The Importance of Backing Up Your Business Data
If you have ever had your computer crash on you before backing up your data then you know the importance of data backup. If, however, you wait until your computer crashes before you put a back up system in place, you will have waited too long and regret it. In this article we will share with you the importance of backing up your data and how you can go about it doing it before it is too late.
Firstly of all, if you don’t already know, computers are going to fail. It’s a fact we all have to face when it comes to technology. If you have important documents that you need you should not wait for this break down to occur before backing up your data. By doing this, you ensure that if your computer does break down at some point, you will still have your important documents and will not need to go to the lengthy process of trying to get this data back after the crash.
Systems backups are another useful tool to use in your regular backup routine. Systems backups allow you to take your computer back to its original state after you install or remove programs from your computer. If you install a program which causes a problem you will simply be able to use the system backup facility to return your computer to the state it was in before you installed the program.
If you have Windows XP Professional you can easily backup all your files, folders, etc. by going to All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Backup. You will then have a choice of what you want to backup. Once you have chosen what you want to back up and clicked on next you will be taken to an option screen which asks you where you want the backup to be stored. This can be a separate partition in your hard drive (this is the best option if there is a lot of information that you are backing up), a stiffy drive, USB drive, flash drive, thumb drive or CD or other storage devices attached to your computer. Give your backup file a name, click finish and Windows will automatically backup your files.
If you want to back up your files manually you can also use a stiffy disk, CD, or other storage device and just save an extra copy of them on these devices. Although this can be very useful for backing up a small number of files it is probably not the best option to backup your whole computer. This form of data backup is beneficial for backing up your most important files as it provides another option if things go wrong - you will still have the information you need, all the time, easily accessible.
In a previous paragraph we mentioned the need for systems backup if you install a program that causes problems or accidentally removes a program. Although this does not make a difference to other files, folders, etc. you can still get a lot of value from the Systems Restore feature. The ideal way to run this backup is to create a restore point each time you are about to install or uninstall anything. In order to create this system restore point on Windows XP you can go to All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Restore. Once you have opened the System Restore program you will have the option to either restore the computer to an earlier time or to create a new system restore point. In order to back up your computer you will want to click on the “create a new system restore point”. Once you have clicked on this and click on next, you will be asked to input a description for your restore point and then you can click on create to have Windows create the system restore point.
Data backup is vital to protect yourself against the loss of any information that you have on your computer. In order to backup your data you should either use Windows XP Professional’s automatic backup facility, internet-based backup or manually backup your files. You can also create a system restore point on your computer so that if a problem does occur you can restore your computer to an earlier time. Don’t get caught out – have a data backup system in place to ensure you never lose that important information.
Chris Meacham is Managing Member and owner of Now IT Works. Now IT Works provides computer networking services with fixed fees and response guarantees to small and medium sized businesses throughout CT, MA, RI and NY.
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