Backup
Truth: Ordinary backup programs can not back up the entire Windows directory. The Windows registry and most files that are in use will not be backed up. System Restore doesn't do it either. Some backup programs can make full drive backups though.
Windows Vista offers much better backup and restore features than Windows XP. [more] However, Microsoft Marketing made them hide the best part. But now it has been revealed. [look here] and [here]
How to set up a backup process
Step 1: Organize your file locations so it will be easy to find everything you want to back up. Otherwise, you're bound to leave out just what you end up needing. :-(
Keep your backup files safe and well organized as well, or you'll never find what you need when you need it. ;-)
Step 2: Decide how often you need to backup each category of files. Base your decision on how much you're willing to risk losing between backups. (Maybe as little as a couple of minutes of your work.)
Step 3: Pick your backup location/media: Removable media...floppies, CDs and DVDs...has been traditional. An external hard drive or a second hard drive are good alternatives. Online backup is now reliable and affordable (does free work for you?).
Step 4: Pick a good way to make your backups. There are many backup methods and programs to choose from. Pick a process that will be easy for you to repeat.
Note: The probability of your external hard drive failing on the same day your internal hard drive fails is very low...quite a bit less than 1 in a million. Don't worry about it.
Step 5: Verify your backups. Do they include everything you thought they would? Good backup programs can automatically "verify" that your backups worked, but they can't tell you if you backed up everything. Trust your program, but check the backups yourself from time to time (see Step 6). [short story]
Step 6: It's essential to validate your restore process. To paraphrase Mark Twain, Backups are good. Backups are impressive. But restoring your files will be the only result that matters. If you're not certain you can restore files now, chances are you won't be able to when you need to. It wouldn't hurt to check the process again from time to time either. ;-)
Don't just overwrite perfectly good original files from backup files just to test them. See tips for testing backups to learn how to do it prudently.
Step 7: Keep an archive copy of your most important backups somewhere else. Maybe in a safe deposit box or at your buddy's place. Inexpensive or free online storage services also make a good place to archive essential data.
Step 8: Keep your backups up to date on a regular schedule. Back up before major changes too, e.g., before installing or uninstalling programs. You never know what might go horribly wrong.
If you're working on a complex document, back it up before and maybe after you make a big change, or every 10 minutes or so...whichever comes first. Some programs give you the option to do that automatically.
Check out a series of articles written by a seasoned computer user.
Yesterday, need for backups seemed so far away.
Now my documents have gone away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Suddenly, there's not half the files there used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
They disappeared so suddenly.
Why they had to go, I don't know, I cannot say.
I clicked something wrong,
now I long for yesterday
Yesterday, computing was an easy game to play.
Seemed all my files were here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
--adapted by Curmudgeon
Online backup
- The old saw, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket," certainly applies to backups. Hard drives crash. CDs deteriorate. DVDs are probably even less robust. Online storage is a good way to diversify the physical location of your backups.
- Most online storage services provide security for your files, but I like to make sure my sensitive files are protected with strong encryption. I use TrueCrypt. [free but best-of-breed]
- Online backup is best used for important data files -- financial records, addresses, important documents and maybe that desert island music collection.
- Michael Horowitz writes about a few more important aspects of online backup to consider
- If you're not sure about setting up online backup for yourself, Live Tech Online will walk you through the process of finding what you need to back up, and help you set up an automatic online backup process.
- I use Go Daddy's "Online File Folder" as my primary online backup service because I can then use the Backup4all program, which employs FTP (file transfer protocol), to backup up files directly online. They also offer a Web based transfer system that is easy to use.
- Box.net is a free online backup service that I've tried. They limit individual the size of individual files to 10MB, but they do give you 1 GB of storage space.
- I have also used Omnidrive, because it's easy to set up as a virtual Windows file folder. You can then access it directly in Windows Explorer. The free version of the service gives you 1 GB of storage.
- IDrive offers a free 2 GB account with very nice backup/restore features. It's favorably rated by BackupReview.
- Microsoft just (Feb, 2008) announced their "SkyDrive" online storage, which has a generous 5 GB limit. SkyDrive offers both private and public folders.
- AOL offers a free online backup service called Xdrive. I've used it and liked it. You need to sign up for an AOL email account to get access, but that's free too. (You don't need to use it if you don't want to.) :-)
- TechCrunch describes four more online storage services, including those from Microsoft and Google.
- PC World has a comprehensive article about online storage.
- PC World compares a bunch of online storage providers in another article. I'll be keeping an eye on these to see where things go.
Backup media
These estimates are conservative, as is appropriate for archival purposes |
||
|---|---|---|
| Diskette (floppy) | Pro: Cheap, quick, offsite storage is easy. Con: Unreliable, small capacity, slow, limited life, drives are being phased out. |
0-3 yr. life. |
| Tape Drive | Pro: Large capacity, offsite storage is feasible. Con: No random access, slow, limited life. |
1-3 yr. life |
| Zip Drive | Pro: Fast, somewhat universal, offsite storage is feasible. Con: Expensive media, prone to failure, drives have been phased out. |
2-10 yr. life |
| CDs or DVDs | I recommend that you use only CD-R media for backup. CD-RWs are not as reliable: They can become unreadable even while you are working with them. CD-Rs are cheap (but spend 50 cents, not 10 cents if you want reliable ones). Pro: Cheap media, large capacity, long life, offsite storage is easy. Con: Slower than a hard disk or Zip drive. Note: Life depends on the dye used. [more on life] |
3-10 yr. life |
| USB (thumb) drives | Pro: Quick, easy to use, reusable, small, universal Con: Easy to lose, easy to corrupt, relatively expensive. |
5-10 yr. life |
| Internal Hard Drive | A second hard disk is excellent for backups. Pro: Fast, with huge capacity. Easy access. Con: Not easy for the neophyte to install. Offsite storage is not feasible. |
2-10 yr. life |
| External Hard Drive | Pro: Fairly fast with huge capacity. Easy to install. Offsite storage is feasible. If you have one computer at Happy Trails and another at home, you can use a USB drive to shuttle all your files between the two. [buyer's guide] Con: The external case and power supply can add $30 to $60 to the basic hard disk cost. |
2-10 yr. life |
| Online backup |
Pro: Protection against fire, flood and forgetfulness. Retrievable from any computer. Con: Not available unless you can get online. Something new to get set up and working. It can be simpler in the long run though. |
n/a |
More on the Web
Email backup, particularly for Outlook Express is not always easy. (It's relatively easy for Thunderbird and a few other email clients.) "Inside OE Home" will tell you how to back up email for Outlook Express, plus a whole lot more about OE.
Microsoft's advice on how to backup your Outlook Express messages, address book, accounts, etc.
Microsoft's advice on backup, and how to use the backup program that comes with Windows.
Michael Horowitz's comprehensive set of links on backup.