Computers are not 100% reliable. Surprised? Computers, like anything else, are subject to the second law of thermodynamics. This is the law of entropy, which means that all things are constantly breaking down and decomposing unless they are continually being worked on and built back up. Fires, floods, spills, and accidents can and do happen. Electrical storms have the potential of ‘frying’ your entire computer system in an instant, and sometimes, something as simple as stubbing your toe on the side of the computer box can cause a hard drive to fail… And let’s not forget the potential damage of viruses and spyware, whose creators are always devising new plans for wreaking havoc.

    What does this mean for you? It means that if you have anything of value on your computer, such as sentimental pictures, sacred text or valuable business files, you need to back it up!

             “It's not a matter of IF (your computer) will fail, it’s
                a matter of WHEN.” Says Paul Chudobiak, a computer
                technician at Powerland.

    To be sure you have your important data when you need it, keep multiple copies in different locations. What follows is all the information you need to be on your way to backing up all your important files.

Floppies

    Your are probably familiar with the oldest, usable form of backup media – the floppy disk. It’s handy, almost every older computer has a floppy drive, and it’s simple to use. Just pop a floppy disk into the drive and save your file to a:\ using the ‘save as’ function under the ‘file’ menu; or copy and paste your file to the icon of the floppy disk in ‘my computer’.

    There are some drawbacks to relying on floppy disks for all your backup needs. For starters, they only hold 1.44 MB. This is fine for most word documents and other small files, but it’s not enough space for even one song or a quality photo. Floppies are also extremely unreliable. If they happen to come into close proximity with any type of magnetic field, such as is found in speakers, phones, and yes, computer monitors, the integrity of the data can be compromised if not totally lost. If floppies are to be your backup media of choice, be sure to back up multiple copies and keep them in separate areas.

    A box of 10 floppy disks costs approximately $7, although they are quickly becoming obsolete and are therefore difficult to obtain.

CDs and DVDs

    CDs and DVDs are probably the most popular media for backing up data these days. Many newer computers come with a CD or DVD writer already installed and it is a fairly easy process to install one on almost any older system as well. Most writers come with software such as Roxio-Easy Media Creator, or Nero (or Nero Express). These programs have user-friendly interfaces with step-by-step guidance for backing up your data. Windows XP and Vista has CD and DVD writing software built in where you can drag or paste files onto the CD or DVD drive in ‘My Computer’ and when you are ready, insert a disk and click on ‘write these files to CD or DVD.’

Provided that these media don’t get scratched, dropped, or left out in the sun, they are fairly reliable and can last a very long time. A lesser known fact is that the top of the disk is as important as the bottom when it comes to keeping the surface scratch-free. These are a convenient way to back up and store data, especially for longer periods of time... But remember, they’re fragile!

A disk typically costs between fifty cents to a dollar, depending on the quality and the quantity you buy.

A drive costs about $50 to $80 installed. It takes less then 10 minutes to fill and entire disk (700 MB to 4.7BG) with data.

USB Flash Drives

Also called ‘thumb drives,’ these are one of the easiest and most transportable media for backing up your data. They are small, fast, easy to use, relatively more durable than any other media, and are good value for your money. These drives are not affected by magnets and they can be carried around in your pocket or purse. Because they are a special ‘flash’ memory, once the data is imprinted onto the drive it stays there until it is changed or erased.

With Windows ME, 2000, XP, or Vista it’s as easy as plugging the little memory stick into your USB port on your computer, even while it’s running, and copying your data onto that drive through ‘my computer.’ With earlier versions of Windows, it’s possible to download the drivers for your flash drive from the manufacturer’s website and follow their directions to get it set up.

USB flash drives generally cost from $20 to $200 and are available from 128MB to 4GB in size. There are two speeds, USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 with the latter being 20 to 40 times faster. A PCI USB interface card can be installed onto your system to speed things up if your computer is only equipped with USB 1.1. Although these fun little drives are fast, cheap, and easy, they may not be 100% reliable. Using an additional backup method is advisable for very important data.

External Hard Drives

External Hard drives are basically used the same way as USB flash drives. A ‘housing’ or case with a USB connection holds a 2.5” mobile drive inside. Newer Windows versions will automatically detect these drives and older versions will need drivers, downloadable from the internet. A simple push of a button can backup your entire system while you’re busy with other things. Although these drives are still portable, they are bigger than flash drives and are also more susceptible to damage from magnetic frequencies and rough handling.

Although the housing and the drive can be bought separately (this would allow the hard drive to be upgradeable) it is usually more economical to purchase an ‘all-in-one’ 500GB drive for about $225.

Backing up Emails and Contact Lists

Although emails and contact lists are the most important information for some users, they often get overlooked for backups. For Microsoft Outlook users, the steps are to click on ‘import and export’ under the ‘file’ menu. You would then choose ‘export to a file,’ and then ‘personal folder file (.pst).’ You would then select all the folders you want to back up, making sure to check ‘include subfolders.’ You are then free to choose where exactly you want to save the .pst file for future restoration.
There is a free downloadable program from the Microsoft Office website called ‘pfbackup.’ Once installed, this program adds a ‘backup’ option under the ‘file’ menu in outlook. During the setup, you are given the options of where to store your backups and how often you want Outlook to automatically perform your backup for you. Upon closing, Outlook will ask you if you want to back up now. Don’t allow a backup to occur if there is something wrong with your program or computer since the new backup will overwrite the last backup.

For Microsoft Outlook Express users, the address book must be backed up separately from the messages. With the address book open, choose ‘export’ under the ‘file’ menu. Then choose ‘Address Book (WAB)’ and select where you want your file saved. In Outlook Express, messages must be either exported to Outlook or Microsoft Exchange, or saved as files, one by one.

A Final Note

It can cost up to $2000 to retrieve your data from a failed hard drive (if it works). Or you can spend a few dollars now and a few minutes a day to ensure that everything of value is safely saved from the time when your data is lost. It is not necessary to back up all of the data on your computer every day; it’s only a matter of saving your newest and most important files to a safe place, preferably away from your computer. It’s probably a lot simpler than your think!

If you do happen to lose some important data, and you haven’t backed it up, please bring your computer to a reputable computer dealer ASAP. There are some measures that can be taken to retrieve some data, but there are no guarantees!

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