Back up your computer files

Laura Smith lost everything in a flash.

When she left for work, her home computer was fine. When she came home, all the clocks in the house were blinking 12:00, and her computer was dark. There had been a lightning storm that day.

"My kids, 13 and 15, tend to check their e-mail in the morning," says Smith, a special needs teaching assistant. "The computer was on when I left for work and it was not on when I came home. When I tried to start it there was a burning smell and smoke. Everything inside it was fried."

Smith lost both professional and personal data in that storm. The computer held the only copies of her family's e-mail messages, school projects, and letters. "All our stuff was gone," she says. "The computer had to be replaced."

Eventually, everyone faces a data disaster. Are you ready? Unless all of your electronic files are expendable, you should be making backup copies of your most important data on a regular basis.

"Your backup is as important as your data and your time—because that's what it's going to cost you if you lose it," says Cheryl Frogley-Rawson, an IT consultant with Helpin' Out, a computer support company for small businesses and individuals. "Even if you have hard copies, it's going to cost you time to enter the information again."

"You have to think of the worst-case scenario and do backups for that," she says. "Plan for a hard-drive crash and make sure that base is covered."

Copying and duplicating files

The key to a successful backup is getting a copy of your data off your hard drive. Focus on protecting your personal files like letters, projects, sent e-mail messages, your e-mail address book, and any other information that is essential.

Don't try to copy programs like Microsoft Word or Outlook—they can be reinstalled from the original CDs you purchased. Likewise, the operating system software—Windows itself and any software provided by your computer maker—can usually be recovered from the installation or "System Restore" CDs that came with the computer.

A simple backup in Windows XP requires no special software or skills. To copy a file or folder, just right-click on it and select Copy from the pop-up menu that appears. Choose the disk or drive where you want to store the duplicate copy, right-click again, and then select Paste from the pop-up menu. It's that easy.

You can also copy files in other Windows operating systems using a drag-and-drop method—hold down the right mouse button while dragging a file or folder, then select Copy Here from the pop-up menu that appears.

Your e-mail messages and address book list can be exported and then backed up along with other personal data. This process varies depending on which e-mail software is used on your computer. Search Microsoft's Help and Support site for instructions to back up your Outlook Express and Outlook e-mail and address book.

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Storing your information

You should avoid using standard floppy disks for long-term backups of important information. Floppies are less reliable than hard disks and are best for short-term storage of small files.

There are many other options available to protect your personal data, including Zip disks, recordable CDs, DVDs, and tape cartridges. You can even upload your data to an Internet-based file storage service.

To find the solution that's best for you, compare the convenience, price, and ease of use offered by each approach. For example, a 100 MB Zip drive costs much less than a tape drive, but a single tape cartridge can hold as much as 300 Zip disks. And, a tape backup can take place automatically while you sleep.

Label disks clearly, noting the date and time of the backup. Don't erase the previous backup until you have made a newer one.

Schedule regular backups

How often should you back up your data? If you use your computer occasionally, a weekly backup might be enough. If you use your computer every day, a daily backup is a good idea.

Finally, whatever backup option you choose, be sure to check that it works. Duplicate a single folder or group of files, and then try to recover those backup files to a different drive or folder. Don't wait until it's too late to find that the restore process doesn't work.

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