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Computer Disaster Planning

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 0 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #5659 in Business, #73093 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

FUD- Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

 

FUD seems to be a widely used method to sell computer services. Let's get to it.

First, paint a picture of disaster. The worst can happen, in fact, the end i near. Your business is washed away. All data, even that you had at home is also lost. Is there any way to recover? Could it happen? Yes, look at Hurricane Katrina.

If you are not prepared, then Chicken Little is right. The sky really is falling.

If you are prepared, your business can survive.

Preparing for the worst 

You can prevent the sky from falling

What can you do to protect youself?

How much you spend depends on how critical the data is. It also depends on the amount of data and how often it changes.

What steps should you take?

1. Add an external hard drive to backup your data.

2. Get software to make a drive image. The advantage of this is that if you have a hard drive failure, you can install a new hard drive then restore the drive image. You're ready to roll. This saves two to four hours of setup.

3. Set up a backup system that backs up your data automatically. I like to store the data for each day of the week. If the backup is not automatic, chances are it will not get done.

4. It is best to have a copy of this data stored in another home or business. Better yet, make sure the data is encrypted in case it is stolen.

5. Finally, I recommend getting an on-line backup system. This can be inexpensive. You will need a high speed internet connection. The first backup will take a long time, maybe days to complete, depending on the amount of data and the speed of the connection.

Backup Hard Drives on Amazon 

Good choices for an external backup

I chose a 250 GB drive, which should be fine for most homes and small businesses. I also added larger drives if needed. These are easy to use. Store everything on them.

The only problem left is if your entire setup is stolen because everything is in one location. Simply decide if you need on-line backup.

Mozy 

Another great free or inexpensive on-line backup

Mozy is a highly regarded backup service for personal use and for small businesses. This is the free versin that will let you back up 2GB free.

Carbonite backup on-line 

Carbonite Online Back-Up 1 Year Version With $30 MIR

Carbonite works well, is easy to use and is inexpensive. This is a great deal, a full year of unlimited on-line backup for $20 after rebate.

Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)

Comments on backup solutions 

Some new PCs will include built-in online backup services
Online backup programs are becoming so popular, some PC makers will soon begin shipping computers with online backup programs already built in. New Lenovo ThinkPad SL series laptops will include Mozy software, and customers will get 5 ...
Comment on Holy Mozy, EMC Moves In. There Goes The Neighborhood by ...
that explains why EMC acquired Mozy for $76 million and Symantec paid $123 million for Swapdrive. Carbonite wouldn't mind a pay-day like that: [...]
Mozy September Promotion Code
To be honest they are all good systems to backup your data online. Personally I don't care if you use Mozy or Carbonite or Elephant Drive or another online backup solution, but I do hope that you will backup your data before you lose it ...
Interview with Cery Perle, CEO and Founder of Spare Backup Inc.
A7: EMC/Mozy, and we see Carbonite in the RFP's; however, we have very different models. Q8: Large companies like Microsoft and Google have started to offer online storage solutions. Do you fear them? How can you compete with such ...

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RalphK

About RalphK

I help people with their computer disasters every day.

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