Computers

Back Up!

Why Back Up?

Backing up your data seems to be the one job above all others that everyone wants to avoid.

Just remember though:

• Most of the time the only benefit you'll have will be peace of mind.
   
• If you do back up, you'll be very glad you did when things go wrong.
   
• If you didn't back up, or it was a long time ago, waiting until things go wrong is too late.  Recovery of data then - if it can be done at all - is time consuming and expensive .  At best, it's inconvenient but to lose those important photos of a once-in-a-lifetime event can be heart-breaking.

So back up - often!

What do you Need?

Something to back up your data on to.  It can be as simple as a floppy disk for a few important files or photos but they are a bit small (1.44 Mb).  I use a separate hard drive (160Gb); it's relatively expensive but it makes the job a doddle and that means that I back up most days.

Alternatives are CD-ROMs (700 Mb), flash drives (64 Mb-2Gb) and (DVD's (4.7 Gb).

What do you Back Up?

Anything in My Documents and Shared Documents is a very good start.

Don't worry about programs; you can always re-install those.

Tip:  If you download a program from the net, make sure that you store the zip or setup file in a folder in My Documents.  That way it gets backed up with everything else, and you won't have to buy it again if things go wrong!

Important - Back Up your Mail Program

There are slightly different methods to use for Outlook and Outlook Express so that they are backed up with the rest of your data.