Computer Backup Disks
The Formula for Good Computer Data Backups for the Home user. by Simon Daniels
The reasons for backing up data on the home computer of today are many. The computer may get damaged or stolen and all the data stored on the hard disk may be lost forever. On phoning a computer support help line, the instruction to reset the computer back to “factory condition” may cause immediate panic as the realisation that all the family photographs will be gone in an instant.For the home user, knowing that the important data is backed up can be very reassuring, so what data should be backed up to ensure nothing is lost?
The obvious starting place when considering a data backup would be the all important music, photograph and video files. These files usually have designated storage locations on the computer hard disk and may have names such as “My Pictures” or “Music”. All these folders will be contained in a users “Documents” directory or folder. It is important to remember that certain software for managing music, picture or video files supplied with MP3 players, digital cameras, may have bespoke locations for storing these files. This can be easily ascertained by opening the software and finding the options or settings button. Somewhere in these options should be the location where the application stores the files. Take note of it as this will be a location that needs to be added to any backup. Usually a backup of the entire contents of the Users folder will be sufficient to backup most common files.
The next thing to warrant a backup would be any e-mail related data. Depending on the software used for email there may be various locations that the data is stored. Again a look into the settings or options for the software will reveal the all important data locations. The address book in particular should be exported or included in any backup as retyping all your friends and family addresses can be very time consuming if not annoying. Some email software will allow the exporting of email accounts, personal email folders and address book. If so they should be exported to a location that will be included in the final backup.
Other things to consider when working out a backup strategy would be to add any software that may have been downloaded on to the computer. This may be an antivirus suite or a music player of some description and try to make note of any registration details that may be required when reinstalling the software.
Your favourite software or games may store important data in custom locations. There is nothing worse than having to reinstall a computer only to find that you need to start your favourite game all over again as the game save points were never backed up. Always check the software or game’s installation location to see if it contains any folders relating to user data or game saves and include these in any backup.
If multiple users are using a computer and have separate login details then a backup of each user documents location must be carried out. This may also apply to email accounts. Each user may have to export their email settings and data to be sure of a thorough backup.
Backing up a computer can be a lengthy process when all the various data locations are considered but is worth the effort if anything should go wrong with the computer in the future. Remember to make regular backups and if possible make a duplicate copy which can be stored at a friend or family member’s house for safe keeping.
About the Author
The author has worked in the IT industry for approximately 15 years and has worked in various support roles for companies and public bodies. His company website can be found at http://www.ivoryegg.com and the company blog for which he writes is located at http://blog.ivoryegg.com
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