Did you ever think of what could
happen to your business if suddenly your hard drive crashes? Or what
would be if some virus attacks your computer and damages its
operating system? It is awful even to imagine the result. So we have
the only way to prevent from such undesirable situation. Of course,
to back up our data timely!
But what is the best way for backing
up? How and where to back up all essential files?
In opinion of Robert Earl Gambrel, a
veteran computer specialist from the Tampa Bay area, you
can back up all necessary files and documents on
a second hard drive, an external hard drive, or flash drives.
Because he considers
that to store on discs or CDs is wasting time, and in most cases you
will not be able to back up all the information you need. Otherwise
you need to keep at home tons of discs that will be also wasting of
space.
Instead, you can try a
8-gig plug-in flash drives that are quite reliable. He states that
relying on his 7 years of experience.
Besides,
backing up data to an external drive is mush easier. And you can use
the briefcase utility available in your operating system.
To create a briefcase
using Windows, click Start then click My Computer. Click the folder
you want to use for your briefcase. Select the device where you will
create your brief case. On the File menu, select New, and then click
Briefcase.
The value in choosing
Briefcase to back-up files is that you can synchronize your files.
That means when you run your back-up using Briefcase, you are only
copying the new files or documents from your business folder.
When setting up my
Briefcases, I used the click-and-drag feature in Windows Explorer.
That way I could see that the transfer of correspondence, training
materials and so forth were being copied to the correct destination.
Keep in mind, if you have all your current business files scattered
throughout My Documents, you need to organize them into specific
files first. Otherwise, all those files. Both business-related and
personal, will wind up in a single briefcase.
I asked Gambrel if his
customers were still having problems with viruses. He assured me
viruses continue to thrive on the internet.
For his own computer,
Gambrel's chooses not to use the big subscription programs. He
recommends using free software to protect your computer, instead. He
personally uses the free versions of AVG, AdAware and Spybot 1.52.
"Those programs and the built-in firewall within your operating
system is generally enough protection," he told me. "The
problem with those big programs is that they slow down your
computer." Eventually, their problems and idiosyncrasies
escalate to the point of needing a technical expert like Gambrel or
making you believe you need a new computer.
If you do wind up with
crashes and slow boots, unless you are a computer expert don't try to
fix it yourself, Gambrel warned. These could indicate that your
operating system has been attacked by a virus. "Turn it off
immediately and take it to a technician," he said.
"If the virus has
just started, chances are your technician will be able to retrieve
most or all of your files." The problem with document retrieval
is that computer owners try to track down the problem themselves,
often creating pathways for the virus to travel, and enabling it to
destroy an increasing number of files.
If you have had a virus
identified on your computer, chances are it might have spread to your
external drive or flash drives. "Always run a virus scan on
those devices before reconnecting them to your computer,"
Gambrel advised.
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emergencies it may void your warranty, so use at your own risk.
