Best Practices – Backing up your data!

After my last post I decide to give myself a backup checkup. I really am terrible at backing up my data. Do as I say, not as I do!!!!

Here is what I found when I started to look at what data I have and where it is and is it safe. I know that sounds like a lot to tackle at one time, well it is and it is important that you and I do this. And do it often.

My computer system is a bit larger than most would think for a one man operation. I have 2 laptops and a desktop system. I also have a Linux system in my office for some testing purposes and so I can surf the web from my easy chair. My wife has a system that she uses for her business and I use for quick backups. Each of my 3 sons have systems that are attached to the network. I have a wireless router for the laptops.

I have plenty of ways to backup my data. I have the Linux box configured so that every Windows system can access the shared drives. I could copy all my files here automatically. I have a few removable (USB) hard drives that I should backup to, but that would me connecting them to my main system. I also have a few ZIP drives that I could use. Also, I have an assortment of USB Flash drives – small ones 256MB that are always on my bookcase.

So I have no excuse for not backing up. I have the time, the technology and the knowledge of what I would lose if I lost my hard drive on my main system. Do I have a death wish of sorts? Am I above losing my data because I am a “Professional”? Nope, I think I am just lazy.

Let me share with you what I found out about my data. I have about 10 Gigabytes of data in my “My Documents” directory. I haven’t taken the time to research what data I have that would take up so much space. I am sure most of it is important, so I have to back it all up.

I have several programs such as Quickbooks that store data in subdirectories of the program. This makes it a bit of a pain to backup if you don’t know where the data is stored. Outlook Express, and Outlook for that matter, hides its data in a hard to find hidden directory. Microsoft forgot to build a backup program into either program. I also have many shortcuts and bookmarks that I have become accustomed to using. I know I should back these up, though I’ll have to dig around to find where they are stored.

My thoughts are that I should take the time over the next few days or even weeks to write down and track my computer usage. I should do a Google search first and see if there is any tracking software that would do this for me. As I learn what programs I use on a regular basis, I can then look at where the data is stored. I have several programs that work really well when it comes to data synchronization.

I also need to decide how best to backup my data and where I am going to store the backups. At this time I don’t have anything stored offsite. Actually, I don’t have anything stored anywhere but next to the computer. I guess I have a lot of work to do! How about you?

Here’s your next assignment:

Write down what programs you use and determine where the data is stored


Once we know what data needs to be backed up, we can look at the many options available to us.

Let me know what you think,

Marc