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Viewing entries tagged with 'backup'
Backing up is EASY
After a month of installing an online backup service to 6 homes and 1 small business, I have to say that I really like Mozy It's 2GB for free and unlimited storage is only $4.95 a month. Some of my customers are fine with the free 2GB, I myself have almost 10GB backing up twice a day. The best thing is that you can access your backup and VIEW and restore it to ANY computer in the world, from a browser, when yours fails, or gets infected, or you buy a new one. I'm going to skip the external harddrive and the Windows internal backup that was recommended by Senior's Guide to Computers and go for this one service. There are two contenders to my mind, http://www.Carbonite.com and http://www.Mozy.com and I chose Mozy.
Ten things folks still do, and shouldn't
I came across this article today Ten Things Not to Do and I think it's worth posting. No customer I've visited so far has 1) backup, 2) anti-malware installed, and if they do have an anti-virus, it's not updated or configured correctly. With an hour of tech support, you can save yourself the three hours minimum it takes ANY support person to clear viruses/malware. And lately, I'm seeing more and more that folks are losing data because the infections are so bad, I have to reinstall. Data recovery is expensive, I can hook you up with a FREE online backup service (up to 2GB, unlimited is a minimal monthly cost). And get a good surge protector! That $25 will pay itself back ten-fold. Just my two cents of experience with thunderstorms!
More about Backing Up
While I was on vacation, I did some more research on backing up strategies. Senior's Guide to Computers has a good plan: an external hard drive with scheduled daily back ups, a free online service just for My Documents, once a week back up of data to DVDs, and an image of the primary hard drive. This plan covers all disasters! I can put this plan in place for you, just give me a call or email me.
Backing up, it needs to be done
I regularly make backups of my email, contacts and My Documents, usually just copying over to a flash drive or maybe burning a CD. But now I have to back up the C:\ drive so that I can restore it exactly the way it was, should disaster strike. I just tried out the Backup application in XP, and it's not bad. It's still manual, but I did a huge set of folders and it worked fine. If you're looking for a systematic, scheduled backup service that won't break the bank, Email me - I'll be happy to point you to a good application to fit your needs.
Maintaining and Securing your Computer
I've been researching how best to keep a computer working at it's optimum. The three main tasks to attend to are: 1) backing up, full every month and incrementally, daily or weekly 2) scanning for viruses and spyware, daily 3) updating for service packs and patches, 24/7 I can do all these tasks using a remote access tool! The scanning and updating service is only $29.95 a month - call me for details. Or email me and I will send you the broad overview of how to do these tasks for yourself.