Computer Repair UK

Finding the best backup solution can be rather difficult but very important. We are all storing more and more information on our computers and now it is even possible to get all your regular mail online instead of receiving it by post. This includes tax papers and other important documents. Still, backup is only thought of when things actually go wrong instead of securing your data on a regular basis. A few people take a backup of their files once in a while when they get around to it, which simply isn’t enough anymore, but most never think of it.

The purpose of this article is to get you, the pc user, thinking of how you would like windows backup running and by covering your needs, find the application that fits your requirements.

Identifying your backup requirements
Below is a list of requirements I have used myself. You can use this list to get started and hopefully end up with a windows backup solution which will make sure you never loose a file again.

Online backup: it is all about security and one of the requirements is offsite backup, meaning your files will be stored on a server far away from the originals. This also saves your data in case of theft and nature disasters, like flooding or house fire.

• Scheduled backup: once the backup has been configured, I never want to think about it again. The backup must be scheduled to fit my requirements, which could be once per day.
• Notifications: I don’t want to think about my backup and therefore I need a daily status of the backup situation. Could be successful, unsuccessful, not run, out of space and so on.
• Unlimited space: I will need a lot of space, almost unlimited, if this is to run for many years.
• Data availability: It is critical that I can recover and access my data at all times. I don’t want to be stuck waiting for other people to manually give me access to retrieve my files.
• Security: Since this is everything from pictures of my children to tax papers, the backup solution must be secure. All data transmitted by the internet must be encrypted and a antivirus program must be running on the targeted location.
• Guarantee: My backup provider must guarantee my data safety. The solution must be running on proven hardware.

This is some of my own requirements but there could be many more than or even not as strict as mine. If you take a quick look at the requirements list, it easy to already now out rule some solutions. I need backup as a service, not by using a secondary hard drive. I am willing to pay for this service, as long as the price is fair. I would say around $5 a month.

Success
I found, that with my rather strict requirements, I could actually get a free backup solution for personal use and my company only has to pay $9.95 a month for a complete enterprise backup.

When you are thinking about your price, the only question you should ask yourself is: How much is my data worth?

written by Newshound \\ tags: backup plan, backup service, backup solution, data security, online backup, Windows backup software

Why change my existing backup solution?

Your current windows backup software may very well be running with problems and you may even have bought an external hard drive or even have a server running at home to keep your backup secure. Online backup solution are by many considered an expensive solution if you only need to take a small backup now and then, while others think online backup is too risky and therefore buy their own home backup solution with mirrored hard drives and what not. I would like to demystify all these statements.

Why use Online Backup?

Online backup is much more than just windows backup software, but provides you with a highly reliable backup solution, which can run in the background like we not it from antivirus software, that is guaranteed to keep your data stored on a reliable medium and additionally provides you with remote access to all your backup files like is was a online storage for files. If needed you can access all your files or create a new backup while sitting in the train on your way to work or bring your laptop with you on your vacation and immediately store your photos on a reliable backup until you get home. Imagine your laptop being stole or broke on your way home and all your family photos were lost. Internet backup services will solve all these issues for you. One last thing to mention is the storage capacity. While your normal windows backup software relies on your medium to have enough free space to store all your backups, online backup is unlimited. Some online backup services even provide free usage for private users as long as the data doesn’t exceed 2 GB. If you need more than 2 GB, you pay a monthly fee, which usually is around $5 and then you have unlimited space.

Online Backup Requirements

Requirements for running online backup are very few. You computer has to be running on Microsoft windows for using any windows backup software and you need to have an internet connection for using the internet backup services. Many of the online backup sites require you to do a test of your internet connection speed and if it is not sufficient, they will tell you not to use their services. In my experience, there is not such thing as a too slow internet connection. It all depends on what you want to back up. If you only have a couple of thousand word documents, you can do it with a very slow connection, though the initial backup will take quite some time. If you intend to back up your whole hard drive with all programs, images and word documents, you probably need a 512 kilobit connection or better.

Wrapping up

Using internet backup services provides you with better accessibility, unlimited space and very low costs compared to a power consuming backup server. This small article is the first in a series of articles about the subject and advantages, or disadvantages, by using an online backup solution.

written by Newshound \\ tags: backup, backup solution, internet backup service, online backup, Windows backup software

When starting to take backup of your data by using windows backup software, it is very important to know your needs and what to backup. If you are taking backup of everything, you could add unnecessary cost to yourself or if you are taking backup of the wrong files, you could end up with a data disaster. This small article will help you set up a backup solution that fits your needs.

How much is your data worth?
What would your family say if all your digital photos suddenly disappeared or all your private budget files accidentally were deleted? What about your own small company loosing all invoices and customer registrations? What about you loosing all your outlook contacts?

These are all questions you have to ask yourself before determining what much your data is worth and why to have to ensure a backup copy is always secure

Important files
Here is a list of the most common files to add to your backup set. These examples may not cover all your requirements but they are important to most people.

• The folder(s) containing all your office documents
• The folder(s) containing all your digital photos
• The folder(s) containing all your projects
• Your internet bank security key
• E-mail messages
• E-mail contacts and calendar from outlook or similar
• Website bookmarks - maybe not critical but easily added
• Software or music purchased from the internet

Besides these files, you must also be sure to add any work related program data to the windows backup software configuration.

Determine your needs
Once you have selected all these files and folders, you should have a better overview of your backup needs. When thinking of your backup needs, you must decide how often you expect this backup to run, how big your backup will be and so on.

Choose your Windows backup software solution
Windows Backup Software can either be an offline solution or an online solution. Offline backup solutions will maybe be adequate if you are only backing up a few files and that these files do not changes very often. Examples of this could be your security key for your internet bank and maybe this year’s budget. If this is the case, you can just add an event in your calendar to remind you to copy the files to a USB stick every 6 months.

If you are using windows backup software for taking a full backup of all the examples mentioned above, you are better off selecting an internet backup service. These online backup solutions are easily configured, very cheap (free if the backup size is below 2 GB) and a very secure way of storing your data.

This option also gives you the possibility of accessing your data from everywhere as long as you have an internet connection.

Online backup solutions are by far the best option available to the normal user looking for windows backup software.

written by Newshound \\ tags: data disaster, internet backup service, Offline backup, online backup, Windows backup software