disk boot failure. insert system disk and press enter
Monday, 21 April 2008 16:11
We all know backing up your data is important, but why is it that so many of us still don't do it on a regular basis? Maybe because it's tedious to make sure you have all the right files zipped and then move them to some external media. I used to use ZipBackup. While the program greatly simplified the task of creating separate backup sets (a full set and an incremental set - only the files that have changed since the previous backup) even after setting ZipBackup to run on a schedule, I often ended up with numerous zip files on my desktop that I never got around to burning to a CD. This method would not have done me a lot of good had my hard drive crashed. Fortunately, I have been spared thus far.
Online Backup
These days there are many options out there that greatly simplify the backup process with true set it and forget functionality. I use Mozy. It was one of the first services out there to provide unlimited storage for a small monthly fee ($4.95). Isn't your data worth $60/year? If it's not, maybe you should rethink this whole computer thing. A typewriter might work just fine for you. Anyway, since the release of Mozy there have been a number of competitors who have launched similar services with claims that they are better than Mozy. I have not evaluated these other services, so you may want to check out IDrive and Carbonite as well as Mozy.
All services offer roughly the same thing at roughly the same price. Mozy allows you to set the files you would like to backup and then automatically backs these files up to a remote server every two hours. This means that even if your office burns to the ground your files will still be resting safely in a data center somewhere. Mozy also adds a network drive to your computer which allows you to download old versions of a file through Windows Explorer. Need all 50 gigs of your files? Mozy will send them to you on CDs.
We all keep important data on our machines. Whether customer info, pics, emails or anything else, if you're not backing up your files, one day you may push the power button on your computer and be greeted by a screen saying 'disk boot failure. insert system disk and press enter'.
