(1)
you have a copy of
your data stored
somewhere besides
its primary storage
on your computer;
(2) you
know what program you’re
using to make the backup
copy and you set it up
correctly; and
(3) you
know how to tell if the
backup copy is being
updated periodically.
With that in mind, here are a few
ways to do backups.
VISTA’S
BUILT-IN BACKUP Vista includes a backup
program that can be scheduled for automatic backups
to an external hard drive or a networked computer or
other network storage. (It can do backups to blank
CDs but please, please don’t do that. It will take
forever, it won’t burn the disks reliably or
something will go wrong, and recorded CDs aren’t as
long-lasting as you think they are.)
Vista’s backup program is
inflexible. It will automatically back up all the
files in several categories. Checking the box for
“additional files” catches just about everything on
the hard drive other than system files and program
files (the files that run Windows and your other
programs). You cannot exclude specific files or
folders. If you have a folder full of large pictures
and in your opinion that folder simply must not
be backed up to save time or disk space or
something, then Vista’s backup program will drive
you crazy. The rest of you will find that this is
simple and effective and it will keep you well
protected.
Like all programs that back up your
data, it will be quite an effort to recover your
data if your computer completely crashes. You might
have to reinstall Windows and your programs and then
run the restore program to put those recovered files
back into place. It might be easy to find your
documents and pictures but it can be challenging to
locate the restored data from different programs
(e.g., email, Quicken/Quickbooks, or business or
legal software) and put it into place so that newly
installed versions of programs can use it.
WINDOWS LIVE ONECARE
If you’re a OneCare user, its built-in backup
program is similar to Vista’s backup program – good
enough for many people, especially home users. It
used to have some flexibility to add additional
folders but that was removed to simplify it, meaning
there is some uncertainty about whether data is
being backed up from programs other than the obvious
ones. That’s not a problem for most people. Many of
the other security suites also now include simple
backup software.
BUNDLED BACKUP SOFTWARE
Many external hard drives will offer to install
backup software automatically. If you don’t have any
other backup plan, use the included software, as
long as you observe the cardinal rule of all
software now: take the time to learn how it
works, how to set it up correctly, and how to know
if it’s working. When you turn to me for help in
a crisis, your backups will be useless unless you
can tell me what backup program you used and where
the software came from!
INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM
BACKUPS If
you run a program that
offers to do a backup
when it’s closed,
always do the backup.
Store the backup on that
big external hard drive.
It is far easier to
restore an individual
program from its own
backup files than from
the global backup of all
data. When you are
prompted by Quicken or
Quickbooks or Timeslips
or Time Matters or Act
or any of the other
programs with a built-in
backup routine, always
do the backup! Remember
– that’s why you got the
big external hard drive.
SYNCTOY
Here is an explanation
of Microsoft SyncToy,
a simple program that
copies everything in one
folder to another
folder. The idea is that
you can do a perfectly
good backup by dragging
a copy of your files to
the external hard drive;
SyncToy automates that
process. It takes a
little more knowledge to
set it up and it’s
difficult to schedule
SyncToy to update its
copies automatically -
you’d have to be
diligent about running
it regularly.
