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What would you do if you switched your computer on
tomorrow morning, only to see an error message and to find
that some of your important files had become corrupted? You
may no longer be able to open some files - or, even worse,
files might have gone missing without a trace.
Welcome to the world of data loss!
If you rely on your computer, then this would be a total
disaster. If you run any kind of web site or online business,
things would get worse before they got better.
Imagine losing your entire ezine subscriber base. Need I say
more? Backing up your data on a regular basis is not an
option, but a necessity - for the sake of both your business
and your sanity.
Consider the following statistics, which show the most
common reasons for data loss:
42% Mechanical Failure
34% Human Error
15% Software Failure
6% Viruses
3% Natural Disaster
(Statistics taken from The Security News)
Repeat out loud: Backup, backup, backup!!
Now that you've got the message, you'll need to know how to
go about backing up your data. There are several options
available, but for the purpose of this article I want to
concentrate on the different methods of online backup
available over the internet.
Basically, there are two types of online backup services. With
the first, once you have downloaded the software and installed
it on your PC you just connect to the backup provider's server
and away you go. Just select the files you want backed up
and then transfer them over the internet, rather like using FTP
to upload your web pages to your web host.
This option usually entails a monthly fee of anywhere from
$5-$20. The software is easy to use, and restoring your files is
just as simple as backing them up in the first place. You can
back up as many files as you wish and even your entire PC if
you like, although this will take quite some time.
If the worst happened and you lost everything, you could just
restore all of your files back onto your computer. As this may
take a while, some services will provide you with a CD
containing everything you have backed up, though often there
is an extra charge of about $20 for this.
The second option is to use a web-based backup service. You can
do this from your browser window and, as with web-based
e-mail, you have access to your files from any computer with
an internet connection. This kind of service will generally
provide you with 10-20 MB of file space and is most often free.
You can't back up quite as much using this system, but if you
just need to back up the odd file or two, then this could be the
best option for you.
Top Tips For Backup:
- Know where your important files are located.
- Keep your backup disks safe.
- Keep several copies of important data.
- Store disks in different locations.
- Decide on a backup schedule and stick to it.
- START TODAY. Remember, it's better to be safe than sorry!
- Replace backup disks regularly.
The following are a number of different backup services. Have
a look through the list - you should find something that works
well for you. Remember the key is in having a simple system
and putting it into practice.
Repeat out loud: Backup, backup, backup!!
Connected
http://www.connected.com
FreeDrive
http://www.freedrive.com
X Drive
http://www.xdrive.com
Driveway
http://www.driveway.com
Maxisafe
http://www.maxisafe.com
Managed Storage
http://www.sgii.com
E-store
http://www.e-stor.net
@Backup
http://www.backup.com
StoreActive
http://www.storactive.net
BackUpNet
http://www.backupnet.com
eVault.com
http://www.evault.com
MySpace
http://www.freediskspace.com
