COMPUTER BACKUPS - SO WHEN THE COMPUTER DIES ALL CAN BE RESTORED

 This week I have to talk about organizing one's computer – yes, it is very important.  If one leaves the dishes for later in the day, as long as they get done it is fine – the same for dusting, laundry and most household chores.  But one may only get one chance to back up their computer before data or software is lost.   

We do not back up to “the cloud”.  All backups are on local on other media than the data drive(s) used.    Another name for “the cloud” is “someone else's hard drive”.  I figure it is worth much more to someone to break into, say, Google's data which includes same for – how many people? - then it is to break into ours – and we do not keep sensitive data.  Plus if the Internet is “down” we can keep using our computers with all data available to us.

I am very careful to back up.  I keep my data on USB flash stick drives so it can be moved from my desktop to my laptop or another computer.  I use 2 additional of these drives (marked “A” and “B”) for daily backing up.  I do so at least daily and alternate between the two of them,  If I used “A” yesterday, today's backup is on B.  This way even if the backup for the day and the original data is lost – I have only lost a day's work as I still have the prior day's backup.  

I also have 2 of these drives (with larger capacity) which are marked “E” and “F”.  On Friday afternoons I update the data on whichever of these 2 drives I did not use last Friday.  This way even if I lose my original and both backups – I have the data as of the last Friday (end of work week).

Okay you are starting to think I am bit crazy and back up too much – but more is coming and it is important.  Since flash drives have a limited number of rewrites to them I also have 2 external hard drives.  I They are named odd and even (my data drive is H and my archive drive of prior years is G).  My data drive, archive drive and A and B backup drives are always in my desktop computer (unless being used on my laptop or there is some unusual reason to remove them from the computer).  

In the middle of the month (around the 15th) I will back up my data drives to an external hard drive and also backup my computer itself to same.  I use the “odd” hard drive for backups in the odd number months (1, etc) and the “even” hard drive for same in even months (2, etc).  This way I have a complete backup of computer and data at most 2 months old and more likely one month old or more recent.  

It sounds like a lot of work but takes maybe half an hour at most (and that is more than actual) while I am closing my work area for the day.  

I also have separate data flash drives for my accounting business clients so that when I go to a client (in non-pandemic times) I only bring their data with me and not any other client's data.  I back these up when I use them to the A/B alternates and if used during the past week on weekly backup and also always to the monthly hard drive backup.

Earlier this year my computer went wacky and husband had to use the most recent backup of the computer after he got it working again to get it close to normal and I did not lose any data.  

Okay – that is a one time problem, won't happen again – HA! HA!

Two days ago husband let our joint Windows 10 computer update.  We each have a Win 7 computer setup as we want and only use the Win 10 as we need to for software which needs it.  A month or so ago his Win 7 died and since he is using the Win 10 as his regular computer.  

When he turned on the computer yesterday – it did not come on.  Something in the backing up did something weird to the computer.  He worked on it into the wee hours of this morning and then gave up.  He does not back up as often as I do so his backup is about a month (maybe two) old.  Presuming that backup works – all of his programs will think it is back then and any work since and not backed up is lost.  It took 3 or 4 tries of booting the computer today for everything to seem be okay with it.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

When was the last time you backed up your computer(s)?  If you lost the data on it would you be okay or would you need the data?    

Get yourself a couple of USB stick flash drives and at least start backing up your data.  An external hard drive is good idea for backup of the computer itself also.