Backing Up Your Information
If you care anything about the information on your computer, it’s best to formulate a plan to save the information in case something happens to your computer.
Why does my information need to be backed up?
Nothing lasts forever. The technologies that are used to store information in computers are fallible. There just isn’t any way around it!
Hard drives for example have many points of possible failure.
1. The spinning disks inside could touch the read/write heads causing a “crash.”
2. The motor that spins the disks or moves the read/write heads could fail.
3. If the disk drive is left un-powered, there is a possibility the information stored magnetically could eventually become weak enough to not work.
4. The circuit board could be damaged by a power surge.
5. The information stored on the disk could be garbled by software failure or a virus.
The list is almost endless. Any storage medium will be the same way. The average for most storage mediums is around 10 years. This includes things like USB keys and cheap write-able disks.
Formulate a backup plan:
The main goal is to copy important information into multiple storage mediums. It’s really that simple. You must stay vigilant in whatever process you decide. The time you forget to back something up is probably the time you lose something you needed.
A list of methods to backup your information:
Here is a list of methods you can use to safeguard your data stored on your main computer’s hard disk. I’m not going to go over seriously technical methods as they would take quite a bit of know-how to setup and maintain.
- Multiple hard drives in your computer. I use this method as it is convenient and easy. Have multiple large hard drives in your computer and duplicate data by hand as needed. If you just shot some lovely photos that you want to safeguard, copy the pictures to both drives.
- External disk drive. This is also a good way to supplement your backups. In case a power serge damages your computer, your external drive is much less likely to suffer damage than the disk drives inside your computer would be. In my opinion, it’s a good idea to have the drive off most of the time to give a bit more safety to this option.
- CDs/DVDs/Blue-ray Disks. Backup information to compact disks can give you even more safeguarding of data. It’s important to note that cheap write-able disks might not have a long shelf life, so for really important files, look for archival disks. For added protection, store the disks in a fire-proof safe or off-site in a safety deposit box.
- Email important files to yourself. Most web-based email accounts allow your to store giga-bytes of information. If you have an important file you want to safe off-site, send it to yourself in an email. Just make sure to type in your email address correctly!
- Use an online file storing service like DropBox or even one specifically dedicated to backing up your data. The main benefit here is the data is probably in another state or country, which is a great safeguard.
- Print important information on acid free paper with archival ink.
It’s always best to use multiple methods. Redundancy is key to safeguarding your data. Stay safe.
