Learn the best way to backup data of your PC

[TechyGuy]

On your PC, you can store photos, receive e-mails, write texts ... Learn how to save these documents and automate the method that suits you best.


Many a times we see that peoples say: "I copied all my files on a USB key that was supposed to work, but nothing works and I can not access my data!" In short, this appeal with a good summary of the issues and needs relating to data backup. The starting point for many of us is the growing importance that all these files we create and store on our computers.

Importance not only in terms of volume, but also of emotional attachment. Not so long ago, families stored their photos in albums or boxes, store their mail in envelopes or filing cabinets, had a closet to put their personal videos. Today, all that was digitized, dematerialized and is found in a hard drive installed in a computer or external enclosure. The problem is that the purpose of storage, hard drive, has a limited life not really known. Moreover, it is subject, like any equipment, fault. Or worse, loss of data.

It is therefore essential to anticipate these concerns and be prepared for any eventuality. Parade the simplest is the backup. Simple, but little used in the general public: according to some studies, less than 10% of PC users regularly back up their data! There is yet more excuse for the failure: the software used to accomplish this task is becoming easier and allow you to automate many copies of files at regular intervals.

In addition, the price of storage, it is removable (CD, DVD or Blu-ray) or external (hard drives, USB drives, memory cards) is plummeting, while the summits reach capacity. We must carry out its backups. Everything is not done at random and some common sense rules are respected. The first: we must carefully choose its support. The storage units are varied both in type and in their quality. Your data is precious, your backup media must be worthy Avoid and pound-foolish on this type of purchase, prefer Storage robust, even if they are slightly more expensive.

Preliminaries: What and where?

Second rule to follow: it is not necessary to backup everything. You will see in the following pages must be preserved first of all the documents you create, whether professional or personal, including office file types or media. Photos of your dream holiday at the other end of the world are infinitely more important than the temporary files of your browser. Finally, remember that remains a backup copy of your files. A duplicate, in short. If the original came out, either because you do not find it, either due to power failure, you still have the copy in the digital domain, is strictly identical. It is not helpful nor advisable to delete the original after it is duplicated.

Throughout these pages you will discover that the backup can take many faces. Simple manual copy of files, automated replication, conservation of intermediate versions of documents, creating an identical double of a partition (disk image), the synchronization of two identical files. There are many methods to losing its data. Just choose one that suits you best!

[TechyGuy]

Glossary of Backup

Complete backup

A copy of all the working data of the user.

Differential backup

Strategy involving a complete backup of all data, followed by copies of the files created or modified since that backup. Take the example of three files A, B and C were created after a full backup: A was created on Monday, Tuesday, B & C on Wednesday. By performing a differential backup daily, a figure in safeguarding Monday, A and B in the Tuesday, and A, B and C in that of Wednesday. During the restoration, it is enough to have the full backup with the last differential backup to provide a set of data. Differential backup consumes lot of disk space but makes it easier to restore data.

Incremental backup

Contrary to the differential incremental backup the only copy the files that were created or modified since the last backup, regardless of its type. If we take the previous example with this time, an incremental backup daily, A is saved on Monday, Tuesday, B & C on Wednesday. During the restoration, to get the data set as complete, it must have all the backups, both full that incremental.

Restoration

Operation is to restore the data stored on their original media from a backup media.

Synchronization

Procedure that aims to make the same contents of two folders, one source and one target. These files can be on different physical media. During synchronization, all actions made to source files in the folder (create, update, delete) are applied to files in the folder and vice versa.

[TechyGuy]

Which files to copy and when to do it?

All your files have the same importance. Do not save those who are really valuable or indispensable to the functioning of the computer.

Scale of importance of data

The essential files

All your creations: Your photos, videos, music that you compose your texts and illustrations. All these documents, irreplaceable, are saving as a priority.

Your e-mail, your projects, your papers: These files updated regularly can be of some capital. Think also of your favorite browser!

Configuration files: They contain the operating parameters of your software and personal settings. For example, the file Normal. houses dot the models you created with Word and the macros used by all documents. Warning: You can use these files if you reinstall the same version of your software. In addition, you must restore the data after you install your programs. This restoration should be performed only by experienced users.

Optional files

The installation files of programs (extensions EXE, ZIP, or MSI): if you enjoy software that you installed from a downloaded file on the Internet, keep this executable and include it in your backups.

Specific files (profiles, scores ...): if you have customized the interface of a program, created a profile or if you play a lot, do not forget to include these files a little special in your backups. Here is a trick to identify them: Start the game, made a short part and close the software. In the folder containing the game, look for files that have been updated in the ranking, with the Explorer, by modification date.

Files to ignore

Temporary files and system files (these files include, for example the extension TMP, SYS, COM, etc.. And are mainly in the C: Windows, C: Program Files and Temporary Internet Files): they unnecessarily cluttering your backups, can make the system unstable and, for some (including system files) can not be copied. An exception, however: if you create a disk image of a volume containing an operating system, system and temporary files will be saved, as it is to create a true and correct copy of the volume at a given time.

The files related to programs (extension EXE or DLL) are not welcome in a traditional backup. Too dependent on many files annexes (entries in the Windows registry, temporary files in Documents and Settings, etc..), They will not work correctly after restoration.

The timing of the backup

Several times a day

You make a very important document or a creation that, either, require many hours of work? Feel free to store several times a day by keeping versions with different names. You can easily revert back if needed. And in case of problems, you will have the assurance of finding virtually intact.

Once a day

If you are working on designs, such as a video or photo editing, make a copy of everyday life. Keep also releases. Copy all files created in the day, either text or multimedia. To work on a file to your home after office hours, remember to sync.

Once a week

Put more specifically to protect the business records: mails, text documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, accounting data, etc. Typically the kind of operation to achieve before leaving for the weekend. At home, save all documents and all creations of the past week, and emails the last seven days.

Once a month

Perform a full backup of all your important files (create, mail, papers). You keep a foundation that will serve as reference for future backups. Alternatively create a disk image of your system partition with all files and programs it contains. This is especially if you frequently install and uninstall software.

[TechyGuy]

Which to choose?

Depending on your budget and the amount of data to preserve, choose the formula.

1. In the internal hard disk of the computer

Split the hard drive of his computer multi-volume (partition) and book one of these partitions for the backup is the least expensive. If you have a branded machine, it is even possible that the manufacturer has already performed this action. Otherwise, with a PC running Vista, you can do it yourself using the Disk Management tool.

Advantages

- Partitioning immediately achievable under Vista without losing data
- Some PC brand is already partitioned

Disadvantages

- In the event of HDD failure, high risk of losing all its data (originals and backups)

2. In a flash: USB flash drive, memory card

With a capacity of up to 64 GB (and soon more!), Keys flash offer comfortable space for your backups. Their small size is handy, even if it is a failure (risk of loss). But to avoid any irreversible incident, do not succumb to the lure of low cost models and prefer a little more expensive, those low prices are known for their unreliability.

Advantages

- Fast Implementation
- Small size and high capacity

Disadvantages

- Write speed disappointing on some models
- Getting lost easily
- Sometimes questionable reliability for the models at low prices

3. On an optical disc: CD, DVD, Blu-Ray

Today, with the fantastic growth of the capacity of hard disks, backup DVD promises to be tedious, unless you really maintain that file really essential. Skip to Blu-ray makes it too much to ask questions about the capacity (up to 50 GB, and versions of several hundreds of gigabytes are being developed). But we must put the price: Rs. 650 for a Blu-ray blank 25 GB (not rewritable), and around Rs. 13000 for a suitable recorder.

Advantage

- Low price of CDs and DVDs

Disadvantages

- Fragile
- Sustainability random
- Capacity not always
- Slowness on prints

4. On an external hard drive

Prices down, increase capacity, ease of installation and use: external drives are a medium of choice for backup. But such support is not infallible: use it carefully, do not carry too often, avoid shocks. Caution: Sometimes a removable disk that received a shock seems to function normally in appearance until the day you want to access data on the damaged portions. Mac owners may need to reformat the external drive in FAT32 format recognized by the Mac and PC, as opposed to NTFS as Mac (OS X) are read only by default.

Advantages

- Price (in gigabytes) of lower and lower
- Capacity important
- Using simple

Disadvantage

- On Fragility

5. On a network drive (NAS)

This variety of external drive can be shared over a network between multiple computers and can receive backups from different users. But its implementation is more complex than a traditional external drive. Moreover, the transfer speeds are generally restricted either at the NAS, either the router or the box, by the use of network made 100 Mbit/s. Which gives the better 10 MB/s reading as writing, against 30 MB/s USB and sometimes more than 100 Mb/s with internal disks. To install it knowingly.

Advantages

- Shared between several computers
- Runs continuously

Disadvantages

- Implement complex
- Transfer speed limited

6. On an online storage

Can be saved without connecting material to his PC, but transferring data over the Internet on a remote disk. Most ISPs are providing their customers with storage space, but it is often limited and the data are not guaranteed against accidental destruction. Better to use an FTP server. But we must trust the provider that stores your files (confidentiality, robustness server storage) and have a good Internet connection (at least 500 kbit/s upstream).

Advantages

- No equipment necessary
- Community preserved disaster on the computer

Disadvantages

- Backup and dependent on slow Internet connections
- You have to trust the provider

[TechyGuy]

Use the tools of the operating system

For a basic protection of your data, use the utilities included with Windows Vista or Mac OS X Leopard. Take good habits by reproducing these manipulations very easy.

Use the tools of Vista

1 - Perform a full backup

Close all open source software. Then, in the Vista Start menu, scroll down to All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Status and configuration backup. Click Back up files, and then click Configure automatic backup files. Authorize the execution of the program by clicking Continue. Specify the destination disk for backup or on a hard disk, a CD or DVD, or on a network (a NAS or another computer on your local network) and select the corresponding volume. Remember if necessary to insert a CD or DVD into your burner. Then click Next.

2 - Select the disks to save

If your PC is equipped with multiple hard drives (internal or external), Vista asks you which must be safeguarded. Attention, only volumes formatted with NTFS (the native file system of Windows 2000, XP and Vista) can be. Uncheck the ones you want to exclude (by default, they are all checked) and click Next. Select file types to preserve one of the eight categories: pictures, videos, music, email, documents, TV shows, compressed files, files, and then click Next. In the dropdown menu, set the frequency and timing of backups. Click Save settings and start backup. In the end, click Close.

Use Time Machine in Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)

1 - Prepare the external hard drive

Tool Time Machine built into Leopard allows you to save the entire system disk without choosing the data. You will need such an external hard disk to be reformatted to HFS+, the file system on Mac OS X. The operation is performed during the first backup. It can also be done manually by using the Disk Utility located in Applications/Utilities.

2 - Run the backup

Once the drive connected, open Time Machine from the Dock or the Finder (Applications folder). A message informs you that the storage location is found, click on Configure, then Time Machine Change Disk, highlight the drive you just plug in and click Select. If a message tells you that the disk will be formatted, click Delete. The initial backup begins immediately after and can last several hours depending on the volume of data. Thereafter, Time Machine is activated every hour, and hourly backups are maintained 24 hours, the daily one month, but the weeklies are never deleted automatically.

And with Windows XP?

Windows XP also has its integrated backup utility. But it has some shortcomings. On the one hand, it is installed by default as the professional version of Windows XP. With the Home version, you have to look on the installation CD in the folder Valueadd/MSFT/NTBackup, and then double-click the file Ntbackup.msi to install the tool. On the other hand, it does not include automated backup system at regular intervals: it means using the Task Scheduler. Installing a backup software for free.

[TechyGuy]

Use a free tool

The free Cobian Backup is more than the backup tool built into Windows. In particular, it is more precise in planning. Otherwise choose the ideal frequency.

1. Download and install the program

Free and translated into many languages, Cobian Backup can be downloaded from here. Open the installation file, select English from the list of available languages (Available languages), then install the program with its default settings. When you see Installation completed successfully, click Done.

2. Set the backup

Cobian Backup is permanently present in the taskbar of Windows: its icon is shaped like a small mushroom. Double-click it. In the program's interface, create a new task by clicking the icon in the shape of a notebook (or typing Ctrl + A). The window shows the default properties: in the Name of the task, enter a name for your backup more explicit than 1 backup. Keep the box checked Include subdirectories. Under Type of Backup, several choices available: Full (for each backup, all selected files are copied, which can take up a lot of disk space), Differential, Incremental (see the opening of this Guide the meaning of these terms) and Saving dummy (to test without saving). We advise you to choose the differential backup, a good compromise that is more convenient to restore. Change the field to keep complete copies: 1 state (to keep a full backup).

3. Specify the elements to preserve

Then click the Files tab. You can add the elements of two ways. The first in the Source box, click Add, then select Files (to select the files one by one) or Directory (to include entire files). Look for the items in the trees that appear and press OK. Alternate method: click on the link Drag and drop from Windows Explorer, as its name suggests, open Windows Explorer: you simply drag files and folders of your choice and place them on the Source Cobian Backup. Then the folder for your backups to do this, click Add in the Destination box, select Directory, select the appropriate folder and press OK. Save the task by clicking the OK button in the Properties window nnnn (your backup). To start the copy, click on the icon representing two disks, or use the shortcut Ctrl + B, then press OK. By adopting these settings, you can store successive versions of a file. In fact, each backup is done in a different folder whose name includes the date and time of the operation.

4. Plan Backup

You can set Cobian Backup to make backups at regular intervals. These settings can be made before recording the task or by modifying an existing task (to do this, double-click its icon in the left pane of the interface). Activate the tab. Pull down the Type menu and select the planning interval (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). Depending on the choice of fields are working to refine the timing of initiation of the operation (days of the week, start time, etc.).. To make multiple backups per day, select Timer Type in planning and set in timer, the time between two records. Validate by OK.

[TechyGuy]

Create a image disk

With the True Image Home software by Acronis, create a copy of your system disk or a data partition.

Download and install the program

True Image Home 2009 is available in trial version 15 days, 100% functional on the site. Download and install the software with its default settings. Once the PC has restarted, run True Image and click Try.

We advise you store your disk images on a second hard drive, regardless of whether internal or external, the important thing is that it has a space at least equal to all the data on the primary drive (where Windows is installed, typically drive C). Accuracy: if both operating systems are installed on your computer (for example, XP and Vista), True Image will save the two default system partition. You can choose not to save one.

Create the image

At the opening, the program displays a window asking you to perform the backup of your system volume. By default, True Image offers a path destination to another disk with sufficient free space, change it if necessary by clicking Specify the destination and selecting the folder, then press OK. Then click the small arrow under the link Specify the destination to access the options you can change the refresh rate of images from the system disk, and the time at which the operation will start every time.

When these settings for you, click Protect. Enter your password for Windows session that the task is properly planned and executed press OK. The creation of the image of your system disk can last over an hour depending on the size of the volume and speed of the discs (both source and target). Once the disk image saved, click OK.

Get a spare drive

True Image can restore data from Windows, but in case of big problems with your operating system, you can start the PC and restore it from a rescue CD. To do this, please provide: create this CD as your first backup. Open the Tools menu at the top left of the interface and select Create an emergency boot. Click Next, then make sure that both Acronis TrueImage Home boxes are checked, then click Next twice.

Insert a blank CD into the drive of your computer and then in the list of available drives to create a support mode, select your burner. Then click Next, and then click Run to start burning.

Back up partitions or other files

With TrueImage, you can also create an image of partition or storage of files and folders. However, we advise you to frequently update the image created to avoid the loss of recent files. In the home screen of the program, click the Save icon, then on my computer (to copy the entire partition) or on my data (to preserve files and folders). Depending on your choice, select either the partition or the items you want to copy and click Next. Select Create a new backup archive, modify if necessary the name and location of a file that is created, and validate by Next.

In the floating window that appears, click Options, then click Programs. Select a frequency for backups then in the Run this task every day, set the start time of the copy. Enter your Windows password in the field provided, then click Contents to confirm. Check the box Run task now and then click Run to start the backup.

[TechyGuy]

Store your data online

With Carbonite, you can perform online backups. A service charge 50 euros per year, requiring a good connection.

Install the trial version

Carbonite is a very simple online backup. Your files are stored on remote servers, but you can access them as if they were on your PC (you must be connected to the Internet), with the icon player backup Carbonite placed on the desktop. Use the trial version of this program on the website and fill out the form on the homepage.

Please enter a valid email address and a password of more than six characters, which you repeat in the Confirm the password, then click Subscribe. On the page that appears, select the button Click here to start the download. Open the installation file CarboniteSetup-en.exe and when you are invited (under Vista), click Continue to proceed with the installation and press OK. Then in the Setup window of Carbonite Online Backup, click Next.
By default, Carbonite offers to backup the My Documents folder and the Bureau; if you just click Next, but you should check I will manually select the items to save in the future. Click Next three times then Finish. A window appears in the lower right corner of your screen telling you that Carbonite is running and it also occurs by a padlock icon in the taskbar of Windows.

Select the files and folders to backup

On the desktop or in Windows Explorer, find the elements to preserve. Right-click a file, folder or a group of several items and select Carbonite, Save. The files are immediately copied to remote servers from the publisher. Attention, the program does not back up files and system folders, files larger than 2 GB, hidden folders or files stored on external media (USB stick, CD or DVD, etc.)..

However, you can save as much data as you like: you're limited only by the speed of your Internet connection and, more specifically, by sending your speed (upload). This speed is rather low compared to other types of media: in fact, with an average upload speed of 800 kbit / s, you will need no less than a quarter of an hour to save a file of 100 MB . Once the backup, the program icon in the taskbar, going from yellow to green.

Schedule backups

By default, if files are added, changed or deleted from the records that you selected in previous step, they are automatically saved online by Carbonite in the background. This is significant, but it can slow your Internet connection, especially if you do not have a very fast connection. Better planning backups at times of day when you just use your computer (which must remain on and connected).

To do this, click the Carbonite icon in the taskbar and choose Status from the menu that appears. In the summary window, click Set Options, then click the Schedule tab. You can then select the appropriate button, schedule daily backups at a specific time, or specify a time during which no copy is made.

You can also define more complex: for this, check Advanced planning, click the View / Set then click Add a requirement for backup. Then up to you to limit entries to certain days of the week or not save during a specific time slot. When the rule is created, click Save on the condition, and then click Close and then click Apply Changes.

[TechyGuy]

Synchronize files

The free tool allows SyncBack to keep identical copies of files and folders on two different volumes. The operation can be done manually or be scheduled.

Download and install SyncBack

The editor SyncBack, 2BrightSparks provides its software in two versions, one free (SyncBack), the other charge (SyncBack SE). Download it. Then open the downloaded file and run the program. Continue the installation by keeping the default settings.

Set the synchronization

At first launch of SyncBack, you are prompted to create a profile, ie a task backup or synchronization. Click Yes, then select Synchronization: to maintain the same contents of two folders. Name this profile and press OK. Then set the source folder and destination folder. Note that if files are already present in the destination folder, by default they will be also copied to the source! Click the folder icon to the right of the Source field for defining element to synchronize, select it in the tree and click OK.

Repeat manipulation for the destination folder (if necessary, create a new folder on the target volume). Confirm by OK to save any. The software then offers to simulate synchronization: Click Yes to accept, or No to go directly to the summary profiles (you can create more). Note finally that you can refine your synchronization settings in the advanced options. We advise you to activate the option Ask me in the context that is done if the file is in the source but not in the destination and what happens if the file is in the destination but not source.

Run and plan synchronization

To start synchronization, highlight its profile in the summary and click Run. The software then draws up a list of files to copy. Click Continue execution so that the synchronization takes place. You can also automate this task in the profiles window, highlight the one to automate, click Schedule task and then click Yes and OK. In the Task tab, click Set Password, enter the password of your Windows session, confirm it in the second field and click OK.
In the Schedule tab, you can change the interval between two synchronizations. So that they are held several times a day, click Advanced, check Repeat task and change the interval to your liking. Also select the Time button and enter the number of hours per day during which you want the synchronization is achieved. Then close all windows with OK.

Synchronize on an FTP server

SyncBack also allows you to synchronize your files with a remote FTP server, such as your ISP. Click New and repeat the operations described in step 2. When defining the source and target folders, click the Expert tab and then FTP. Check the destination folder is on an FTP server, then enter the host name (the address of the FTP server), your username and password (provided by your ISP or operator of the FTP server).

To verify that your settings are correct, click Test Settings FTP. In the Source field, enter a local folder on your PC to the destination folder, click on the icon of a folder, click OK to connect to FTP server and remote folder selected to host the files (for placement in the root, click OK). Validez OK, delete the message (not translated) OK. You can run a simulation by clicking Yes. The synchronization takes place as described in step 2.

[TechyGuy]

And restoration?

You made a bad handling, a crash occurred or you have lost files? To retrieve them, follow the below depending on the backup method chosen.

With the Vista utility

On the Start menu, open All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Status and configuration backup. Enable the Restore Files tab and click Restore files (if your PC has multiple user accounts, choose Advanced Restore). Select Files of the last backup and click Next. Depending on your needs, then click Add Files or Add Folders and select the tree items to restore. You can repeat the process several times if necessary. Click Next.

In the new window, hold in check the original location for the files are restored to their folder, then click Start Restore. If files with the same name are already in the destination folder, you will be prompted to replace or keep the old version.

With Acronis 2009 Home True Image

Whether you use this software under Windows or the version recorded on a spare drive, the handling is very similar. On the home screen of the program, click Manage and restore. A list of your disk images appears: right-click on the corresponding data to restore and select Restore. Select according to your needs, among Restore partitions and whole disks and restore files and folders, then click Next.

Then check boxes for files, folders or partitions to restore, then click Next twice. When the wizard informs you that all the required steps are completed, click Contents and then click Run to start the restoration.

With Carbonite

Display status window Carbonite by double-clicking the padlock icon in the taskbar. Then click Restore, then click Select files and folders to restore. This has the effect to open the Carbonite Backup Drive icon which is located on the desktop. Browse through the files copied to remote right-click those you want to copy on your PC and select Restore. You have to confirm overwriting of the original files on your hard drive.

You can also restore files in a folder or on a different disk: for this, right click on items to restore, select Restore to select the disk or the destination folder and click OK.

With Cobian Backup

Unlike other programs described in these pages, Cobian Backup does not function to automatically restore to their original location, the files saved. It is an advantage because the files are copied directly accessible: just view them in Explorer and copy them in their original folder, you can select only certain files. But it is also a disadvantage because if you saved a lot of files and folders, this operation - manual - can be tedious, a tool to automate this task would have been welcome.

Anyway, open Windows Explorer with the Windows + E shortcut, locate the volume containing your backups and copy the selected items in the appropriate folders. If you have set, as we have advised you, a differential backup, you can simply search the elements preserved in two cases: one bearing the earliest date (initial full backup) and one with the most recent date (containing all the items created or modified since the full backup).