| As much as every computer wants to deny the | | | | DVDs, you will need a CD or DVD writer, |
| inevitable, your data is only as secure as | | | | respectively. For any of these backup |
| your backups. Every hard drive is eventually | | | | methods, you can still use backup tools that |
| going to fail (and malicious software | | | | sometimes come with the backup data storage |
| frequently targets data files), and you will | | | | media. |
| lose years' worth of files, documents, | | | | |
| programs, and all other information that you | | | | Another method for onsite external backup is |
| have kept and stored in your computer unless | | | | using network servers in the same office |
| you have a good backup. Following are some | | | | building or workspace dedicated to backing up |
| of the best methods of data backup that you | | | | data for the whole network. This backup |
| can use. | | | | method can be done automatically if the |
| | | | network administrator has set it up for |
| Internal Backup, One Disk | | | | individual clients. The network |
| | | | administrator can also do this manually, or |
| For a particularly large hard drive, the hard | | | | each user can do his or her own data backup |
| disk can be partitioned so that one partition | | | | manually. |
| may be used as a repository of backup data. | | | | |
| For this type of backup, you can use | | | | Off Site, External Backup |
| automatic backup software, which will do | | | | |
| daily backups of data you have specified or a | | | | The key to this method is backing up data and |
| full backup of your active partitions. You | | | | storing the backup data storage device |
| can also manually copy your files from your | | | | somewhere else. This type of backup method |
| active drive partition to your backup drive | | | | is done to protect not only from drive |
| partition as long as you do this regularly. | | | | failures but also from catastrophes like |
| This is one of the least advisable forms of | | | | fire, flood and earthquake. |
| backup out there, because the backup | | | | |
| partition becomes as useless as the main | | | | Off site backup allows you to backup your |
| partition if your hard drive ever crashes. | | | | files on a web-based server located far from |
| | | | your own physical location. You can also |
| Internal Backup, Multiple Disks | | | | store backup data in discs and external |
| | | | drives which will be kept in a data storage |
| You can also set up another hard drive for | | | | vault that is physically located in a |
| backup within your computer. This hard drive | | | | different building, city, state, or even |
| is a separate entity from your active hard | | | | country. There is no backup more secure than |
| drive, so it presents greater protection and | | | | an external backup, but web servers can be |
| data security in case your active hard drive | | | | expensive, so you may want to simply use your |
| is corrupted. In this case, you can use the | | | | on site backup media and carry them home (or |
| methods listed above, or you can use a | | | | even store them in a safety deposit box). |
| technology known as RAID 1 to create a mirror | | | | This still allows you to have a full backup |
| image of one hard drive on the other hard | | | | without the hassle and cost of using a web |
| drive. The advantage of RAID 1 is that your | | | | server for your backups. |
| data is completely safe if you suffer a hard | | | | |
| drive crash, but this will not protect you | | | | Please, check out these recommendations for |
| from a virus or spyware infection, as the | | | | the best notebook computers. |
| infection will be written to the backup drive | | | | |
| right along with the good data. | | | | This article may be republished freely as |
| | | | long as this copyright notice and box of |
| On Site, External Backup | | | | resource links are included at the bottom. |
| | | | |
| A more secure form of backup, external | | | | Copyright © 2007 MALIBAL, lLc |
| backups allow you to backup your files using | | | | |
| external storage media like USB hard drives, | | | | MALIBAL is the Home of the World's Fastest |
| CD-R(W)s, DVD-R(W)s, and high-capacity flash | | | | Laptop! Headquartered in Las Vegas, this |
| drives. Flash drives and external hard | | | | groundbreaking company has transmuted the |
| drives can be conveniently connected to your | | | | world of mobile computing with its nonpareil |
| computer's USB port when it is time to back | | | | laptops and unrivaled 24-hour USA-based |
| up your files. For backing up with CDs and | | | | support. |