Backup your computer

[craig333]

My desktop stopped booting today. Couldn't repair (or so I thought). Realized, other than whats on my laptop (and its not too up to date, i don't use it often) I had no backups. Not even a minimal copy of my bookmarks, addresses and such. Let alone all the other stuff. Most of my programs are all downloaded so I don't have hard copies ready to reinstall.

So I figure, well at least now I can finally do the clean win7 install I never did (upgraded from vista). Let her rip, amazed how fast it was. But, lo and behold, it lists two versions of windows now. Win7 and Win7 Recovered. Booted the recovered version and theres all my stuff. Plugging the flash drive in now, going to at least save some vital files. Then I think I"ll finally subscribe to an online backup service.

 

[SunMan]

My desktop stopped booting today. Couldn't repair (or so I thought). Realized, other than whats on my laptop (and its not too up to date, i don't use it often) I had no backups. Not even a minimal copy of my bookmarks, addresses and such. Let alone all the other stuff. Most of my programs are all downloaded so I don't have hard copies ready to reinstall.

So I figure, well at least now I can finally do the clean win7 install I never did (upgraded from vista). Let her rip, amazed how fast it was. But, lo and behold, it lists two versions of windows now. Win7 and Win7 Recovered. Booted the recovered version and theres all my stuff. Plugging the flash drive in now, going to at least save some vital files. Then I think I"ll finally subscribe to an online backup service.


You can get 750 GB drives that auto save for around $100 these days. So easy even I can do it!

 

[craig333]

Yeah, and since I'm not too worried about fire theft for flood that might be better than an online backup.

 

[EdoHart]

I don't like the idea of on-line backups to some internet service, because as soon as I rely on someone else to secure my data, my security is only as good as that online backup service provider's security. That is, my data is outside my control, hence I can no longer consider it secure. I backup to several methods, and will continue to do so, but I won't hand my data over to an outside entitity, regardless of there published security standards.

 

[Alex]

Dell is offering a 1T external drive from WD for $65 shipped. You can find the coupon code here http://slickdeals.net/

 

[syvjeff]

I'm not going to ignite the Windows vs Mac vs Linux debate, but I'm a Mac user and wanted to share my back up routine. At my office, I have a USB hard drive that does back ups hourly via the Apple program Time Machine. At home I have a fire wire hard drive that uses a program called Super Duper and what it does is clone my laptop's hard drive exactly when I connect it and ask to do the back up routine. The advantage of this firewire drive is that I can actually boot from it. Also the hard drive itself is in an enclosure that I could slip out and put it into my laptop.

Worst case scenarios:

Laptop hard drive fails and I have a week old Super Duper back up; just slip the drive out from firewire enclosure and slip into laptop. Take to work and have Apple's Time Machine make it as current as possible.

Laptop hard drive fails, office burns down, so I have a back up at home that is only as good as last time of backing up routine.

God forbid, laptop hard drive fails, home burns down - buy new hard drive, connect USB and have office Time Machine catch it up.

Few thoughts I thought I'd share.