Invision-Graphics

Author: Paul Wilcox

For many of us, our computer has become a critical part of our life. We use them for working, entertainment and corresponding with people we know. Over the course of time, most people create a number of files that are important to them and would cost time, money or both if they were lost. Data backups are the most effective way to make sure you won't lose those important files.

Many users have made the mistake of thinking backups are only for big companies or computer geeks, or even just thinking they'll do it when they have time. Unfortunately every single one of those users has either lost data by not having a backup, or they will one day. All computer equipment has a finite lifespan and will fail eventually.

When that failure occurs, one of two things will happen. If you have a backup, you'll restore it back onto your repaired computer or a replacement. If you don't, you'll be pulling your hair out over the lost files, music, digital photos and all the other stuff you store on your machine.

There are a number of things that can cause data loss. There's the obvious hardware failures, where something in the computer breaks down but there are also things such as floods, fires or even your dog bumping the power off button at the wrong moment. You could also be the victim of a virus or spyware that wipes out all your files.

Often the only way you'll get your data back is by having a backup copy. And even if a data recovery service can get it back for you, it can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars for them to do so.

What to Backup?

Most people don't actually have to backup every single file on their computer. This can require a large amount of storage and can take a long time. The critical things to backup are all the files you have created and any software that cannot be replaced. Financial records, word processing documents, legal files - the list goes on and on.

But backups needn't be.

The easiest way to backup your files is to use the software that comes with most operating systems. Windows includes one, as does Mac OS X, Linux and others. These programs are usually pretty straightforward and it's just a matter of selecting the files and folders you want to save. Many of them can even be scheduled to run in the middle of the night or some other time you're not using your computer.

For a modest sum backup software can be purchased that will only backup files changed since a certain date, or since the last backup. Alternatively, new files could be copied daily to a backup folder where they can be backed-up by your backup program. To ease the task of identifying which, use the Search option to list files 'newer than X'. Once the list is complete, copy them into the backup folder and run the program for just that folder.

Some data, such as e-mails are only slightly more difficult to protect. Some e-mail clients can be configured to keep copies of received and sent e-mails on the e-mail server. When that's not an option, most can export messages to a file, which can then be backed up.

You can backup your information to almost any kind of removable media - removable hard drives, writable CDs or DVDs or even the USB memory sticks that are so common these days. In a pinch you may even be able to fall back on the old floppy disk. Documents don't take a lot of space and often fit into a small storage area.

Running a daily backup may seem like one more thing to accomplish in your already busy day, but the first time you lose a file that you need and don't have saved, you're going to wish you made the time.

About the Author:
Data backups are just one component of an effective computer protection plan. Find out what else you need to know to protect yourself from other internet security threats at the Security Manor website. Visit http://www.securitymanor.com for more helpful information.