Backup up Data
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If you use a computer, you will be glad you backed up your data. It might not be today or tomorrow, but one day you will need your backup. Either you will quickly and easily restore data from a backed up source, or you will be using words that you probably shouldn't be.
Just recently (as in this week), I fired up our accounting program at the church. For the FIRST TIME in over 15 years of using this program, the data file turned up corrupt (in other words, it was useless). How did that happen? I believe it had something to do with losing a network connection between two computers (but that's another story). The point is it CAN happen. Fortunately, (and I don't usually do this nearly as often as I should) I had backed up my accounting data just a few days prior and had only a handful of entries to make to "catch up". No harm was done and I was up and running again in no time. But if I didn't have that backup, my next previous backup would have required days of setting up.
So.... how do you backup your beloved data? As with everything else in the computer world, there are several options. To use the first two options listed below, you'll need to know how to "copy and paste" folders from one location to another. If you don't know how to do that, then you should learn that before going on. The third option does the copying and pasting for you... but using the program that does that will also take some learning. Here are your options:
Whatever you do, don't ignore your backup. Do it. File it away. One day you'll be glad you did. But don't do it just once. Your data will change and you'll need to update your backup from time to time.
Here are some backup and restore type of links:
A General Guide to Computer Backup
How to backup Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird
Best Free Online Backup Sites
Best Free Backup Program
Microsoft's instructions on how to Backup or Transfer Your Data
How to Copy and Paste (just choose any of the sites that open up)
Just recently (as in this week), I fired up our accounting program at the church. For the FIRST TIME in over 15 years of using this program, the data file turned up corrupt (in other words, it was useless). How did that happen? I believe it had something to do with losing a network connection between two computers (but that's another story). The point is it CAN happen. Fortunately, (and I don't usually do this nearly as often as I should) I had backed up my accounting data just a few days prior and had only a handful of entries to make to "catch up". No harm was done and I was up and running again in no time. But if I didn't have that backup, my next previous backup would have required days of setting up.
So.... how do you backup your beloved data? As with everything else in the computer world, there are several options. To use the first two options listed below, you'll need to know how to "copy and paste" folders from one location to another. If you don't know how to do that, then you should learn that before going on. The third option does the copying and pasting for you... but using the program that does that will also take some learning. Here are your options:
- If you have more than one computer at home and if they are connected to each other through a network, you can always copy important data from one to the other. There are even programs out there that you can set up to do this automatically for you.
- Perhaps the easiest way to back up data is to plug in a USB device into your computer; either a tiny little flash drive (thumb drive) or a portable (or even not so portable) external hard drive. If your computer has a memory card reader, and if you don't have tons of data, you could even back up your most important data onto a memory card (the same type that goes into a camera). Once you've connected your device to your computer, it should show up as a "drive" in your computer and you can copy and paste whatever folders you want backed up. I really like this method because you can pick and choose exactly what you want backed up and you can see it backed up on your portable device.
- Another alternative is to use the backup software that comes with most portable hard drives. These are kind fo "dummy proof" - but I don't like using them. The good thing about them is they are supposed to back up everything you need and next time you plug your device in, the program will look for any new files and automatically back those up as well. This works great for some people, but like I said, I don't like doing it this way. Maybe its the fact that these programs create one giant file and you can't see exactly what's in it. Maybe I'm just too used to doing the old fashioned way. If this works for you, great. Each portable hard drive will have it's own software so you'll need to read the instructions that come with it (usually a file located on the hard drive you bought).
- A fourth option is to backup to the "cloud", in other words, back up your data to an on-line backup service. There are both paid and free versions of this. Web sites and programs such as syncplicity, dropbox, Windows Skydrive or others (see "Best Free Online Backup Sites" below).
Whatever you do, don't ignore your backup. Do it. File it away. One day you'll be glad you did. But don't do it just once. Your data will change and you'll need to update your backup from time to time.
Here are some backup and restore type of links:
A General Guide to Computer Backup
How to backup Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird
Best Free Online Backup Sites
Best Free Backup Program
Microsoft's instructions on how to Backup or Transfer Your Data
How to Copy and Paste (just choose any of the sites that open up)