A Question For Computer Geeks?

[ronp]

I keep all my files on an external drive and nothing on my computer, I do back ups every sunday and am wondering if I shouldn't copy the files from the external to my C drive in case the external goes out?

I am thinking I should, what do you think? I think it is obvious.

Oh, and the best way to do it, copy and paste?

Thanks in advance.

 

[pops6927]

How big of files are you talking? How many gigs? You may want to do redundancy with a thumb drive or two. Then if your computer or external crap out you've still got core files you can get from the thumb.

 

[thunderdome]

I keep everything on my C drive, and do a backup to a NAS drive (external wireless hard drive) every 3 days. This way if one or the other goes out, it's still backed up.

I can also plug in an external into the NAS drive and do another backup to it.

 

[ronp]

I have about 20 gigs on the external. I have a ton of space left on both drives. Still not sure how to transfer them safely.

 

[husker-q]

Keep files on both - I've had an external hard drive go bad and lost that data. I now run weekly backups of hard drive to external drive.

 

[torchrider]

I would use online backup. Cheap and secure.

 

[eaglewing]

I have to agree with POPS, but I have 3 internals and 2 externals...

so I have 1 internal and 1 external dedicated to backups of my C files...

You can also create a BATCH 'copy & paste' command that will, at the click of a mouse, make a new backup in any place you say, at any time you want.

EXAMPLE: I use the following code to backup the 'profile' of my COD5 game to an internal drive so I NEVER lose it.

... just google 'XCOPY' for the way to make command files to AUTO-BACKUP

 

[fourthwind]

I just write the backup files to DVD's every few months. I dont have the extra money to back up to internet servers, and I dont trust my externals or internals.. Only so much you can do.

 

[ddave]

Keep the files on your C: drive and do backups to the external. Occasionally do a test restore to an alternate location on your C: drive to make sure the backup is good.

Use Windows Backup to create a backup job. Much easier to select different files/folders than with XCOPY. It's included with XP, I'm not sure about Windows 7.

Lots of NAS (network attached storage) devices come with backup software. If you have a choice of wired or wireless ALWAYS use wired. It's going to be MUCH faster not to mention more secure.

Dave

 

[ronp]

Well, I just copied the files from the external to my C drive sucessfully an d now have the files on both drives.
I just made a folder on the C drive Back up from my E drive.

Thanks everyone.

 

[ddave]

Sounds like you're in good shape.

Some folks say your data is only as good as your last backup. In the IT field, we say your data is only as good as your last successful restore.

Dave

 

[ronp]

Thanks Dave nice to know I am safe now.

 

[silverwolf636]

Hello Ron,
Just to add my 2 cents. That's one reason I have a dvd writer. The cd writers just don't hold enough. I back everything up on dvds label and date them. I'm talking my videos, pictures, documents, tech documents, etc.

--ray--
(0||||0)

 

[ol' smokey]

I ran into a totally free program called Allway Sync. Go to their web site and check it out. I backup the entire Documents folder on my desktop to a external hard drive. The first backup took quite a while because of all the files that needed to be copied. I now run it at least once a week and it takes less than 30 seconds to complete the backup. The reason is it only looks for new or modified files update. Plus it works great over my wireless network.

 

[ecto1]

I worked for a national company that fixes computers while I was going to college. If I had a dollar for everyone who lost data because they did not have a sufficent backup I would not be working today. Take the pain out of it and get an online backup they are cheap, reliable, and fool proof. I recommend carbonite or mozy but a quick google search will find many others that offer the same service. The thing about backups is they should always be stored offsite just in case. Just in case you house burns down or is broken into you don't lose both your hard copy and your back up. With both the software solutions mentioned above you kina just set it and forget it until you need it. If anyone wants carbonite send me a PM and I can refer you from my account and you will get a discount.

 

[mudduck]

I AM TOTALE confused y'all go to talking computer
hard drive c@ d drive and backup and don't know what
I'm doing i put it in d for drive won't go put in c for can't
then put it in r for raceing backing up then i crash
y'all don't need to tell us domme about this stuff
I'll mess this thing up it won't never work

 

[tlzimmerman]

I also recommend doing online backup.

Worth the piece of mind...no matter how many hard drives you have hooked to your computer, or plugged into your house...it only takes 1 lightning strike to take it all.

Trust me....happened to me this past year. Good thing I had online backup or I woulda lost everything because my internal and both my externals were toast.

 

[foos]

I use the free service dropbox to keep an online duplicate of any important files that I need. The free version gives 2 GB of storage space. When I am at work and find a recipe on SMF, I just copy it to my dropbox folder, and then when at home cooking I can just pull up my dropbox folder and the new recipes are there for use. It keeps the files synched across all computers. If interested, feel free to use the following link to sign up for drop box - https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTExNTQxNzk (we each get an extra 250 mb of free storage space by using this link)