Home | About | Contact

 Treo Programs

 Mobile Websites

 Cool Programs

 How Do I...?

 Misc. Links

 Security

 Wireless Networks

 Spyware

 Backing up your PC

There are 3 ways to back up your computer

• Online Backup (My first choice...and the one I use!)
   

• USB Hard Drive Manual Backup  (My second choice)
   

• Scheduled Backup (to Tape or USB Hard Drive) - I call this the "old fashion way" to backup.  (My third choice)

Online Backups
Online backups use servers on the internet to backup your computer.  The one I like the best is Carbonite.  For roughly $50/year, you can backup unlimited amounts of data. UNLIMITED!  There is another one I like, but only if you have less than 2GB to back up.  It's called Mozy, and it's free as long as you are under 2GB!
Pros:  Information on your computer is constantly backed up.  Both programs are "smart".  They back up all the "important" stuff.  You can choose what to backup and what not to backup.  Carbonite puts a colored dot beside every file and folder it backs up, so you can "visually" see what is being backed up.  Restoring files and folders is EASY!  There is no limit to how much you can backup.
Cons:  Your information is stored on a server that you have no control over.  Is it secure?  Yes!  It's as secure as your bank information (which is stored on a server on the Internet!)  Carbonite only keeps 3 months of backups.  And when you think security...just how secure is your current computer you want to backup?

USB Hard Drive Manual Backup
If you are uncomfortable with online backups, you can manually backup all the "important" files and folders on your computer.  Click here for instructions.
Pros:  Very simple and easy.  Simply "copy" and "paste".  No set times, do it when you want to do it.  You decide what gets backed up.
Cons:  Very easy to "forget" to backup.  Have to store the USB Hard Drive in a "safe" place (not next to your computer).  Easy to miss files or folders that should be backed up.

Scheduled Backups to Tape or USB Hard Drive
This method uses software on your computer to schedule a backup (full, then incremental) to an external tape or USB hard drive.  (Usually USB, tape backups are...old news).  For the "average" computer user, I don't recommend this method.
Pros:  You decide what to backup and when.
Cons:  You have to monitor this backup.  Users should manually "restore" files to verify the backup is working.  You must remove the backup source and get it away from the computer you are backing up.  For the "average" user, it's hard to manage.