Not backing up your data could cost you!
Aysë Stenabaugh
Jesters Computers
(7/2020) Too often the "out of sight out of mind" concept can bite us in the behind. Recently, an Emmitsburg Daughters of Charity resident contacted us because she was unable to access her data. Upon completing diagnostics on her storage device we determined that in order to recover her data she would have to
send her hard drive to a data recovery specialist. Later she learned that the mistake of not backing up her data would cost her $800.
Data that is stored on only ONE device is never completely safe because all physical storage devices will eventually fail. The only way to protect your data is to ensure that data is either being manually copied to another storage device, an automatic backup to an external storage device is configured to run at regular intervals or cloud
storage is being utilized and data is being saved properly to your cloud storage. Any of the above methods will help ensure that your data is safe, read on to learn the benefits and limitations of each option.
CDs and DVDs are the least secure storage method and are the most likely to become damaged or lost. If you’ve ever found yourself listening to a music cd only for it to start skipping, the disc probably got scratched or damaged. Since your relying on a laser to burn the data into the disc the slower the burn speed the deeper the burn or
etching of the data into the disk. If you do choose to burn your data to a disc, choosing a slower speed can help ensure that your data won’t get damaged as easily but it doesn’t prevent scratches. It’s okay to burn a copy of data to a disc if you need to share your files with another person but we wouldn’t recommend using it as a method to backup or store a
single copy of important data.
Flash Drives can seem like a good storage option since there are no moving parts and USBs are readily accessible on most devices. In reality, flash drives were never meant to be permanent storage media instead, the devices were designed to copy files from one device and easily transfer them to another. The problem with this is that flash
drives can be easily lost or damaged. Flash drives, similar to solid-state hard drives have a limit on the number of times it can write to and erase the memory in the device. Additionally, plugging a flash drive into a device that is not properly regulating its power can cause a surge that can damage the hardware.
External backup drives that remain plugged in and are configured to backup your data are a good option to automatically ensure that your data is stored in a second location. Windows 8 and Windows 10 both provide the ability to set up file history which will automatically copy and new or changed files to your external storage device.
Additionally, on Windows 7 and newer devices, you can perform a system image or setup your image on a regular schedule. A system image is a snapshot of your entire computer including personal files, programs, and settings. Having a system image can prevent you from needing to locate and re-load all of your programs and restore your files and settings. A system
image can only be saved to an external hard drive (unless you have the pro versions of Windows which allows network storage devices to be used). Using an external backup drive you do have an initial cost (Our backup drives including setup are $110), at some point any physical storage device could fail at which point you would replace that device.
Cloud storage is a great way to ensure that all of your data is safe in the event of a fire or natural disaster. When configured properly, data can be saved to the cloud and the computer automatically. With cloud storage, you can typically access your cloud data from any device with internet access by logging into your account.There are
several different cloud storage options including Dropbox, OneDrive, and iCloud. For those that want to utilize Microsoft Office software such as Word, Excel or Outlook can benefit two-fold by subscribing to Microsoft 365 (formerly office 365) which provides the latest versions of their Office software as well as 1 Terabyte of online storage for a yearly fee.
Too often we see our customers in tears because they lost pictures, videos, school work, etc that was not properly backed up. If you want to ensure this doesn’t happen to you we strongly recommend considering at least one of the options above, ideally both a physical and cloud storage. If you find yourself with questions about data storage
or if you need assistance with your computer, consider reaching out to us at Jester’s Computer Services for advice or to schedule an appointment at 717-642-6611. You can also find us on the web at www.jesterscomputers.com
