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How often do you back up the data on your computer? If you're like most people, not very often, if at all. Yet the information stored on the hard drive can be incredibly valuable. Think of your financial records, documents, contacts, e-mail addresses, letters and so on. What would happen if it all just disappeared? How long would it take and how much would it cost to reconstruct or rebuild the missing data? Do you think it can't happen? It does every day for a variety of reasons such as:
Computer files can be restored in the event of a crash, but it may cost you several hundred or even thousands of dollars. In the meantime, you may be lost without essential data. If you diligently back up your system and store the backups off-site, you're in good shape. But most of us never do this, until it's too late.
The good news is that you don't need to make copies of all the files on your hard drive. These days, that could entail many gigabytes of data. You only have to back up your own data files, such as word processing documents, spreadsheets, e-mail, digital photos, graphics, etc. Basically, any files you've created or that were sent to you that you don't want to lose. You probably already have copies on CD-ROMs of your program files -- Microsoft Office applications, web browsers, plug-ins and such. In the event that your computer crashes, you can use those to restore the programs or you can download replacement programs from the Net.
Files should be stored on removable media like floppy disks, zip disks, CD-ROMs, data tapes or an external hard drive. Since floppies only hold 1.4 Mb of data, they aren't very practical, unless you have only a few files. On the other hand, CD-ROMs hold 650 Mb, so if you have a CD-RW drive, more commonly known as a CD Burner, you're in luck. Recordable CDs are inexpensive and also provide an excellent way to share data with friends and colleagues. To back up your files, first insert the storage medium of your choice in the drive. If you use Windows, launch Windows Explorer. You'll find it in the Programs folder under the Start menu. Now locate the files you want to copy. Place your mouse pointer on the folder or file, hold down the left mouse button, then drag it to the appropriate drive. Copying files can take a while depending on how many you have and the speed of your system. After you've backed up all the files, open a few of the copies to make sure they copied correctly. Now remove the disk, label and date it. Finally, store your backups in a secure place. If you follow this procedure regularly, you may sleep better at night.
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