Backing up the files on a computer is a little like renewing insurance; it’s not appreciated until needed. Nor, like the gripping world of underwriting, is it particularly exciting.
A morning at the dentist may seem more attractive than a spot of digital filing, but it’s vital to remember that the data that comprises the photographs, music and documents stored on a PC is fragile.
Most of us now create and store files that are relatively large compared with a few years ago, and so creating copies can easily eat up CDs and even DVDs. Knowing what to back up – and the best way to go about it – will save you time and give you peace of mind.
A backup is simply a copy of a file stored on a CD or other location, which can be used if the original on the hard disk is deleted or damaged. Specialist backup software is just a slightly more sophisticated and automated way of performing this process. In this feature we’ll explain the easiest way to back up data, but first let’s look at the pros and cons of various methods.
Creating backups
There are two types of software for backing up data. The first makes a copy of all the selected files and saves them to another location. Although it is possible to do a similar job manually using the CD-writing wizard, special software can save valuable time by splitting the files over more than one disc if required and indexing files so they are easier to find.
The other kind of backup software creates an exact replica of all data on the hard disk, and this is called a disk image. This is the technique used for the Windows XP recovery disks that are supplied with new computers. Everything on the hard disk is recorded down to the smallest bit so that nothing is lost. Restoring a backup of this type returns a computer to the state it was in when the backup was made, with no need to reinstall software.
These backups are simple to make and easy to restore, but there are a couple of disadvantages. Restoring the backup wipes everything that has been changed on the computer, so if a file is not included on the backup disk, restoring the image will delete it. On the other hand, if Windows has become damaged beyond repair, this type of backup is the quickest way to bring it back to life.
Making an image can also be inefficient in the amount of space it requires; as well as your valuable files, it will also back up the temporary internet files that you don’t need.
There are two other terms that need explaining: incremental and differential backups. These are ways to reduce the amount of space – and therefore the time – needed for regular backups by not including files that have not changed. First, a full backup must be made in the normal way. When the next backup is made and either of these options is selected, the software checks to see whether any file has been changed and will only back up the files that have been amended. Differential backups use a more sophisticated way of searching for amended files and typically take up less space, at the cost of being somewhat slower. A first and full backup may take more than one DVD but subsequent backups may fit on a single CD. The disadvantage of using this technology is that restoring a file can take longer, but as this should be a rare event, it is a sacrifice worth making.
The best media to use
It is possible to make backups on your computer’s hard drive but, if the hard disk fails, these files will be lost along with the originals, so it is far safer to store backed up files in a different physical location to the originals – such as on a CD or DVD.
Floppy disks are too small for anything larger than word processor or spreadsheet documents, and are in any case notoriously prone to data corruption; most digital cameras take photos that individually are bigger than the capacity of a floppy disk. Floppies are now considered virtually obsolete and have largely been overtaken by USB flash drives, also called memory sticks.
CDs and DVDs are the next step up in size from the floppy – and it is a very big step. A standard DVD holds over 4.7Gb of information, and imaging software compresses data to save space. Generally, backup software will compress files so they are almost half their original size. But this will not apply to photos saved as JPEGs or movies saved as MPEGs as these formats are already compressed.
All such optical discs, as they are generically called, must be treated with care to prevent scratches that can damage data on them. Recordable discs are also vulnerable to direct sunlight. They should be kept inside cases or wallets in a cool, dark place – not left lying and dying on a car’s rear shelf. Unfortunately the discs can degrade over time even if they are kept in ideal conditions. They should be checked on a regular basis and replaced yearly. Backing up to discs that can be used only once has the added advantage that files cannot be deleted once written, preventing accidents. CDs are generally more resilient than DVDs.
An alternative to CDs and DVDs is to use an external hard disk for backups. Hard disks are the fastest way of backing up, and can make small incremental backups very quickly. They also offer the greatest storage capacity in one unit. The downside is that it is harder to protect files from accidental deletion and it is easy to leave the disk connected, also increasing the risk of accidents. Hard disks are also precision mechanical devices and should be handled with care, especially when switched on.
The Internet also provides a way to store files but is more suited to home use than to a small business where you are handling client-sensitive data. Some companies offer space on their computers dedicated to backups, or you can use the ever-increasing storage capacity of webmail accounts such as Hotmail and Lycos. Simply e-mail the documents you want to keep a spare copy of to your own webmail address. But note that, while webmail providers rarely lose data, they do not absolutely guarantee the safety of data stored in accounts. Webmail is therefore not suitable for very important documents – and remember that emailing large files will be a slow process if you don’t have a broadband connection.
As you can see, no form of backup is bullet-proof, but CDs are the best choice for most people. Drives that can write to these discs have been included in PCs as standard for several years, so it is highly likely that you already have the equipment to do the job. In our experience, it is worth being choosy about the quality of the discs that you buy. More expensive discs will be of better quality but, even so, don’t forget that even the best discs do not last for ever. If the information is very important, make more than one copy and check the discs every six months or so to ensure that they have not been damaged in any way.
When making a second copy, don’t simply duplicate the first copy in case the data is corrupted. Set your CD-burning software to verify the copy, so that it will alert you to any problems.
Software options
Using dedicated backup software can save both time and effort. Much mention is made of Microsoft Backup, but it is no longer supported and is not always supplied with computers.
One excellent alternative is the File and Settings Transfer Wizard included with Windows. Click on the Start*All Programs and Accessories*System Tools*wizard. Click on the Old Computer option and then Next. Select Other from the list of four options that appear and then click on the Browse button. You will need to create a folder to store the backup, and it’s important to create this folder on the C: drive, not on the Desktop or elsewhere. To do this, click on the small plus symbol next to My Computer in the list of locations, and then on Local Disk so it is highlighted in blue. Now click on the Make New Folder button and give it an appropriate name, such as ‘My Backup’ along with the date.
If you use Windows XP’s Documents and Settings folder as the default location for saved documents, pictures and music, then making a copy of this folder will protect all the items that are important to you, assuming that all the discs for the various applications installed on the PC have been kept safe. Each user of the computer has their own folder that includes My Documents and the user settings for all the software they use.
Some programs create their own folder, so check before making a backup of the Documents and Settings folder alone. To create the backup file, click on OK. Windows XP will now begin to collect the files and settings information. The time required to gather this information will depend on the amount of data being copied. When finished, the folder can be moved to an external hard disk or optical disc. Note that this method will only back up documents stored in the My Documents folder or those placed on the Desktop.
Simple backups with Winzip
If the folder is too big to fit on a single disc, use Winzip can split up the backup file after creation so that it will fit over several discs. Download Winzip (www.winzip.com) to your Desktop and double-click on the resulting file to install it on your computer. Start Winzip*Wizard. Click on Create a new ZIP file*Next. Click on the Browse button and choose a location on the hard disk that will not itself be backed up, such as the C: drive. Enter a name in the File name box and click on OK and then Next. For this example we will include all of the files in the My Documents folder. Click on Add Folders*My Documents icon on the left-hand side of the window that appears and then on OK. Click on Zip Now to make the backup. Depending on the size of the files, this may take some time.
The next step is to split the file so it can be copied to several CDs. When the ZIP file has been created, click on the Winzip Classic button. Click on the Actions menu and select Split. Enter a different name to the ZIP document created during the backup. Click on the drop-down menu labelled Part Size and select the size of the media that will be used. Winzip only offers sizes up to 700 Mb for a CD. If a DVD is to be used, select the Other size option, enter 4,500 in the text box and select MB to the right. Click on OK to create the new documents. The first document will have a .zip file extension and the following documents will have extensions .z01, .z02 and so on.
To restore the files and folders from the backup, start Winzip*Next. Select Unzip or install from an existing ZIP file and again click on Next. Winzip will search the computer for ZIP files it recognises. If the files are on a CD or DVD, click on the Search button, select Let me find it (not automatic) and click on OK. Find the first ZIP file (with the .zip extension) of the collection, left-click on it once and click on OK. Click on Next*Winzip will display a warning if the file contains files that it thinks could be a danger to your computer. If you or someone else you trust created the backup, click on Yes to continue. Winzip has the option to move the files into a separate folder so they can be changed. To do this, click on Select different folder; otherwise click on Unzip.
It is a good idea to make a backup of the installation file for Winzip itself – a backup is useless without the software to restore it.
Each of these software options works in a slightly different way but they all are designed to back up the hard disk and to create an image of it. Sometimes this image can be stored on a different part of the hard disk itself. Although the quickest form of recovery is to restore the full image, it is normally possible to recover individual files as well.
Time well spent
Making a backup of data is unlikely to be the most stimulating thing you can do with a PC, but it might just turn out to be the most useful. Where important financial records and customer details are concerned, good backup habits can be priceless.
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