Backing Up Your Computer Hard Drive

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Backing UpYour Computer Hard Drive

• Lou Koch
• June 27, 2006

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Tonights Program

• Introduction Why?
• Terminology concepts
• Methodology software, media, etc
• Tips and suggestions organization, preparation,
  frequency, etc.
• Demo

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Why Backup?

• Hardware Failure
• Most serious generally cannot easily recover
  anything from damaged hard disk
• Viruses
• Can target specific files or erase entire drive
• Accidental deletion
• Single or few files
• Software Problem
• Generally lose program but not files

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Types of Backups

• File or data backups
• Backs up individual files
• Typically you can back up personal files or key
  data onto a CD using a file backup
• You can just highlight and copy the files to your
  backup media OR
• Lots of software to do this which can automate
  and execute the backups
• Typically does not back up OS or open files.

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Types of Backups

• System Restore
• A restore point backs up key files (registry,
  drivers, etc) to allow your to restore your PC to
  previous configuration.
• Typically this is done automatically by Windows
  when you install new software or drivers.
• You can access System Restore to either restore
  your computer to a prior configuration or to
  manually create a restore point by
• START ? All Programs ? Accessories ? System Tools
  ?System Restore.
• This is valuable protection but it consumes hard
  drive capacity default is 6 of hard drive
  you can adjust this.
• My Computer ?View System Information (or
  properties) ? system restore ? select drive ?
  settings

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Types of Backups

• Drive Image or Mirror Backup
• Copies all files from PC to backup including OS
  and boot sector files
• Allows you to restore system to look exactly like
  it is at the time of the backup without
  installing files one at a time
• INCREMENTAL and DIFFERENTIAL backups can be done
  after a full backup to reduce space and time
• Incremental all files since last incremental or
  full
• Differential all files since last full.
• Restoring with incremental or differential
  backups requires multiple steps but will still
  provide full restore

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What should you back up?

• CRITICAL - Personal files or data
• These are files and documents that you create or
  obtain from some outside source documents,
  music, pictures, etc
• For most people this is the most important
  category since it is the most personal
• Use file backup utility

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What should you back up?

• Software/Programs
• Typically you can reinstall software that becomes
  corrupted but it is time consuming
• Also most software allows customization that will
  be lost if it is reinstalled
• Software backup is less critical because it can
  be recreated

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What should you back up?

• Operating system
• Generally WINDOWS
• Includes your preferences and customization
• What opens when you start up
• What the desktop looks like . etc
• Hardware Drivers
• Every user has different monitors, printers,
  modems, scanners, etc that have to be configured
  to your preference using these drivers
• Boot sector files
• Tells PC how to start up before Windows is loaded
• This info is mostly contained in Restore Point.

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Hardware

• Large choice of media for backups
• CDs
• Cheap and will hold most personal data
• Almost all PCs come with burners
• Burner software allows you some ease of use
• DVDs
• More expensive but still not bad
• Will allow you to store significant number of
  audio and image files
• Many PCs have burners and software.

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Hardware

• Additional Media
• Flash Drives
• Easy to use
• Can handle short term backups and file transfers
• Internal Hard Drive
• Can hold multiple image backups
• Fairly expensive but prices are dropping
• Susceptible to Power surge failure in PC
• External Hard Drive
• Similar to Internal Hard Drive but can be
  unplugged from PC/power and not be susceptible to
  power surges.
• Easy to connect via USB port
• OTHER
• diskettes and tapes obsolete?
• On line available I prefer to physically
  control my media

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Software

• File Backup Utilities
• Microsoft Backup Utility Included in Windows
  START ? All Programs ? Accessories ? System Tools
  ?Backup use backup wizard
• Note during the presentation I learned that this
  backup utility is not automatically loaded when
  Windows is installed but it is included on the
  Windows disk. The following link explains how to
  load it http//www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using
  /setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx
• CD R/W utility you can generally save a backup
  profile and use it often to save info.
• Lots of commercial software (including free
  utilities) that help you configure and schedule
  file backup
• Check freeware sites
• Image Backups
• Plenty to choose from
• http//disk-imaging-software-review.toptenreviews.
  com/
• http//data-backup-software-review.toptenreviews.c
  om/

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Tips and Suggestions

• Determine your backup needs
• Not everyone needs Image backups
• Back up just personal files if you are a casual
  user
• You use computer for Email and internet
• You have installed only a few Software programs
• Do image backup if you use your PC for a lot of
  tasks
• You have a lot of software installed
• You create a lot of files
• Organize your Hard Drive
• Save ALL personal info to MY DOCUMENTS
• Most Microsoft documents are saved here
• Other Software may save to a different default
  location change default to MY DOCUMENTS
• You can create subfolders in MY DOCUMENTS to
  locate files.
• Then back up MY DOCUMENTS frequently weekly

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Tips and Suggestions

• Clean up before you backup
• If your plan is to do a full backup or image then
  take a few minutes to delete junk
• Run Disk Cleanup
• START ? All Programs ? Accessories ? System Tools
  ?Disk Cleanup read description and follow
  suggestions
• Clear any files that you dont want
• Run Image Backup about monthly incremental
  backups weekly
• If you are paranoid about losing data run more
  frequently.
• Note While it should not effect the backup this
  would also be a good time to check to see if your
  disk is fragmented START ? All Programs ?
  Accessories ? System Tools ?Disk Defragmenter
  . Run Analyze

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Acronis True Image

• Demo