With Adware, SpyWare, E-Mail Viruses, Java Script Viruses and Hardware failures It isn't a matter of If you will loose your Data it is a matter of When you will loose your Data! By spending a few extra minutes now using a Simple Back Up Strategy, you can save yourself big headaches later.
You Should Always have a Full Backup of your Online Business Directory and all it's subdirectories for the Last 4 Weeks as well daily incremental backups for a month or More. In Addition you should have Monthly off site Backups. I actually Backup my Entire My Documents Directory. My Tools are:
5 DVD-RWs Sharpie Permanent Marker A Calendar A Stack of DVD-Rs A Small 64 MB USB Hard Drive
Weekly Rotating Backups
- Get a calendar Pick one day a Week (Tuesday). Number each Tuesday from 1-5 over and over
September 6.2005 would be 1 September 13.2005 would be 2 September 20.2005 would be 3 September 27.2005 would be 4 October 4.2005 would be 5 October 11.2005 would start over with Number 1
Now Using Your Sharpie Permanent Marker Label Each DVD-RW Disk1, Disk2 .... Thru Disk 5
Each Tuesday (or whatever day you like) look at the calendar and use the disk with the same number for the Backup. Burn Your Online Business Directory and all it's subdirectories to the DVD-RW for that week
September 6.2005 Use Disk 1 September 13.2005 Use Disk 2 September 20.2005 Use Disk 3 September 27.2005 Use Disk 4 October 4.2005 Use Disk 5 October 11.2005 would start over with Number 1
By Following the Above Weekly Rotating Backups Instructions you will always have 5 Weeks of backup.
Monthly Offsite Backups
On the Last Friday of the Month burn your Entire My Documents folder to a DVD-R and store it Offsite. Use your Sharpie Permanent Marker to wtite the Month and Year of the Backup.
Daily Incremental BAckups
For Daily Incremental Backups use a Small 64Mb USB Hard drive (Lately it seems you can't buy anything smaller then 256MB I Have seen them on sale for about $15) . A CD-RW or DVD-RW will work just as well as a USB Hard Drive. It just seems easier and faster to copy to the USB hard Drive.
create 12 Directories on the USB Hard Drive one for each Month Jan, Feb., .... Dec.. Every Time you create a File in your Business Directory place a copy of it in the proper month on the USB Drive.
If you run Out of room on the USB drive simply Empty the Directory of the Oldest Month. ( So If you run out of room in September and you have Data in May, June July and August. Simply Delete all the Files in May. If you still need room delete all the Files in June then July. If You still need room buy another USB Hard Drive.
By following the above Backup system you will always be know I am fully protected when that dreaded Disk Crash, Virus, or even Gremlins cause some or all of your data to be lost. For Many people CDRs and CDRWs work just as well. If your Online Business Directory is Small enough you can simply burn a New CD every week. You can use a Similar system with Zip Drives or even Tape. The Key is to do some sort of back up of your critical business files on a regular basis.
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