Can You Restore Your Data From Your Backup?

Can You Restore Your Data From Your Backup?
-By Per Strandberg (c) 2003 data-backup-and-storage.com

Making backup is vital!

For small business people the value of their business is
often stored on their computers.

Emails, contracts, PowerPoint presentations, business
contacts, text documents and client databases are all
vital information.

Accidents do happen and data can be lost!
Are you sure you can restore your data back to what it was?
Can you be back in business without losing to much time?

To be on the safe side you should adopt a working backup
strategy! Let's look at what can happen!

There are three different cases to consider.

1. Specific files or folders have been corrupted or deleted
by accident.

2. The data on your hard disk have been lost. This can be
caused by a virus or by hard disk failure.

3. Your computer have been lost. This can be caused by a
natural disaster, a fire or by theft.

Your preparation and action should to be different in each
different case.

It will also depend on how valuable the data are for you
and how much you are willing to spend on protection.

Here are your action plans for each case.

1. These are files which you are working with on a daily
basis. It is vital data to your business and you should
make backup of these files on a regular basis.

You should therefore identify them in advance.
It can be files in folders like MyDocument, your emails
or database files where you store your business
information.

To do this you need to find a backup product from which
you can easily make backup of these vital files on a
regular basis.

Store the backup you make in a safe place.

For extra security you can backup files online to a web
server or you can hire space from companies that offer
online backup services. If you use this option you
should encrypt your data.

2. When you have a hard disk data loss you have to format
the disk, maybe with the help from a person with
experience.

The work involved reconfiguring the computer by
installing Windows can be extensive.

First after that Windows and the backup program have been
installed are you able to restore the data from your
backup.

To avoid this extra work you may consider making a full
backup of your hard disk image. From an image backup you
are able to restore directly your complete data back to
your hard disk and avoid extra installation work.

3. You have lost your computer.
But, because you already have backup of your vital data
which you are working with on a daily basis, you are able
to restore your business to any configuration on a
new computer.

You just have to have your application products and your
working data restored to be back in business.

The problem you face is that in order to restore all your
hard disk data you need to have the same or a similar
configuration for everything to work out as before.
Maybe the operating system you used is not available
anymore or hard to find.

In any case you probably want the newest and latest
version.

This is where you have problems!

You can install the old operating system if you have the
installation CDs available.

When you install the backup program and install the data
from the backup you can run into problem. If it is a new
operating system then you do run into problem.

This is because program modules and also settings stored
in the registration file becomes mixed up and the
computer stops working.

It is often not enough to use the same Windows version in
the installation. Your backup you can still have a
different version as a result of different bug fixes.
This is what Microsoft calls Service Packs and your deep
level data can get mixed up.

As a result you may be losing software you have installed
from the Internet or bought from a supplier and you have
to purchase the products again.

There are two actions to take to solve this depending on
how important this is to your business.

One: You find that the products you have downloaded or
the application products you have bought are not of
high enough value. Or you can afford to purchase
the software again.

Two: You keep record of all software you have downloaded
and purchased on the Internet so that you can
contact the vendor for a new version.

You store all installation product and documentation
so that you can install the products from the
installation CD you have purchased over time.

To be on the safe side you should:

1. Make regular computer backup of the data you are working
with on a daily basis and have the computer backup stored
on a safe place. Preferably on a remote location.

2. Do make an image backup of your hard disk when you have
installed new software. This ensures that you can be back
in business in the case of corrupted hard disk or hard
disk failure.

3. Document all your purchases and passwords. Keep records
and store all software installations. Keep all this at a
remote location.

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Per Strandberg have been working with data management and
runs an information site for backup products and
data security!
GoTo ==> www.data-backup-and-storage.com and get information
on backup products and learn how to protect your data
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