Backing Up Your Data

As posted in my article last week, malware is pretty rampant on the internet right now. If your computer takes a really bad hit from a virus, or something in general goes wrong with your harddrive, you may be at risk for data loss. Data includes things on your computer that you have saved, such as: Pictures, Documents, Movies, E-mail, etc.. There are many different things that can cause permanent data loss on your computer, and without a proper backup you gamble losing all of it on a daily basis.

Here are some of the common issues you can run into that can lead to you losing access to your data, and some ideas to protect yourself from each one:

1. Sudden power outages-
This is a problem because most computers are set to run Windows Updates automatically. If your computer loses power in the middle of one of these updates, it can cause problems for your operating system. This problem can be remedied by turning off Automatic Updates (not reccomended, as updates are essential), or purchasing a UPS (battery backup, highly reccomended!). A UPS will maintain a consistent power flow to your computer, regardless of your power turning on and off, and some UPS even have software to safely shut down your computer when it sees that you have no power! If you can’t get into your operating system, it will be costly to repair it or to attempt to recovery your data (much more costly then an UPS!).

2. Electrical surges-
Similar to the previous problem, power surges can have more lasting effects on your computer hardware. If you do not at LEAST have a surge protector in the state of Florida on your computer, you should certainly invest in one. Fortunately, most power surge damage is halted at the computer’s power supply, which is a relatively inexpensive computer component to replace. However, this is not ALWAYS the case, and sometimes your computer’s internal components can be damaged…namely the harddrive (which contains your data). This can be prevented by using a UPS, as noted in the previous example. Recovering data from a physically damaged harddrive requires it to be sent to a specialty shop, generally costing several thousand dollars to recover!

3. Malware-
Read my article from last week for a more detailed explanation here. Malware can effectively shut you out of your operating system, and require a technician to recover your data. Use anti-malware software to help protect youself!

The best possible way to prevent permanent data loss in all of the above scenarios however, is investing in some sort of data backup. There are several different approches you can take in this regard, pending on how much data you require to back up. Here are some different common back up methods people use to protect their data:

1. Online Backup-
Online backups allow you to choose which files or folders on your computer you want to back up and, using your internet connection, upload them to a secure site on the internet where they can be accessed at any time from any computer using your security credentials. This method is convenient because it requires little to no user interaction after being intially setup, and automatically backs up any changed or new files that you have added to your folders! This is personally my favorite method, because the frequent problem with backing up your data is forgetting to do it…and I have an awful memory. If you are interested in getting an online backup setup on your computer, give us a call (281-0009) and we will be happy to help get you set up!

2. External Harddrive-
This method involves having a physical high capacity device that is seperate from your computer store your data. Generally with this method, you have to manually copy any files you want off your computer and move them to the appropriate location on the external drive. There is sometimes software that can do this process for you, however, you just have to find the right one. The biggest perk of this method, is you can generally store the data of multiple computers on a single device, making it ideal for a household with multiple computers. The biggest drawback is, if you leave it plugged in, it is vulnerable to the same types of things that can damage regular harddrives. As long as you are careful with them, and utilize them properly, external hard drives are an excellent option for backing up your data.

3. Thumb Drive-
Thumb drives are basically miniature versions of external harddrives. These guys are ideal for when you have small amounts of data that you need backed up, or that you access frequently. Generally they are meant more for conveniantly accessing certain files you use at multiple locations however, and most of these do not come with any sort of software to help you with backing up your data. The biggest perk for the thumb drive is portability. The biggest downside for the thumb drive is storage capacity.

4. CD/DVD-
This method is a little inconvenient, but certainly worth mentioning. CD/DVD backups are generally ideal for permanently storing old versions of data for archives, due to being very easy to store and a decent capacity. They are relatively inexpensive, so having multiple sets of CD/DVD backups is certainly a viable strategy for keeping your data safe. The biggest inconvenience of using them however, is the length of time it takes to burn to them. You can think of CD/DVD backups in the same way as thumb drive backups in terms of portability and storage capacity, but they are much less expensive and take much longer to write your data to.

If you are interested in protecting your data, give us a call (281-0009), and we would be happy to advise you on the best course of action to take!