Some plug-in-and-back-up setups have major flaws. It’s the latest in backup software and if done properly, it can serve as the ultimate no-brain backup. And it’s true that you could get the same result by buying software and installing it on an existing hard drive.) (Okay, you do have to remember to plug in the drive. This fully automated backup knows what needs backing up and what doesn’t. You don’t have to install software on your hard drive, or figure out and configure backup sets, or even tell the program to launch. You buy a USB drive, you plug it into your PC, and the backup starts. With a Rebit external hard drive, you can automate the creation of daily backups, making recovery of lost files easy. Recovery features: Versioning and full-system restore.Good for: Your documents (including recent documents), application data, and media files, and the system as a whole.Strategy 1: Employ the Easiest Backup of All But Windows doesn’t make the procedure easy, and the strategies I discuss don’t require this separation. You can separate and store various types of data on different hard drives (or partitions). But if Windows becomes unusable or your hard drive crashes, switching to a system backup (also called a disaster recovery backup) that you create a couple of times a year can get your machine up and running smoothly without much effort. Your system: You can always reinstall Windows and your apps, if you have the original discs or can download the programs. Heirlooms: Files that you want to keep forever–family photos, the special anniversary card you made for your parents, and so on–need backing up and extra protection. But these large files may require a separate backup strategy. Media: If your backup medium is sufficiently roomy and fast, you can back up your photo, music, and video files every day. Also, in XP, Microsoft stores Outlook and Outlook Express data in C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Local Settings\Application Data).įortunately, any well-designed backup program intended for everyday, nonexpert users (as opposed to IT departments) knows where to look for Outlook data. Most programs store them in a hidden folder inside your user folder (in XP, C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Application Data in Vista, C:\Users\your name\AppData). But if you often work on these files on other people’s computers, you may want to carry a copy of them on a flash drive or store a copy of them online.Īpplication data: Apps create and maintain data files such as e-mail messages, browser favorites, calendar entries, and contacts that require daily backing up. Your recent documents: If your backup program can handle incremental backups, you don’t have to worry about recent documents as separate entities. (Good backup programs also perform versioning that is, they keep several iterations of the same file on hand and enable you to choose which version to restore.) Any basic backup program can perform incremental backups, in which the program copies only the files that have changed since the most recent previous backup. Your documents: You should back up your word processing files, spreadsheets, and similar documents every day. Let’s look at the different kinds of files individually. Many of them should be backed up every day, others only occasionally, and still others–including temp files, the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys), and your browser cache–not at all. Your hard drive may contain hundreds of thousands of files. Here are seven practical strategies, including using USB storage, backing up via the Internet or through your local network, backing up Windows itself, and preserving huge media files like songs and videos. See related story: 10 wackiest data disasters of 2008Īt times like these, having a secure, up-to-date backup of your hard drive can be a lifesaver. You might realize on Friday that you desperately need the now-departed Wednesday version of an important document that you significantly altered on Thursday. Thieves might steal your laptop at a café.
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