiple places. There is also the option of data recovery.

Data recovery simply means there may be a way to get back the document that you have lost. Maybe you have the data, but it has been damaged, or corrupted. Or, maybe it is there on the screen but you can’t access it to make changes or to print. What has gone wrong? Sometimes there is physical damage to your storage device. It is also possible that a child has gotten his or her hands (or mouth) onto your CD or your DVD and caused damage. However, it is very common that when you lose data it is because of an operating system failure. If this is the case, you can simply copy your files to another disk. You can use a Live CD, which moves your files from the system disk to a form of backup media.

There are of course other failures, and these can be mitigated as well. Sometimes you may have accidentally deleted a file or files. In actuality, these deleted files are not truly gone, they just don’t show up anymore as being on your computer and the computer frees up the space they occupy, to overwrite them at a later time. So, there is hope: the original file is still there and you can get it back. Data recovery is always a viable option.

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Great Choices Available for External Hard Drives for Backup

December 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Regardless of how you use your computer, it’s good to have an external hard drive for backup. Seems like a lot of hassle until the unexpected crash comes along. Here’s the nice thing about advances in date storage technology; it’s become very easy and convenient, even for the novice.

External hard drives can do more than simply protect your information. They make great storage units that help increase your data capacity, they make it easy to share date between computers, and of course, they back up data — and that makes data recovery much easier. New and better products are always marketed, but here are a few current good bets for backup drives.

Clickfree CN 2 is extremely easy to use. Even the novice can plug this external hard drive in and have it working in minutes. The first time it’s plugged into a computer, it will open a setup file which needs to be run, and within minutes, back-up begins. As a basic, quick and easy piece of home technology, it’s a great deal.  The fact that it only uses a USB 2.0 connection is more of a drawback to hardcore techies than the average computer user.

The Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro is the option the serious technology folks prefer. This external hard drive is very easily switched between Microsoft and OS operating systems. It allows for multiple port options with what is called a “personality port.” The hard drive accommodates USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Firewire 800 and eSATA. For those who have huge amounts of data to transfer, a cable faster than USB 2.0 is a big deal. The installer is directly on the drive, so it goes with the external hard drive and easy to use on any computer.

Certainly the old USB thumb drives grab a little data, but an external hard drive is a must to save it all and have a successful data recovery.

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The Facts About External Hard Drives

December 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Although some top-ten lists describe external hard drives to their readers in terms of qualities like “stylish” or “rugged,” there are more substantial factors to consider. If you’re looking to buy an external hard drive, then here are the facts you should know before making your purchase.

  1. While considering a storage device for your most important information and memories, consider capacity and interface, along with quality and price. You will be storing things that are irreplaceable. Would you put your university degree on top of the fridge for safe storage? What about placing your birth certificate in the kitchen rubbish drawer? Treat your information as though it is valuable.
  2. A power switch is a definite plus if you want to save energy, keep your drive from burning out quickly, and enjoy leaving things plugged in and accessible.
  3. Connectivity speed matters. If you are planning to dump your 900 GB media library into your external hard drive as soon as you get home, you’ll want a fast operating system.
  4. 1,000 GB is a lot of space for someone who needs to store a few documents. Figure out how much storage you want and only pay for what you actually need.
  5. Some external hard drive options cost just 12 cents per GB. But in the case of this storage media, cheaper isn’t necessarily better. Do a little research, and you’ll find that, while some brands may be a great deal, others typically range from 19 to 22 cents per GB. Price generally reflects quality, so try to find a device that falls within the average price range.
  6. USB, FireWire, or eSATA? It’s your choice, but only if you consider it before making a purchase.
  7. Another issue that isn’t always given due regard is the wall plug. Do you need an external hard drive that simply connects via USB, without a wall plug?
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Storing Your Data Off Site

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In our modern age, data security might even be as important as physical security. While keeping people safe is obviously important, keeping your data safe could be the difference between having a billion dollar quarter and having to explain to your investors (and possibly even a Congressional hearing) why you allowed something which is of critical importance to be taken from you. That is one of the few types of occurrences in this world that can even get a C level executive fired. So naturally, you want to store your data as securely as you possibly can. You might even be considering storing (or at least keeping a back up copy of) your most precious data off site. This has both advantages and disadvantages to it, obviously.

One of the best things about storing your data off site is that it cannot be harmed by a local threat. If civil unrest, a natural disaster, or a long duration power outage (such as during a heavy snowstorm) happens to take down your office’s computers, your data will still be accessible to you if you have a battery powered medium which is capable of getting online. While thinking in terms of “the apocalypse” may make you feel like you might as well be getting out the old tin foil hat, it is usually in your best interests to at least consider the worst case scenario.

However, there is also the main downside to storing your data off site — there could potentially be a breach over which you have absolutely no control. If something does happen to go wrong with the storage facility, or with their employees, you could face just as much liability and damage as if your own offices had taken in a Trojan horse. The difference is, unlike in your office, where you can always change your security, an off-site facility would force you to watch helplessly as your data is stolen.

There are two very valuable open source sites that can help you keep control of your computer and data. Using Putty will help to ensure that you have established secure connections.  If you prefer not to store your data in a cloud, but prefer to have it on your database, you can access your own computer from anywhere using Tight VNC freeware.  Both these resources will put you in firmly in control of your data and limit the disastrous consequences of getting data lost or stolen.

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I’m Backin’ Up, Backin’ Up

December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Hard drive sizes are growing ever larger – it used to be that several megs of storage space was a lot, and now you can buy an external hard drive with terabytes of storage. You’ll want to, too, because the files people transfer and store are also growing ever larger. If you have lots of documents and music and photos and so on, you’ll want to back them up, which means to make copies of them for safety’s sake. Many people don’t realize how critical this is, because so much technology just seems to keep on working and people replace things with newer models before the old ones break, but it would be a mistake to write off the importance of data backup.

Consider your music collection. If you’re a typical user of iTunes or Amazon MP3, you’ve likely downloaded your fair share of paid content, from single tracks to entire musical albums, for which you may not have any physical copy. The one copy of the album you have is stored on your computer, so what happens if that computer breaks? You may just have lost all that content and the time and money you invested in it.

One way to make copies is to burn them to a physical medium like a CD or DVD, which many people do, and it’s nice to have that copy to hold in your hands and use in other machines. But that process requires the expense of buying the physical media and the time to copy the content to it and provide any applicable labeling. Why not get an external hard drive instead? You can get one with abundant capacity for relatively little money, and they come with programs that will automatically backup your data for you, on a regular schedule if you like. Don’t be caught unaware – backup your data.

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