I can't stress enough that you need to take good backups of your data. With Hurricane Ernesto bearing down on us, you need to take a minute to be sure you can recover your stuff in case your PC is no longer operational. This week we will discuss some aspects of backup software.
In this column, we are mainly going to discuss the issues of using an external hard drive (XHD) as the backup, although most of this also applies to using CDs or DVDs. Note: backup to the old floppy disks is no longer a viable option - most new PCs don't even come with these drives any more.
If you buy an external hard drive meant for backup use, it probably will come with backup software. Now, all software is not created equal, and you should carefully evaluate what you get to make sure that it fits your requirements. One of the first differences between software packages is whether it backs up by copying your files as-is to the XHD or whether it packages your files into one large file (similar to a zip file). You can easily see whether your software does this by looking at the XHD after the backup operation is completed - you will either see your familiar files or folders, or you will see just a few very large files. The disadvantage of the "zipped" file approach is that you will need to have the backup/restore software loaded when you try to restore files, as only the program understands the structure of that file. If you need to just restore one file, it's a lot easier to do if the original file names and folders are used.
Some backup software just backs up the files you tell it to (more about that later). Other backup software initially backs up your entire PC hard drive (this might even take a couple of hours to do) and after that just backs up the files that have changed since the last backup. If the backup software does backup your entire drive, make sure that there is a capability to restore the entire drive after a total failure - due to the ways that Windows works, this can be trickier than it sounds.
If you use a backup program that just backs up certain files and folders, there are two varieties: the first type just provides a list of folders and you need to initially tell the software what needs to be backed up. Some backup programs try to do this for you, indicating certain folders that should be backed up, such as My Documents. These programs also can figure out where certain files are hidden in Windows, such as your Outlook Express email files and address book. In either case, the most important thing is that you need to know where you stuff is - both to make sure that it is backed up and also to be able to restore it if needed. This is the biggest sin in backing up - people don't take the time to know where their stuff is. Second to that is not looking at the backup drive to see if in fact everything is there - i.e. testing your restore capability.
I would recommend that you start with the software that comes with your drive. Determine how it operates, read the documentation, and then decide if it is right for you. If not, then begin searching for other products on the market.
What do I use? I use a program called Second Copy 7, from www.centered.com. SC7 is not actually a backup program per-se. Its forte is the synchronization of folders from one part of your PC or network to another. You can use it to synchronize folders to an XHD, or also to other PCs on your home network. But SC7 requires a lot of manual setup initially and is thus not for everyone. I also backup on CDs and DVDs just using the CD writing software that came with my optical drive - in my case the Nero software.
Just as a helpful reminder, your Outlook Express email files are probably in c:\documents and settings\USER\local settings\applications data; backup everything in \identities. Your address book probably is in c:\documents and settings\USER\applications data\microsoft\address book.
As usual, if you have critical business or personal files, seek professional help to make sure your backups are done right. And make sure you know where your "stuff" is!
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)