 We know the dangers: file-destroying viruses, human error, lightning strikes, hard drives dying young. We also know the mantra of PC protection: "Back up, back up, back up." But we also want to know whether it can be done without becoming a chore.
That depends largely on what you have to back up. You can get away with infrequently archiving some files, such as final document drafts, music, pictures, and software. What you must regularly back up are documents that will always change, such as financial records and databases (address books, genealogical records, etc.)—in other words, files that have no final version.
The most problematic question is usually what medium to back up your data to. You can save email messages and other documents on paper if you prefer, but you can easily search through files you store electronically; thereby saving yourself file cabinets and paper cuts. If you keep only a few files, or don't produce many big ones, a handful of floppy disks or optical media could meet your needs; but the average user accumulates many files, often large ones, enough to eventually fill a drawer with CDs. Tape drives, the traditional backup method, store tens of CDs' worth of data on a compact cassette, but they fill up, too, and are slow.
But another option is available. Internet backup, though not speedy, frees you from physical media altogether. It is secure against intruders and disasters alike, arguably more so than traditional backup methods, and uniquely, it only requires your attention when you first set it up, change its settings, or retrieve some backed-up files.
A finer hour. A few years ago, backup entrepreneurs began thinking beyond tape drives; they saw that the Internet could eliminate the drudgery that deters many of us from backing up, even if we have lost data before. By 2000, Internet backup was available to anyone with an Internet connection, but the market for that type of offsite storage still struggled.
Online backup pioneer T.Q. White, former president of online backup company Restorion (www.restorion.com), says several reasons were to blame. "One is that the need was not yet fully realized. Four or five years ago, many people were still using their computers as ‘production' tools. They operated Quicken or Word and produced checks or letters. Email was common but not the essential mode of communication for the average small-business user. People did not yet have libraries of PDFs [Portable Document Files], pictures, and letters that were received electronically. Consequently, they felt like making a floppy disk full of Quicken and the letters they wrote last week was adequate." There was also a kink in the hose: Most people still used a dial-up modem, not a high-speed connection, to get online. That made just a few megabytes the upper limit for backing up without tying up the line for hours, and backup companies subsist on selling storage space. |
Files are secured and compressed as they're backed up over the Internet.
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Things are different today. White says "[t]he computer has changed from being a tool of business to being the location of business. Even the least technical businessperson gets a million files, emails, Web page bookmarks, etc., that are really important. Now everyone knows that copying a few key files is inadequate for back-up." Plus, in 2005, high-speed connections are cheaper and more widely available, making it easier to back up as much and as often as you like. (That's not to say that a dial-up modem is totally inadequate. After an initial full backup, users need to transmit only new and changed files, which require less bandwidth.)
The first step. To back up the traditional way, first run either Microsoft's built-in backup software (in most cases, go to Start, (All) Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and select Backup) or a backup program you've installed. Choose which files or folders full of files you want to back up, and what CD, tape drive, or other destination you want them backed up to. Make sure the destination is ready—for example, that there's a blank or partially empty CD or tape in the drive—and click a button to proceed.
To back up over the Internet, you'll start by visiting a company's Web site and downloading its backup software. After you've finished that, just run the software, select which files or folders you want to back up, and click to
proceed. That's it—there's no need to choose a destination or wonder whether you have enough blank CDs or tape left, nor is there any need to be on hand to insert blank CDs when the previous one runs out of space. Some companies even let you back up your entire hard drive, so you can restore every file and setting to how it was yesterday, last week, or last month.
Virtually all backup software, for both the traditional and the Internet method, lets you schedule automatic backups with a few more clicks. Later on, to retrieve files backed up by either method, just run the software again, select the files you want, and wait while they're transferred.
Safety in numbers. You want your archive to be private, and every backup company will let you choose a password—a basic defense against intrusion. But warnings of hacker attacks and identity theft still prompt users to wonder whether it's prudent to send important data, over the Internet, no less, to someone they've never met. This is especially the case if the user is just getting started with securing her PC and its data. |
You can tell your computer what to do after each
online backup.
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Many companies carefully scramble your files before they leave your computer. Your computer retains a key for unscrambling them, based on numeric sequences purportedly beyond guess or hack (evil geniuses take note). After your computer encrypts them, White says backup files "are never able to be viewed or used by anyone without the encryption key, and that is hidden carefully inside software resident only on the client's computer." Thus, even a backup company's employees can't go snooping, provided the software is designed properly. The latter is, admittedly, ultimately a matter of faith.
My computer can go down, can't theirs? Ah, but how many of theirs? Backup companies store your files in triplicate or better, on more than one computer, and usually on tape. Dan Dugal, founder of Remote Data Backups (www.remotedatabackups.com), says the company even keeps copies in two locations separated by more than 60 miles. It is unlikely that several computers will crash at once, especially with backup generators waiting; but even if all of a company's computers crash, you should still be able to get to your data.
Gone with the Windows. Is offsite backup perfect? No. What the companies offer is very well protected data—no less, but seldom more; because ensuring against permanent data loss is cost-prohibitive. This is where foresight comes in. Don't delete what you have backed up online, and make an occasional extra in-house copy of a few really, really important files.
What does it cost? The monthly cost often depends solely on how much storage space you buy. Data Deposit Box (www.datadepositbox.com), for example, lets you buy any amount of file storage for 1 cent per megabyte. Some companies, such as BackUp Solutions (www.backupsolutions.com) and Professional Offsite Data Backup (www.backmeupoffsite.net), also take into account what you are backing up. The latter charges from $10.99 a month for a minimal 250MB to $100 for 50GB of file storage, with several steps in between. To back up your entire system, however, it charges from $37.99 for 15GB to $99.99 for 50GB.
So, before choosing a company, it's wise to estimate how much growing room you'll need, as well as how much space you'll use immediately. Deciding between mere file storage and a full-system backup additionally depends on what plans a company offers and whether you have the time and know-how to perform your own system restoration in the event of a crash.
 A Strategy Worth Considering
The time has come when these means really suit the ends. If you can reach out and touch a physical stack of backup media from where you are sitting, the reason you know what you have is that you put it there yourself. Internet backup involves just a little more trust and, thankfully, a little less work. 
by Ray Collier
Other Offsite Options
The point of backing up is making sure there is a copy of important files. When time is of the essence or Internet access is uncertain, having media in hand is confidence.
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Iomega's Zip disk is a popular portable backup media.
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First, choose a convenient medium. Convenient boils down to what equipment is already installed in your computer and, importantly, on any other computer you're likely to use to access your backup copy. This probably means writeable CDs, because most computers come with a CD drive of some type. If you have lots of large files to back up, a DVD drive or tape drive is even more convenient. Other options include fast external hard drives, flash card media compatible with digital cameras and PDAs (personal digital assistants), and souped-up cartridge-style disks such as Iomega's Zip and REV (www.iomega.com).
Here are some typical media and their storage capacities:
Maximum Storage Capacity
CD: 700MB
DVD: 4.7GB
Tape drive: tens of GB
External hard drive: many tens of GB
Flash memory card: hundreds of MB
Zip drive: from 100MB to 750MB
REV disk: 35GB
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Iomega's REV disk is a popular portable backup media.
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Next comes the question of where to keep your media after you've backed up. Near the computer may be a tempting place, but that may be an unwise choice. (And, after all, we are talking about offsite backup.) One option: Keep backups from home at work and vice versa. In some cities, you can hire a company to pick up and store your backup media. While a safe-deposit box might be awkward to use frequently, it is eminently secure. Just keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to isolate your backup copies from any disaster that could befall the original.
Finally, there's the matter of time and priorities. You must tend to the backup logistics yourself or entrust someone with them, and the habit must be faithfully kept if it's to save the day. If your main hard drive crashes, you'll be glad you took the trouble. |
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We know the dangers: file-destroying viruses, human error, lightning strikes, hard drives dying young. We also know the mantra of PC protection: "Back up, back up, back up." But we also want to know whether it can be done without becoming a chore. 
