Easy Way to Backup
Content
Backup Overview
1. 2. . !. No One Wants To Back Up We all want our computers and the information they contain to last forever and be problem free. Now to the real world. "omputers# $ust like anythin% else# can have problems. &a$or problems. There are any numbers of components that can fail at any time. There is also the human error factor. (nowin% that# plan for it. ) plan for what would happen if any of my computers or my customers* computers would completely fail....and they have. With even the worse case of a total server failure for a lar%e company# they were up and runnin% in $ust a few hours. User accounts# ,pplications# all the "onfi%urations and most importantly all the years worth of -ata were all easily restored. /ortunately it is relatively easy and ine0pensive to have a %ood backup method in place. Basically it comes down to...do you want to spend a little time and money now to backup your critical information....or spend a lot of both later on. 3opefully the followin% steps can %ive what ) use most of the time for my customers and myself. )t is easy to create and use. That is why they like it.
'.
+.
.. 1.
2.
Organizing the Hard Drive with Partitions
)f you are installin% your computer from scratch# you have a %ood opportunity to start plannin% for what you want to backup. )t is much easier and safer to make thin%s the way you want now than to try and chan%e them later. 1. 2. 4enerally ) like to recommend at least two partitions One would be for the Operatin% system and 5ro%rams. 6ome people like to $ust have the O6 on the first partition and 5ro%rams on the second one with the -ata as well. 7ither way is fine. 8ust allow for enou%h space on the partitions for future additions.
. !.
The other would be for all your -ata# source files etc. 4iven the si9e of drives these days# ) also like to make somethin% like a -:;)nstall directory and copy the "-<s for all my ma$or applications to directories below that. Typically ) even like to install from those directories. This way should a pro%ram like Office needs some additional files= it %ets them ri%ht from the hard drive. Then ) never have to hunt for "-<s or risk them %ettin% dama%ed. 6ometimes it helps to create yet a third partition which can hold an ima%e of the first one.
'.
Organization Your Data
1. 5robably the most important thin% ) do when settin% up a backup system for people is to or%ani9e their data. This is re%ardless of whether it is for a sin%le user or a company with a number of employees. Or%ani9in% the data is always the first thin% ) do. /or e0ample# it is fairly common for people to have &y -ocuments in one area# 7>mail in another# )nternet /avorites in yet another. ,nd then there are pro%rams that default to their own directory for storin% data files. This makes it much more complicated not only to find data# but the back it up and restore it if necessary. )t is much easier if all data is stored under a sin%le directory like ;data. ?ou can then create all the necessary subdirectories below this. /or e0ample:
2.
. !.
;data; my documents ;data;e>mail ;data;bookkeepin% '. )f you have a server environment# you can add user<s home directories. /or e0ample:
;data;user1;my documents ;data;user1;e>mail ;data;user2;my documents ;data;user2;favorites Then $ust redirect their &y -ocuments# /avorites and 7>&ail to point to the proper location on the server
+. ..
Usin% this scenario# then $ust the ;data directory @with the subdirectoriesA# needs to be backed up. )f you have a central file server# you can also redirect your &y -ocuments and )7 /avorites to a user<s directory on that server.
There is a pro%ram called TW7,(U) from &icrosoft that will let you chan%e this as well as many other settin%s. This will work for Win20 and Windows2BBB. ?ou can also download one for C5 "han%e these throu%h the My Computer / Special Folders section. 1. ?ou can also confi%ure Outlook to store it<s 56T data file to a specific location on either your local computer of file server. Bein% able to store them on a server is one main advanta%e Outlook has over Outlook 70press. 2. The advanta%e of these last two in an office environment is that each document# favorite or e>mail that a user creates will automatically %et backed up. Nothin% important like these will be stored on the local computers.
What Do You Want to Back Up?
1. 2. . One thin% to do when plannin% a backup strate%y is to decide what you want to back up....The Operatin% 6ystem# -ata# Both# Other. )f you have the hard drive structured well# it is easy to select e0actly what you want to back up. 6ince often the operatin% system can %et corrupted and not boot# ) like to create an ima%e of this. )t %enerally only takes 1'>2B minutes to create or restore# which is a lot less time than a complete reinstall. , corrupted operatin% system is also certainly more common than hard drive failures. )f you want to back up the operatin% system# ) recommend usin% an ima%in% pro%ram like -rive )ma%e or ,cronis True )ma%e. ?ou can then keep this ima%e on one of the other partitions on the same drive. This ima%e can also be backed up as well. !. )f you want to backup your -ata# you can use several methods to do this. But now it is or%ani9ed so you only have to back up a sin%le directory.
'.
)f there is anythin% else you want to back up# $ust make sure there is enou%h space on whatever you are backin% up to.
Where Do You Want to Back Up?
There are basicall backups$ 1. 2. three devices ! like to reco""end using #or
U6B /lash -rives > There are typically lower capacity drives @1>2 %i%sA ) recommend for $ust for data backups. 70ternal U6B drive > These are basically re%ular hard drives in a case that lets you connect it to a U6B port. ?ou can either purchase the drive and case separately and assemble it yourself or purchase one already made. 5rice usually dictates which one ) choose. 6ince it uses a re%ular hard drive# the si9e can be fairly lar%e. )nternal D Eemovable 3ard -rives > These would be re%ular )-7 hard drives inserted into a drive bay that %ets installed into a re%ular "- EO& slot. ,%ain# since they user a re%ular hard drive# the si9e can be whatever you need.
.
%enerall ! Don&t 'eco""end Backing Up To( 1. 2. /loppy -isks > Too small and vulnerable to defects. "-<s or -F-<s > Too much manual work for most people to use over a lon% period of time. They also often don<t hold enou%h for many situations. Tapes > Too e0pensive# unreliable and difficult to restore.
.
How O#ten Do You Want to Back Up?
1. 2. . !. '. This part is pretty easy. &y recommendation is to simply backup as freGuently as your situation demands. )f you can<t loose a day<s worth of work# then backup daily. )f you don<t work that much on your computer and a week is ok# then backup weekly. )f you need to backup every two hours# then do that.
+.
/or most companies# ) like to keep a separate backup for each day of the week. This way# in case a file %ets corrupted on Wednesday# doesn<t %et noticed until /riday# you can always %o back to Tuesday<s backup. )t has happened more than once. /or companies# you can also back up to multiple computers over the network. This ensures that in case there is a problem with one computer<s backup# you have another<s to rely on. This has also happened on more than on occasion. ) also like to have backups taken off site. 6o my ideal for companies is to have at least somethin% like two removable drives# %oin% to alternatin% computers# taken off site once a week. The cost isn<t that much and certainly well worth it the first time you need to recover some critical data.
..
1.
How to Back Up
1. 2. . There are so many ways to backup= it is impossible to cover them all. There is also no one best method. )<ll %o over what has worked the most freGuently for my customers and me. ,fter you have fi%ured out what you are %oin% to back up# where you are %oin% to back# and how often# it is pretty easy to fi%ure out how you are %oin% backup. The easiest method @maybe because ) don<t mind little batch filesA# is to write one for your backup. )t<s simple# easy to understand and edit. ,lso no additional software is reGuired. They $ust copy the files to another drive. Then if they %et erased on the main computer# you $ust copy them back. /or e0ample# on my computer ) run a one>line batch file to backup all my data. ) $ust created a plain te0t file called backup.bat and run it whenever ) want. The contents are a sin%le line:
!.
'.
0copy d:;data %:;data Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh Where d:;data is where all my data is located and %:;data is where my backup drive is located. +. )f you want to have separate backups for each day of the week a monday.bat file could be:
0copy d:;data %:;data;monday Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh tuesday.bat would be: 0copy d:;data %:;data;tuesday Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh .. 1. 0copy d:;data %:;data Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh ,ny additional directories can be included with additional lines:
0copy d:;data %:;data Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh 0copy d:;e>mail %:;e>mail Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh 2. There are several third party utilities that will let you do somewhat similar thin%s but this has always been too easy and fle0ible. Never needed more than a few lines to deal with even the most complicated typical user or small business. 6o if you do this# you could have five separate day<s worth of back ups on site. )f you want# you can alternate computers and have one do &onday# Wednesday and /riday while the other does Tuesday and Thursday. )f you have two removable drives# you could also take one off>site and swap them weekly.
1B. 11. 12.
Using the Backup
1. 6o even with the most complicated setup# you would $ust have ' icons on the desktop that are shortcuts to the five batch files for each weekday. When you want to back up# $ust click on the icon. )t<s that simple. ?ou can also schedule them to run at whatever time you like.
2. .
1. 2. . !. No One Wants To Back Up We all want our computers and the information they contain to last forever and be problem free. Now to the real world. "omputers# $ust like anythin% else# can have problems. &a$or problems. There are any numbers of components that can fail at any time. There is also the human error factor. (nowin% that# plan for it. ) plan for what would happen if any of my computers or my customers* computers would completely fail....and they have. With even the worse case of a total server failure for a lar%e company# they were up and runnin% in $ust a few hours. User accounts# ,pplications# all the "onfi%urations and most importantly all the years worth of -ata were all easily restored. /ortunately it is relatively easy and ine0pensive to have a %ood backup method in place. Basically it comes down to...do you want to spend a little time and money now to backup your critical information....or spend a lot of both later on. 3opefully the followin% steps can %ive what ) use most of the time for my customers and myself. )t is easy to create and use. That is why they like it.
'.
+.
.. 1.
2.
Organizing the Hard Drive with Partitions
)f you are installin% your computer from scratch# you have a %ood opportunity to start plannin% for what you want to backup. )t is much easier and safer to make thin%s the way you want now than to try and chan%e them later. 1. 2. 4enerally ) like to recommend at least two partitions One would be for the Operatin% system and 5ro%rams. 6ome people like to $ust have the O6 on the first partition and 5ro%rams on the second one with the -ata as well. 7ither way is fine. 8ust allow for enou%h space on the partitions for future additions.
. !.
The other would be for all your -ata# source files etc. 4iven the si9e of drives these days# ) also like to make somethin% like a -:;)nstall directory and copy the "-<s for all my ma$or applications to directories below that. Typically ) even like to install from those directories. This way should a pro%ram like Office needs some additional files= it %ets them ri%ht from the hard drive. Then ) never have to hunt for "-<s or risk them %ettin% dama%ed. 6ometimes it helps to create yet a third partition which can hold an ima%e of the first one.
'.
Organization Your Data
1. 5robably the most important thin% ) do when settin% up a backup system for people is to or%ani9e their data. This is re%ardless of whether it is for a sin%le user or a company with a number of employees. Or%ani9in% the data is always the first thin% ) do. /or e0ample# it is fairly common for people to have &y -ocuments in one area# 7>mail in another# )nternet /avorites in yet another. ,nd then there are pro%rams that default to their own directory for storin% data files. This makes it much more complicated not only to find data# but the back it up and restore it if necessary. )t is much easier if all data is stored under a sin%le directory like ;data. ?ou can then create all the necessary subdirectories below this. /or e0ample:
2.
. !.
;data; my documents ;data;e>mail ;data;bookkeepin% '. )f you have a server environment# you can add user<s home directories. /or e0ample:
;data;user1;my documents ;data;user1;e>mail ;data;user2;my documents ;data;user2;favorites Then $ust redirect their &y -ocuments# /avorites and 7>&ail to point to the proper location on the server
+. ..
Usin% this scenario# then $ust the ;data directory @with the subdirectoriesA# needs to be backed up. )f you have a central file server# you can also redirect your &y -ocuments and )7 /avorites to a user<s directory on that server.
There is a pro%ram called TW7,(U) from &icrosoft that will let you chan%e this as well as many other settin%s. This will work for Win20 and Windows2BBB. ?ou can also download one for C5 "han%e these throu%h the My Computer / Special Folders section. 1. ?ou can also confi%ure Outlook to store it<s 56T data file to a specific location on either your local computer of file server. Bein% able to store them on a server is one main advanta%e Outlook has over Outlook 70press. 2. The advanta%e of these last two in an office environment is that each document# favorite or e>mail that a user creates will automatically %et backed up. Nothin% important like these will be stored on the local computers.
What Do You Want to Back Up?
1. 2. . One thin% to do when plannin% a backup strate%y is to decide what you want to back up....The Operatin% 6ystem# -ata# Both# Other. )f you have the hard drive structured well# it is easy to select e0actly what you want to back up. 6ince often the operatin% system can %et corrupted and not boot# ) like to create an ima%e of this. )t %enerally only takes 1'>2B minutes to create or restore# which is a lot less time than a complete reinstall. , corrupted operatin% system is also certainly more common than hard drive failures. )f you want to back up the operatin% system# ) recommend usin% an ima%in% pro%ram like -rive )ma%e or ,cronis True )ma%e. ?ou can then keep this ima%e on one of the other partitions on the same drive. This ima%e can also be backed up as well. !. )f you want to backup your -ata# you can use several methods to do this. But now it is or%ani9ed so you only have to back up a sin%le directory.
'.
)f there is anythin% else you want to back up# $ust make sure there is enou%h space on whatever you are backin% up to.
Where Do You Want to Back Up?
There are basicall backups$ 1. 2. three devices ! like to reco""end using #or
U6B /lash -rives > There are typically lower capacity drives @1>2 %i%sA ) recommend for $ust for data backups. 70ternal U6B drive > These are basically re%ular hard drives in a case that lets you connect it to a U6B port. ?ou can either purchase the drive and case separately and assemble it yourself or purchase one already made. 5rice usually dictates which one ) choose. 6ince it uses a re%ular hard drive# the si9e can be fairly lar%e. )nternal D Eemovable 3ard -rives > These would be re%ular )-7 hard drives inserted into a drive bay that %ets installed into a re%ular "- EO& slot. ,%ain# since they user a re%ular hard drive# the si9e can be whatever you need.
.
%enerall ! Don&t 'eco""end Backing Up To( 1. 2. /loppy -isks > Too small and vulnerable to defects. "-<s or -F-<s > Too much manual work for most people to use over a lon% period of time. They also often don<t hold enou%h for many situations. Tapes > Too e0pensive# unreliable and difficult to restore.
.
How O#ten Do You Want to Back Up?
1. 2. . !. '. This part is pretty easy. &y recommendation is to simply backup as freGuently as your situation demands. )f you can<t loose a day<s worth of work# then backup daily. )f you don<t work that much on your computer and a week is ok# then backup weekly. )f you need to backup every two hours# then do that.
+.
/or most companies# ) like to keep a separate backup for each day of the week. This way# in case a file %ets corrupted on Wednesday# doesn<t %et noticed until /riday# you can always %o back to Tuesday<s backup. )t has happened more than once. /or companies# you can also back up to multiple computers over the network. This ensures that in case there is a problem with one computer<s backup# you have another<s to rely on. This has also happened on more than on occasion. ) also like to have backups taken off site. 6o my ideal for companies is to have at least somethin% like two removable drives# %oin% to alternatin% computers# taken off site once a week. The cost isn<t that much and certainly well worth it the first time you need to recover some critical data.
..
1.
How to Back Up
1. 2. . There are so many ways to backup= it is impossible to cover them all. There is also no one best method. )<ll %o over what has worked the most freGuently for my customers and me. ,fter you have fi%ured out what you are %oin% to back up# where you are %oin% to back# and how often# it is pretty easy to fi%ure out how you are %oin% backup. The easiest method @maybe because ) don<t mind little batch filesA# is to write one for your backup. )t<s simple# easy to understand and edit. ,lso no additional software is reGuired. They $ust copy the files to another drive. Then if they %et erased on the main computer# you $ust copy them back. /or e0ample# on my computer ) run a one>line batch file to backup all my data. ) $ust created a plain te0t file called backup.bat and run it whenever ) want. The contents are a sin%le line:
!.
'.
0copy d:;data %:;data Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh Where d:;data is where all my data is located and %:;data is where my backup drive is located. +. )f you want to have separate backups for each day of the week a monday.bat file could be:
0copy d:;data %:;data;monday Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh tuesday.bat would be: 0copy d:;data %:;data;tuesday Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh .. 1. 0copy d:;data %:;data Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh ,ny additional directories can be included with additional lines:
0copy d:;data %:;data Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh 0copy d:;e>mail %:;e>mail Ds Dy Dc Dd Di Dr Dh 2. There are several third party utilities that will let you do somewhat similar thin%s but this has always been too easy and fle0ible. Never needed more than a few lines to deal with even the most complicated typical user or small business. 6o if you do this# you could have five separate day<s worth of back ups on site. )f you want# you can alternate computers and have one do &onday# Wednesday and /riday while the other does Tuesday and Thursday. )f you have two removable drives# you could also take one off>site and swap them weekly.
1B. 11. 12.
Using the Backup
1. 6o even with the most complicated setup# you would $ust have ' icons on the desktop that are shortcuts to the five batch files for each weekday. When you want to back up# $ust click on the icon. )t<s that simple. ?ou can also schedule them to run at whatever time you like.
2. .
