Top Five Ways to Backup Your Files
So you want to backup your files. Maybe your are worried about your data. Maybe you were like me, you lost your files, recovered them, and you now know you need to backup your files. Well, here are the best ways to backup your files.
1. Online Backup
The pinacle of file protection
Pluses*Convenience - To backup your files online you just need to install some software and let it work. Your files will automatically be backed up on your schedule.
*Security - With online backup, your files are stored off site, which means if you get a virus, or there is a fire, or anything, your files will still be there.
Minuses
*Cost - The only major minus is cost, but even that is not bad. For about $5 a month there are multiple companies that offer unlimted backup space.
*Speed - As you use your internet connect to backup your files, it can take a long time to backup everything. I believe my first backup took a month, but from then on each backup is incremental. Thus, my files are secured each day.
Summary
Online backup is clearly the best solution. It can cost more than other solutions, but it is still relatively inexpensive. It is certainly cheaper than loosing your files. I personally use Mozy for my online backup, and it works well. They will even give you 2GB of space for free. If you decide to get their unlimited backup, it is about $5 a month.
Mozy Online Backup. 2GB Free or $4.95/mo for Unlimited Backup. It's simple, automatic and secure!
You may also want to look at Carbonite, but I can't provide much information on their solution.
Try Carbonite Online Backup FREE for 15 days and back up your irreplaceable files automatically and securely. No credit card required!
2. External Hard Drive
*Easy - With an external hard drive, like and internal one, you can simply hook up your drive and hit a key to back up your files. Or you can set up your computer to automatically back up your files.
*Cheap - While it is not as inexpensive as an internal hard drive it is still pretty cheap
*Portable - You can take your files anywhere, which is great if you want to store your backed up files off site.
Negatives
*Not the ultimate convience - It will still be a chore to take your external hard drive offsite for the maximum backup protection.
Conclusion
An external hard drive moves the price vs. convience point closer to a higher price, but it is still much cheaper than loosing your files.
Iomega Desktop Hard Drive 500 GB Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hard Drive - 33654
Amazon Price: $94.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $114.99
Western Digital 500 GB My Book Essential 2.0 - USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WDH1U5000N
Amazon Price: $99.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $169.99
Western Digital Passport Essential Portable 250GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDME2500TN)
Amazon Price: $99.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $129.99
Western Digital My Passport Essential 160GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive (Midnight Black)
Amazon Price: $75.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $114.99
Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 1 TB External Hard Drive
Amazon Price: $175.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $379.99
3. Extra Internal Hard Drive
*Easy - With an internal hard drive you can setup your computer to automatically backup your files every day. You can even setup your computer for a RAID configuration that will backup your files instantly at all times.
*Cheap - Data space is cheap now day, so getting an extra hard drive for your computer won't set you back much.
Minuses
*Data safety - With an internal hard drive as your backup method you are not protected in the case of something catastrophic happening to your computer. Yes, your files are backed up if your primary hard drive fails, but what happenes if you get a virus that wipes out all of your files or a fire happens?
Conclusion
Adding an internal hard drive for your backup solution is quick, cheap, and easy, but it does not offer the maximum data security.
4. BluRay
*Cheap (kinda) - BluRay discs are pretty cheap for each of your backups, but the initial cost of buying a blu-ray player is not cheap.
*Portable - Just like CDs and DVDs, you can take your blu-ray disc with you, so you can store your files off site.
Minuses
*Expensive - The discs may be cheap, but getting that first drive will be expensive.
*Time consuming - They are not as bad as CDs of DVDs, but they do take time. At least you won't have to switch your discs back and forth a lot.
Conclusion
Like CDs or DVDs, Blu-Ray is a nice option for backing up your data if you have small amounts of data (under 25GB). However, it is just too time consuming if you need to back up a lot of information.
5. CDs or DVDs
*Cheap - You can buy about 250 gigabytes of space for under $50. (One spindle of 50 dvds) And you can get a drive to burn them all even cheaper, if you don't have one.
*Portable - It is easy to take your backed up data anywhere with a cd or dvd. This is good if you want to keep your off site, and have your data backed up in case of a fire or something.
Minuses
*Time Consuming - It takes tons of your time to back up large amounts of data using CDs or DVDs. Yea, each disc may only take minutes, but if your are backing up tons of data, then that can turn to hours of time.
Conclusion
Backing up data with CDs or DVDs is great if you only need to backup a little information (less than 5GB), but if you have much more it is just not convenient. If you decide to backup with CDs or DVDs then this is the stuff you need. If not, then skip below.
Verbatim DVD+R DL 8.5GB 2.4X 20pk Spindle
Amazon Price: $28.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $68.00
Lite-On SATA 20x Super All Write LightScribe Internal DVD/Dual Layer RW Drive (LH20A1L06)
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $43.95
Sony DRX840U 20x External Dual-Layer DVD Burner
Amazon Price: Too low to display (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $109.99
Verbatim DVD-R 4.7GB 16X Branded 50pk Spindle
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $32.40
TDK DVD+RW 4X 4.7GB 5 Pack Rewriteable DVD
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
List Price: $6.99
How Do You Backup Your Data?
What's your backup solution?
Here is a site that reviews online backups: www.compareonlinebackup.org. It has some great data on the different vendors.
Thanks for the great post.
J
Posted July 31, 2008
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vikont
you may be interested to read this article: http://www.backuphistory.com Posted July 27, 2008 |
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mulberry
Good info, concise...I like it! Posted July 26, 2008 |
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poddys
I use different methods too. Ideally I would synchronise 2 pc's so that I don't have to worry if one goes down, but I don't have that luxury right now. I use 2 external hard drives for complete backups of my drives, I also use CD's and DVD's for infrequent offsite backups of non-changing data (music, photos etc), and flash drives for small volume backups of volatile files and also to transfer these between home and work as a backup. 5***** for a good helpful lens. Posted July 25, 2008 |
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ElizabethJeanAllen
I use different types of backup for different information. My fiction is transfered to CD, my school stuff is on a thumb drive, and my online stuff is... Well it just sits there. With 80 lenses, a blog, and two websites, I need to give that some thought. Posted July 20, 2008 |
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Jimmie
Helpful information that's for sure! Posted July 20, 2008 |
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Mortira
Great lens! Plenty of food for thought. Posted July 18, 2008 |
