Backups
The most important thing you MUST do, if you have any documents, photo’s, or any other kind of data that you value at all, is keep up-to-date backups.
Although it’s relatively rare to lose your data through a virus if you have good anti-virus software, it’s virtually certain that you will lose your data through hard-disk failure.
It’s not a case of if a hard-disk fails, but when. And there’s no predicting when. Only that it WILL happen.
So, what’s the best way to back up your data?
Well, the easiest thing to do is use a spare hard-disk.
If you have a Desktop it’s easy and cheap to install a second hard-drive, and you can simply copy your data on a regular basis to the second drive.
However, it’s much safer to back up to an external drive; you can fit an internal hard-drive into a case with a USB connector and copy your data to that; or you can buy an ‘off-the-peg’ external drive and do the same.
The second method is safer as if a power surge, or some other unpleasant event happens to your computer, you could lose both hard-drives if they are permanently installed.
For a laptop, the external drive is the only and very satisfactory option.
If you don’t want to go to the expense of another drive, then you can of course back-up your data to CD or DVD.
If you have really important data, make two copies and keep one elsewhere away from the computer.
Ok, next question, what should I back-up?
Well the easiest and best solution is to back-up your whole system, so in the event of disaster you can restore the system as it was in a few minutes.
And the easiest way to do this is to use the excellent Acronis True Image, or of you prefer Norton Ghost.
The former is cheaper and more flexible, and very easy to use. (And I don’t like Norton stuff – personal prejudice).
Finally, if you delete some files that you later wish you’d kept, and haven’t got a recent backup, remember first to check the Recycle Bin; they may be still lurking in there, and if not, all is not necessarily lost – try the excellent and FREE, Free Undelete, which with a fair wind may be able to recover all or some of your missing files.
