Back-Up, Back-UP, BACK-UP!!!!!

 Rich Parke-8/7/09

Death & Taxes...The two things we are always taught is inevitable.  Well now there is a third thing...Hard Drive Crash.  During the course of owning computers you are almost guaranteed to have a Hard Drive Crash.  In some cases, the data can easily be downloaded off of the crashed Hard Drive, but in many cases it is NOT recoverable without sending to specialists who rebuild the data byte by byte usually charging 1,000's of dollars.  There are also some commercially available software programs that can sometimes recover data if the Hard Drive is still functioning mechanically.  However, these programs typically cost $99 and up.

The best thing to do is to avoid data loss all together and we do that by BACKING-UP our data.  There are many ways to do this, and the following is a description of various different methods:

1. DATA COPY-This is the most basic way to back up your data.  You do this by attaching an external device (such as a flash drive or external Hard Drive) and physically copying the files you are concerned about from one drive to the other.  The advantage is that it is easy to do once you learn the process and set up your folders accordingly.  The DISadvantages are many including having to remember to do it and not removing the external device to put in a safe place. (You can also use a DVD or CD's if you have a recordable drive, but this complicates things.)  You are also restricted in this method to only backing up data files, not system or program files.
2. BACK-UP SOFTWARE-This method uses the same back-up hardware-flash drives, Hard Drives or even Tape Drives.  It involves using purchased software that allows you to select what you want backed up, where you want it backed up to, how you want it backed up and when you want it backed up.  The advantages of this method are that you can back up your entire system...so that with a boot disk and the back-up, if your hard drive crashes, you can install a new Hard Drive and immediately load the computer with all your system files, programs, data and devices and be up and running in 60 minutes or less.  These Back-Ups (depending on the media you use) are also set and forget.  They are done automatically, and after the initial Back-Up is done, subsequent backups are very quick because they only Back-Up changed files.  The disadvantages include difficulty in setting up a plan that fully protects you and the backed up data.  (The upcoming WINDOWS 7 has Back-Up software included that finally comes close to what you get from the commercially available software programs). 
3. INTERNAL DUPLICATE HARD DRIVES (RAID)-Some computer manufacturers offer you this option when the computer is built otherwise it can be added in afterwards by installing a second hard drive and a RAID card.  This system initially copies everything from Hard Drive 1 to Hard Drive 2.  Once that happens, every time you save something it is automatically saved on Hard Drive 1 and Hard Drive 2.  If your Hard Drive 1 crashes, Hard Drive 2 automatically takes over and the system continues to operate.  All you need to do is install a new Hard Drive and the system continues to run.  The main advantage is that you have virtually no downtime and no interaction with the process after initial set up.  The disadvantage is that the 2nd Hard Drive is in the machine and if there is a catastrophe...fire, flood, theft, the 2nd Hard Drive offers no protection.
4. ON-LINE BACKUP-You can pay for a service that will Back-Up your data from your computer to a computer located off site.  Typically, when your computer is idle, any data that has been changed since the last time the computer backed up will then be backed up to the remote computer.  The reputable companies:  Carbonite, Mozy, IBackup have systems set up that will protect your data through redundant computers and power to make sure your data is safe.  These companies also guarantee the security of your data.  Your data is encrypted prior to moving over the internet into their systems and some companies...like Carbonite...offer to allow you to manage this encryption key.  The advantage of this is that it is virtually impossible for anyone at the company to be able to view your data...the disadvantage is that if you forget this encryption key, YOU will not be able to recover the data.  The advantages of this type of service is that the data is stored off-site in the event of a catastrophe.  The disadvantage is that it really only Backs-Up data, no programs or system files.

There is NO perfect Back-Up method.  Either it requires human interaction which can be inconsistent, or it won't Back-Up and allow you to restore your whole system quickly & easily.  The best thing to do is use a combination that WILL give you the protection you need and ease of recovery.

What might be best for you is not necessarily what would be best for others, so it is important to have an evaluation done to determine what method or combination of methods would give you the best protection.

Please don't wait...Hard Drive crashes can happen at any moment.  I have seen them occur in Computers that are less than a month old.  It's a mechanical device, just like your car is and problems can occur at any time!