Computer Backup Services

[ultrarunner]

Any recommendation on the best way to back-up computer files on the home PC?

I hear the Carbonite ads all the time and decided to give them a try only to find out my Windows 98 operating system is not supported...

My computer has done everything I need it to do without any problems... so far.

If I really should be backing-up my files... how should I do it?

PS... my first computer was an Apple IIe... never had any problems either... it just was so slow on the Internet...

My philosophy is... as long as it gets the job done.

I think my brothers have had 5 or 6 computers each in the 10 years I've had this one...

[NuBota]

I have considered the online services for back up, but am still too paranoid to take the risk. I mean some banks, CC companies, etc have had their systems compromised at some point. My main concern is the risk of it being lost and/or made accessible to people it shouldn't.

Personally, I use a 1 TB USB drive and Norton Ghost. I do full, block level, disk backups on a regular basis. If I loose a system hard drive, the disk image restore is the fastest way to get back in business. This takes the guesswork out of what to backup, when. As I fill up the USB drive, it's FIFO. I also do incemental file backups in between just for good measure

As far as "off-site", I don't do well there. If the house burned down, I would be lost. That is were the online services are useful. But it would be easy enough to rotate the USB drives to safe offsite storage (or fireproof safe). Not as convenient as a service, but simple enough

[MossRoad]

Originally Posted by ultrarunner

Any recommendation on the best way to back-up computer files on the home PC?

I hear the Carbonite ads all the time and decided to give them a try only to find out my Windows 98 operating system is not supported...

My computer has done everything I need it to do without any problems... so far.

If I really should be backing-up my files... how should I do it?

PS... my first computer was an Apple IIe... never had any problems either... it just was so slow on the Internet...

My philosophy is... as long as it gets the job done.

I think my brothers have had 5 or 6 computers each in the 10 years I've had this one...

We use CDs or DVDs to back up. We keep all data under organized folder in the My Documents folder. All we have to do is burn that folder to CD or DVD on a regular basis. I always make two sets of disks and make sure they are readable when finished. I keep one set at home and the other set in a safety deposit box at the bank. I also have several computers networked together in the house, so I can keep copies on multiple machines.

[Bird]

I just back up my data files on CDs and DVDs and store them in a little fire safe here at home.

[/pine]

Another option is using Google G-mail...granted there are individual file size (25 mb per attachment) limits but the use of an archiving tool like WinZip etc can be useful...

There are free applications that let you use a Google G-mail account the exact same way you would use a hard drive partition on your computer...i.e., you can just drag and drop files onto the application and it will automatically upload the files to your g-mail account.

Again, using compression tools like WinZip or WinRAR are very useful for storing back up files

for more information try using your favorite search engine to find solutions try one of the following queries

search for:

"how to use gmail as online hard drive"

"how to use gmail as online file storage"

[eepete]

If you think about it, most new machines come with 250 to 500 G of storage, and about 400G of that could be user storage. Currently, I have about 20G of pictures and videos, and it's growing every day. The sum total of all other data (files, source code, designs) is under 600G and so some of it could go to a DVD, but not all. This makes the backup process tedious as you must pick and choose, and all tedious tasks are easy to put off (Let me see, work with the tractor or backup files manually on my computer...Hmmm.).

So I claim where are headed towards a point where CD and DVD will not be good enough for back-ups. Fortunately, there are many USB based portable hard drives than can be used. Most are in a sub $100 range, so you can get two. On for one site, one for off site. And if baulk at spending $100 for off site, I'd ask what's the value of all the pictures in your life, letters, emails, your work files (if you work at home). People here might blow $300 on a hydraulic top cylinder in a heartbeat but then would say $100 for backup is too much.

Finally, in the spirit of this site where people just share what works for them, we have 3 MAC computers and a PC. My MAC has 2.2T on it, my wife's has 500G, the laptop is 350G and the PC is 300G. I have a 2T drive that uses the "time machine" feature of MACS to back everything up. When it gets full in about 2 years, it will become an off site storage machine and I'll get a 4T backup drive. Right now I have a lot of off site on DVD. On my "to do" list for this month is a 1T drive for off site storage.

One last comment on off site storage. If you've every seen anyone whose house burned down and they lost everything, you _will_ do off site storage.

Pete

[/pine]

A note on External Hard drives...

something to consider when purchasing an external hard drive is will it allow you to interchange the actual drives?

Another option is what is called a "hard drive enclosure" these are USB interface devices that are basically the exact same thing as an external hard drive but once the drive is filled to it's capacity it can be taken out and stored on a shelf or placed in a safe deposit box etc. Then another drive can be attached to the enclosure for continued back up use...

[Diesel-ME]

Originally Posted by ultrarunner

...... I hear the Carbonite ads all the time and decided to give them a try only to find out my Windows 98 operating system is not supported...

My philosophy is... as long as it gets the job done.

Your old Windows 98 box is not going to get the job done if you want to go with an online backup service.

It looks like most of them only support newer operating systems.

I use Carbonite and can assure you that this method of backup is FAR FAR more secure and reliable than making local CD/DVD or external drive copies of your data. The connection between your system and the backup service is encrypted and the data that is stored online is fully encrypted. One of the features that I like about Carbonite (and others allow for this as well) is that I can securely log in from another computer (like at work) and access a file or files that I have backed up from my home PC.

In the event of a hard drive failure or some other catastrophy, I can restore all my files to a new PC. And the best part about these solutions is that you do not have to remember to do backups - it automatically backs up all new or newly changed files from any folders that you want. As long as you have a broadband connection and a "modern" operating system, after the initial setup/backup you never think about it again.

Incidentally, MAC users note that Carbonite supports the newer Intel-based MACs now too.

~paul

[ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Diesel-ME

Your old Windows 98 box is not going to get the job done if you want to go with an online backup service.

It looks like most of them only support newer operating systems.

I use Carbonite and can assure you that this method of backup is FAR FAR more secure and reliable than making local CD/DVD or external drive copies of your data. The connection between your system and the backup service is encrypted and the data that is stored online is fully encrypted. One of the features that I like about Carbonite (and others allow for this as well) is that I can securely log in from another computer (like at work) and access a file or files that I have backed up from my home PC.

In the event of a hard drive failure or some other catastrophy, I can restore all my files to a new PC. And the best part about these solutions is that you do not have to remember to do backups - it automatically backs up all new or newly changed files from any folders that you want. As long as you have a broadband connection and a "modern" operating system, after the initial setup/backup you never think about it again.

Incidentally, MAC users note that Carbonite supports the newer Intel-based MACs now too.

~paul

I downloaded Carbonite only to find out it's not compatible...

Since I downloaded it... my computer will not turn off unless I turn off the switch.

I then went to Elephant and the same thing...

E-mailed customer service and have not heard back... at least I can dispute the charge on my Credit Card...

I strongly detest forced obsolescence...

[/pine]

Since I downloaded it... my computer will not turn off unless I turn off the switch.

a registry cleaner should clear up that problem...

always back up the registry before editing