Preparing for the Inevitable Data Crisis
Author of this post: Tara MacKay | About Blog Authors »
My hard drive (from LaCie) looks like a bright, shiny LEGO brick. I can’t miss it, so I can never say I forgot to back up.
How many times have you heard or said, “My hard drive crashed at the worst possible time!” There’s never really a good time for a hard drive to crash, but it doesn’t have to be as painful if you backup on a regular basis. We all know the value of saving often and backing up regularly, but really, how often do you actually do it? (Be honest.)
If you’re a designer or other work-at-home type, backing up is especially important since lost data can cost you big bucks or big clients. So here are a few tips to help you get on track with backing up your work:
1) Buy a totally adorable external hard drive. No, seriously. The cuter the better. Make it a desk accessory, and believe me, you’ll notice it and use it much more often. Big, ugly boxes that sit under your desk are more likely to collect dust than data. (see above)
2) Aim for a backup drive that is at least twice the size of your computer’s internal hard drive, and partition the backup drive so half is for your complete computer backup and half is for other data you wish to store and refer to later. Partitioning makes your drive act like more than one drive, which is handy both for organization purposes, and to keep data on one partition safe if something happens to the other.
3) Use backup software to help manage the process. External hard drives usually come with backup software, but many other applications are available, including freeware and shareware, depending on your backup needs. Yes, it means learning another piece of software (it’s usually pretty simple, don’t worry!), but it beats sitting around dragging folders to your drive or guessing which files have changed since your last backup.
4) Come up with a backup plan. The rate that you need to run a backup depends on your needs. If you’re dealing with extremely sensitive data that would take you ages to reproduce, run one every night or every other night while you sleep. If you’re mostly dealing with your iTunes library and family photos, once every week or even month should be fine. Some backup software allows you to schedule automatic backups, or you may want to set your computer’s calendar to remind you every so often.
5) Get your most important data off-site. I hate to even think about this, but emergencies like fires and floods can make your data inaccessible for a while, or even forever. Depending on how sensitive your data is and how much of it you have there are plenty of options. One is to FTP your essential files to a Web host – even if you don’t have your own site, it’s nice to have hosting just for this reason. You can also burn CDs or DVDs of your files, but remember that if you do this you should store them somewhere else, like a fireproof safe or safe deposit box. Tiny USB drives are also a great option, and many can be slipped on a keychain – when I ran my own business, I kept customer records on a keychain drive so I always had it with me.
We have all heard horror stories of hard drive crashes, and know that the moral of those stories is to back up regularly. But it definitely feels like a hassle. Hopefully these tips will make it a more regular part of your work day!
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Great tips! I don’t know why but I never thought of getting a hard drive twice the size of my computers drive. Usually there just a little bit more. I’m placing an order for a new lacie right now!
July 2nd, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Thanks! I think the double-your-hard-drive idea wasn’t really an option till fairly recently when hard drive prices came down and huge drives became available. Now you can get a terabyte for under $500! A TERABYTE!
July 3rd, 2007 at 7:06 am
This is indeed a good article. What I would add to it:
- when backing up to external locations (like FTP or the portable drive) it’s mandatory to use encryption; think of this, what happens if you lose the keychain drive? also, communication between the backup program and the FTP has do be done securely (using SSL or SSH)
- it’s not necessary for the drive to be cute; with the right program you can schedule automatic backups and your only task would be to read the email that you get to see the report on the performed backup (or you can schedule backups to be performed while shutting down your computer, of course depends on the capabilities of the program used)
July 3rd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Great addition — that’s really good information about encryption, especially on those teeny keychain drives that are so easy to lose.
But I stand by cute drives! :)
July 4th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Thanks for the important reminder, Tara!
I am finishing writing The Thesis and am starting to get my ducks in a row to launch a small freelance design and layout business. I NEED to be backing up my current work, and to establish good backing up habits now, before catastrophe happens.
How happy have you been with your LaCie? I work on a Mac Powerbook, if that helps you frame your reply.
Thanks, and have a happy 4th!
July 5th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Thanks! I’ve been really happy with my LaCie (disclaimer: I’ve only had it a couple months) — it’s super quiet, which is essential since I have it on my desk. It’s been reliable so far, but of course time will tell… My boyfriend has two Seagate external drives that he’s used for awhile and have been great. Noisier than my LaCie, but they definitely do the job well.
Good luck with your thesis and your business!
July 5th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Thanks! Enjoy the rest of this short week.
July 12th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Here’s what happened to me. I bought some back-up software (RestoreIT) and backed up everything. Then my computer began to reboot every five minutes or so. I thought it was a virus.
“It’s a good thing I backed up everything,” I thought.
You know what the reason turned out to be? RestoreIT clashed with McAffee. One of them had to go. I had to give RestoreIT the ax. sigh.
So. I have a stack of CD’s of nicely backed up data which I can now file with all those AOL disks.
At least my computer’s working again.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Ouch! Glad to hear you found the problem and got things working again, though. It seems a lot of software apps conflict with antivirus products.
August 16th, 2007 at 10:35 am
The above idea which u had given is awesome . Know what , last time my hard drive crased in a worst manner and finally without having much knowledge my friend told me to visit HDRC and they are a experts there. HDRC is not bad. They got all the advanced tools and services was excellent too.
If incase when you procceeds with some drastic problem i suggest you to visit HDRC. http://www.hdrconline.com
Cheers.
corin
August 31st, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Free Student Loan Consolidation. No Credit Checks. No Fees! Visit: http://www.studentsloanconsolidators.com
August 16th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Very informative tips! I really like it. Hard drive crashed is a common problem that we encounter when using a computer. It’s really hassle most especially when you have urgent works to be done. I’m glad that I found this article, I think I would never be in hassle moment like what I encountered before.
A BIG paper was due for school, and the hard drive on my computer just started sparking. I could go to the library to use their computer, but I put off writing my paper, and it is going to take hours. I called my Dad for help, because he fixes everything for me. He offered to send me a check to buy a new computer, but via snail mail; I couldn’t wait that long! I decided to apply for a short-term installment loan. I can have the funds wired to my checking account, buy a computer tomorrow, and repay the loan when I receive the check from Dad.
Thank your for this tips. Now, you put a smile on my face like no fax payday loans given to me. More smiling faces in this site http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/ that would make your heart happy.