Remote backup » Computer Backup

4 Signs of Hard Drive Failure

helladmin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:37:05 +0000

Knowing the signs of hard drive failure is important because it is the number one cause of data loss on computers. If you know the signs and symptoms ahead of time, you can prepare for the inevitable computer crash and get your data backed up before it’s too late. Of course you should be backing up your computer on a regular basis to begin with, but let’s face it, very few of us actually do that. The next best thing is to know the warning signs so you can backup your data before it’s too late. Here are a few signs of hard drive failure that should hopefully help you avoid catastrophic crashes. The Frozen Computer: Screen is stuck, you can’t type, your mouse doesn’t move, and even the blessed Ctrl-Alt-Del combination is useless. You’ve got to shut if off manually and restart, which of course makes the computer yell at you for not shutting down properly. The Missing File: Ever now and then, you might delete a file and not know you did it, but if files randomly start turning up missing, start worrying. The next file to go AWOL may be an integral system file that the entire operating system hinges on.Old Man Syndrome: When your computer is simply slow. Not just a little slower than normal, I mean ridiculously slow, and only when accessing the hard drive. This is a tell tale sing things are about to turn south quickly. Get thee some help. Stuck Stuck Stuck: When it seems like your computer just can’t seem to remember what to do on startup. Sometimes it sticks for a little bit then continues, and sometimes it just freezes. This is a big time warning that you are headed for trouble. A failed hard drive isn’t actually that hard to spot. It’s kind of like a dead car, it just doesn’t work. Anyone who has worked on a PC long enough knows all about the blue screen. When you get the blue screen, all bets are off, and you have lost the game. Don’t worry, even when your hard drive dies, you can still recover some of the data- most of the time. However, the process can be very expensive and there are no guarantees that you’ll get all of your data back. In fact, in most cases you won’t get 100% recovery.It’s best to take preventative measures such as using an online backup service or do it yourself using external hard drives. It’s worth the cost, and will save you money and time in the long run. Don’t wait for the signs of hard drive failure to turn into full blown catastrophe; implement a backup plan now!

Are you experiencing these signs of hard drive failure? Visit us to learn what the best online storage solutions are available to you today.

Mozy Pro Review – A Close Look At Mozy Pro for Business Use

helladmin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:52:31 +0000

Mozy Pro is the online backup solution offered by Mozy that is designed for the needs of small and medium businesses. This Mozy Pro review evaluates the features of the service, its advantages, and the areas where it can do better.Mozy Pro Basic FeaturesAs its name suggests, this service is the “professional,” or business counterpart, of Mozy Home. It provides all the features as the home version plus more advanced features to assist the IT pro, the office manager, or the businessman. For each computer that you will be backing up, you need to use either of two licenses – the desktop license which costs $3.95 plus $0.50/GB per month, or the server license, which is priced at $6.95 plus $0.50/GB per month.The server license comes with a higher price tag than the desktop license because it already includes Microsoft Windows Server OS support, network share support, and backup & restore of Exchange and SQL, among others. The Mozy system utilizes a secure 128-bit SSL encryption during the backing up process and 448-bit Blowfish encryption or 256-bit AES encryption while your files are in storage.The ProsRegardless of whether you opt for a server or desktop license, Mozy Pro comes at a very affordable cost for such a secure and comprehensive online storage and backup package.Aside from putting all the stops when it comes to security, Mozy Pro has also placed the user’s convenience and ease of use at the top of its priority. The service supports both Windows and Mac, and gives the user an option of to set it on automatic or scheduled mode of backup.Mozy Pro also backs up and restores all types of data files on practically any software or database in your computer – Exchange, SQL, and those in network drives. Plus, it comes with advanced administrative features which is ideal for a multi-user business set-up.The ConsMozy Pro is not without its flaws, though. Some users of this online storage and backup facility have pointed out that the technical support provided is rather slow and at times not helpful at all. Problems in connecting to Mozy’s servers have also been experienced by some users, and the software itself has been reported by some as “buggy.”Another common complaint cited in Mozy Pro reviews and by subscribers is the fact that when they reach their backup quota, the backup fails. To ensure that your data has been successfully stored, the process should be checked regularly, which can be inconvenient and time-consuming.Lastly, although the restore function itself is quite seamless, the process can take a long time. Plus, it can take up to 24 hours or more simply for Mozy to retrieve the data before you can begin the restore process. Businesses that need their data restored quickly such as doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc. may find this delay unacceptable.Mozy Pro Review SummaryOn the whole, while this service isn’t perfect it is a secure and an affordable solution for small and medium businesses. The other benefit is that a business can be up and running with the service almost immediately. So for businesses without IT departments or those that just want a simple online backup solution, Mozy Pro is certainly worth consideration. And since they offer month-to-month plans, businesses can test the service without committing to a long-term contract.

Be sure to read the full review of Mozy Pro here to decide if it is the best online storage solution for your business!

Have You Been a Victim of Personal Data Loss?

helladmin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:35:50 +0000

Well it seems that you are not alone, according to one headline news there are more than 280 million people around the world are reported to have found themselves in the same position during the last three years.Today we live in digital-era; we work with computers or other digital media and gadgets. We rely more than ever on our personal computers (PC) or personal digital assistant (PDA). Personal data such as photos, internet bookmarks, email, contact lists, financial records, and office documents are some of the data difficult to replace.Most people don’t realize how much they have invested into the data on their digital storage like hard drive or removable USB disk. Just imagine how depressing and disastrous we are to know that some day these valuable data gone forever in a second just because of the hardware failure occur suddenly or other common causes. These could cost you several days of productivity. While we are living in the super busy world, time is money, and then you should ask yourself “How much is my time worth to me?”What would you do if you lost all of your data today? As data loss can happen in many ways without warning at any point in time and you perhaps have “everything” saved on your computer hard drive then you should think about backup routine as soon as possible. Having a good and reliable data backup is like having a “life insurance” for your important data. You don’t have to suffer business downtime, loss of time and money, and loss of business reputation.

Whether you run an online business, work from home, use your computer for online banking, school or more, your data isn’t safe until it is backed up and stored in a safe place away from your home or office. Get the peace of mind that comes with secure, online backup today. Discover more valuable information of secure, simple, and automatic online backup at: http://Schnell7.com

The Importance of Computer Backup

helladmin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:45:51 +0000

Keeping a file is a tedious job but losing it requires a more difficult task to do. This is the reason why every company has to make backups of every data or information that they input in their computer. The large mass of data that a company has needs an extra management since all of them are company’s property and are crucial. However, if they are only using a device such as a tape drive to backup their files, they may not be a hundred percent sure that they may not lose their data.

Whether the company is big or small, they need to possess almost everything that would secure their business. Since they live in the world of modernization, it is also important that the company must not be left behind to catch up with the other fast moving industries. With regards to providing your files with backup, you may want to consider using a computer backup to make sure that you can pull extra copy of your files in case your original files get lost.

With an easy installation procedure up to the cheaper cost, there is no reason why a company could not afford or avail a computer backup. There are a lot of facts about this online service that you have to know before you contact a managed backup provider. You will be helping yourself in keeping those data in a safe location when you decide to allow an online service to work this backup job for you.

Why is computer backup must be a company’s must-have? It is because of the following:

• You do not need to manually back up your files and even allow your staff to take it home with him or her. This is because once the software is installed in your computers, you only have to wait for a confirmation via email that your data has been successfully backed up.

• Tape drives that you may be using have their limits. They need to be replaced once your data increases. There will come a time that they would become worn out. This only means that your data are at risk, too. With an online backup method, you do not have to worry with all these.

• You can easily restore the data whenever you want. You do not need anyone to do this job for you. Plus, you can be sure that your data are also secured because your data cannot be acquired by anyone else.

This system is really reasonable and practical. Using this service will only cost you depending on the number of data that you wish the managed backup provider to backup for you. Of course machines will be also used in this service, and the number of machines that would be needed in backaping your files also counts in the price computation. The number of version of your files as well as the data retention is also a basis for the amount that you will pay for this service. It is undoubtedly cost effective.

Looking for a safe and reliable solution to back up your http://www.databackupcentral.com” rel=”nofollow”>data online? We have the cheapest and most reliable data backup service online. Get your free 100% free 30 day trial by going to http://www.databackupcentral.com” rel=”nofollow”>
http://www.databackupcentral.com

Computer Backup Solutions – All Systems Go?

helladmin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:43:53 +0000

The subject of computer backups has always been a topic of importance when it comes to preserving the data on your computer. These days there are more options available to you in this arena, which can be both a help and a hindrance. On one hand, having more options is helpful because better solutions have been brought to the marketplace from which you can now choose to fit your needs. A hindrance exists in that the multitude of choices might scare off users and cause them to avoid the issue altogether, which can have a disastrous ending.
It does not have to be complicated nor time consuming, so there is no good reason not to tackle backing up your computer.
The Philosophy
We all know that backing up can preserve the information that is stored on your computer, but how far do you take your backup philosophy? It depends on what you can ‘afford’ to lose.
To one computer user, just backing up periodically will suffice. The thought here is that if you lose your data, you can restore it apart from your operating system, and the time that this takes is not a critical consideration. Many home users fall into this category. It makes sense as long as you are not dependent upon your computer for time-sensitive applications and tasks and/or for accessing and retrieving data relative to finances, etc.
To another user this philosophy is not enough. Those who depend on their data and computer for more than just casual personal computing understand that if a hard drive fails, their business is down until they can get it back up and running again. Home users who store irreplaceable photographs and home video on their computers will also fall into this category. A more comprehensive backup plan is recommended to help recover from disasters in a timely fashion.
Computer Backup Options
There are several ways to tackle backups of your important data:
Built-in operating system options. Microsoft Windows operating systems provide built-in back up capabilities that allows you to back up your documents or files onto external media. Beginning with Windows XP and its Automated System Recovery feature, each successive Microsoft desktop operating system includes the capability to help recover your entire hard drive if necessary. These backup solutions are reliable and provide a built-in way for you to back up your data without having to buy an additional program to do so.
Manual copying onto external devices. You can always resort to the old stand-by method of backing up by manually copying your data onto an external hard drive, USB memory stick or other external device such as a recordable CD, DVD or even a floppy drive if you have one. This is cumbersome, but if you do not have a lot of files, it may be an acceptable solution for you. The pitfalls with this method are that if you have multiple files, you have to make sure you get all of them, and you may need numerous target media to save all of your files to.
Online options for backing up over the Internet. The newest option in
computer data backup solutions is provided by online companies that enable backup and restoration of your documents and files over an encrypted high-speed Internet connection to any PC. A small background application backs up and transfers your files to a hosted storage area in a remote datacenter when your computer is idle; however, this is not a comprehensive disaster recovery solution for your entire hard drive. This solution works best when targeted at protecting individual files and documents on a PC or a Mac, and is generally a subscription-based service for which you pay a monthly fee for use.
Making an image of your hard drive. This is a more comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solution generally performed by technically savvy computer users. This option includes using 3rd-party programs to make an image of your entire hard drive, which can then be “re-imaged” in case of catastrophic failure to a new hard drive, providing a hard drive disaster recovery plan. Using this solution, within a short period of time, you can be back up and running with ALL of your documents, settings, programs and EVERYTHING intact, as if the disaster never occurred.
The way to determine the best solution to fit your needs is to ask yourself how soon you need to be back up and running after encountering a disaster, and how much you are willing to pay. If you can wait several days, then a computer back up program might be right for you. If you need your data files immediately, and you have a second computer that you can copy them to, then an online solution might be the best way to go. Or finally, if your business depends upon your computer and its applications and data, then you must have a more comprehensive solution.

Data Recovery: 10 Most Effective Computer Backup Tools

helladmin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:45:43 +0000

Copyright (c) 2009 OnlineBizU.com
Despite my best efforts, this past week I lost both my primary and secondary computer systems. After losing my primary desktop several years ago, I vowed I would never let myself be caught without an operating PC. As they say, “the road to h*ll is paved with good intentions,” and I once again was caught with my proverbial pants down without an operating computer when my desktop, which had been exhibiting some problem signs in the last month, died suddenly and would not turn on.
I then went to my laptop, which I had admittedly been lazy about keeping updated, and turned it on. Immediately the Windows update process started, and asked me install Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. Having done that successfully on my desktop, I wasn’t too worried about any installation problems on the laptop. However, upon completing the installation, the blue screen of death appeared, which is NEVER a good sign with a Windows-based system.
After trying for about an hour without success to revive my laptop (which is only 8 months old and still under warranty), I knew that I was in trouble and starting looking for alternatives. Fortunately, my husband keeps a laptop on hand that he uses for gaming when we travel, and he generously offered to let me install my programs and files on it until I could repair one of my computers.
After finally acknowledging that there was no way I could have foreseen this situation, I decided that I needed to s*ck it up, get over, and move on. So, I’m making do with a partially customized laptop that will do until one or the other of my PCs is returned.
Despite having gone through similar situations previously, I still learned a few new things along the way about data recovery and computer backup. Here are the 10 most effective tools that saved my bacon during my recent computer meltdown.
1. Automatic backup software. I’ve been using 2 online backups, Carbonite and Syncplicity. I have had to restore from Carbonite previously, and I found the process to be lengthy and somewhat confusing. So, several months ago I began using Syncplicity because it offers online access to all backed up files as well as the ability to synchronize an unlimited number of computers. However, it has taken a week to restore 20 GB of data with Syncplicity, and some of the data was wasn’t really restored, despite what Syncplicity told me in my account. However, I can easily download this missing info to my computer from the online vault. One process that makes this backup system easier is that I store all of my data files in My Docs so I don’t have to hunt them down in Program Files, or wherever they are typically stored.
2. Email client software. I still use the dinosaur Eudora for my email client. Old habits die hard, I suppose. However, somehow I missed marking some key Eudora folders to back up, and so I was initially using my webmail access providing by my hosting company to access email because of this oversight with Eudora. I began to tire of that quickly, as I had no way to create additional folders in those systems, so I then decided to manually configure Eudora and open folders and emails as I need them in the program. This experience has made me very tempted to change all of my incoming and outgoing email servers on all domains to Gmail just to have access to everything online, come hurricane, flood, tornado, or computer crash.
3. Bookmark service. I’m an avid researcher and resource collector, so having access to my bookmarks, or favorites file, is vital to my day-to-day operations. I had been using Spurl, but because of frequent periodic outages of their service, I’ve changed to Foxmarks. I like that this service offers me the ability to access all of these online, as well as have them at my fingertips any time I need them from my Bookmarks menu as well as easily synchronize them to any computer.
4. Contact management. Even though I don’t use Outlook for email, I do use it for calendar and contact management. I had been using Plaxo as an online backup for my contacts, but it doesn’t permit me to store my notes about each contact. I’ve been using Airset now for several months, and it regularly syncs my contacts (with notes) and my calendar to their online service. I found this much more convenient than trying to restore a backup PST file to Outlook and then repeating that again when my primary computer is returned. Instead, I just make changes to contacts and my calendar on Airset, and I’ll just sync that to Outlook on my desktop.
5. Passwords. I’ve been using Roboform for years to help me manage my passwords. I’ve got my Roboform data in My Docs, so it was a breeze to reinstall Roboform and copy the data folder to the new computer and permit me to access all of the sites requiring a password and username. Finally, something that worked seamlessly!
6. Project Management. Smartsheet has been my project management service for the last few months. I love that it has the ability to create an item and allow you to attach a document and discussion to that item. Rather than having to hunt down information about a project, all I had to do was log into my Smartsheet account and there it was.
7. Software licenses. Roughly 99% of the new software I install is downloaded and I don’t get a physical copy on CD. Therefore, I make sure that I have the downloaded version in a My Downloads folder that’s a part of My Docs file, which is backed up regularly. And, I make a PDF copy of the software license that I get by email and store in a Software folder, also in My Docs. Lastly, I purchased a very inexpensive program, Registration Vault, that lets me store all of my software license and purchase info and permits me to back up my data to My Docs. As I had to reinstall software on a new computer, it was easy to restore the Registration Vault files, get my software license number, and have a fully functioning piece of software within minutes.
8. Accounting. I use Quickbooks for my accounting needs, and while they do offer an online version, I haven’t yet moved to that. Instead, I back up Quickbooks after every use in the My Docs folder. When I needed to invoice consulting clients at the beginning of this month, all I had to do was reinstall Quickbooks and restore my latest backup. I instantly had everything I needed again at my fingertips.
9. Alternate free services. Some software I use, like CuteFTP and TraxTime, don’t permit data backups. So, I really do have to start all over with my FTP info and my time tracking info when my computer dies. Rather than installing these programs on the new computer, I just used some free alternatives to get me through. FireFTP, a Firefox add-on, has worked quite well for me as my FTP client, and MyHours.com has stood in fairly well for TraxTime, although it requires a few more steps for operation than TraxTime.
10. Email marketing. While not a tool, I discovered that both text and HTML versions of email broadcasts matter in email marketing. I wasn’t initially able to get my normal email client up and running, so I was reading my email from my webmail systems. I’ve got 2 hosting accounts, and the newer one has a fairly sophisticated webmail system and let me read HTML emails with no problem. The other, however, doesn’t permit HTML viewing. So, those emails sent only in HTML were ones that I was unable to read. If you’re wise and your email marketing program permits you to send emails out in both plain text and HTML, do it, even though it might seem like a needless pain. You just never know how members of your list might be forced to ready your emails.
As you might gather, I’ve discovered that online services have provided me with the greatest backup to help me through this computer crisis. My lesson? Duplicate as much as you can in online systems. In this way, you’ll have access to your data when you travel, when you have a computer crash, or when you’re faced with a natural disaster.

Internet Marketing Strategist & Boomer Biz Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses that they love by demystifying the tools & strategies needed to market and grow their businesses online. To claim your FR*EE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at AskDonnaGunter.com

Must-have Checklist: Choosing a Backup Solution

helladmin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:43:21 +0000

There’s no such thing as backing up digital information too much, or too often. A solid, well-thought-out backup plan can mean the difference between a normal day and a major disaster in the form of lost business data, financial and legal information, family photos and videos, and a great deal of time and money trying to recover data and get caught up.

Anyone with a PDA, computer or other data-storing device should have a regular, comprehensive backup plan, and the technology to sustain it. Good plans combine complementary technologies to automatically save data in several different places. The following backup technologies can be coordinated to provide reliable, convenient backups – and peace of mind.

Hard Drives – Pros and Cons

Extra hard drives — especially portable ones — make great backup solutions for most households and small businesses. A single hard drive can store more than 400 gigabytes of data – at least 10 times the space most people use within the lifespan of the drive. Therefore, many backups of entire hard drives can be stored in one place. But hard drives are made of moving parts, which at some point or another will fail, whether due to mechanical malfunction, damage or age.

By using several smaller drives instead of one big one, data is replicated several times on separate devices to prevent data loss. This is accomplished with RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology, where multiple hard drives are grouped together so the computer sees them as one. RAID controllers are bought separately to manage the array. RAID software makes backing up data automatic and easy to access.

Networking computers is another way to put hard drives to good use. With small business networks or home networks, multiple computers can be backed up onto a hard drive or drives, even at the same time.

Making sure important information is stored on separate hard drives may seem like a sufficient backup system, but one lightning strike, power surge, flood or fire could wipe out all hard drives and backups at one physical location. So it is always best to combine hard drives with other backup solutions that can store data in remote places.

Flash Drives – Pros and Cons

Although they are handy for storing and transporting important files, flash drives (also known as thumb drives or jump drives) are limited in capacity and generally considered to be less robust compared to hard drives. They are intended to complement a hard drive rather than replace one.

These small, hand-held storage devices do not contain moving parts, so are less likely to suffer mechanical failure. However, they are much easier to misplace, damage or erase. In addition, regular backups require that they be connected to the computer at the right time, cutting down on the convenience of keeping them close at hand.

Online Storage

Uploading files to an Internet backup service or online storage space is an excellent third leg to a three-legged backup plan. As long as the storage service provided is reliable, Internet service is available at the time of backup, and a relatively small amount of data is being backed up at one time (daily backups that take three days to run don’t work), online backups make a great deal of good sense in combination with other backup solutions.

DVD / CD

Burning a DVD or CD of especially important information is always a good idea. Backup media can be stored easily in other locations, and can be burned according to an automated schedule. However, automated backups to DVD or CD only work when a writeable disc is in the disk drive at the right time. Rewriteable discs can cut down on the cost and clutter of many backups, while ensuring that there’s always a valid disc in the drive.

The small amount of space available on a DVD or CD compared to other backup solutions means that these media are best for small, occasional backups.

Techie Tip: ALWAYS, ALWAYS VERIFY BACKUP FILES

Just because it appears data has been successfully backed up doesn’t mean it’s accessible or recoverable. Every backup file, on every backup device, should always be opened and tested to make sure it works.

Yung Trang leads the team behind Techbargains.com, one of the most visited online shopping deal sites. Techbargains has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, PC World, and the Wall Street Journal. The site was founded in 1999 and is best known for the quality and breadth of its Dell Coupons, Newegg
Coupons, and Staples Coupons.

The Wonders of Mac Backup

helladmin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:43:56 +0000

As your typical college student, there are few things I treasure more than my vast array of electronic toys – the devices that make my life easier, more convenient, and oh so cool. I’ve used my hard-earned cash to purchase the latest and greatest…including the drool-worthy Canon EOS Rebel XS camera. Armed with this baby, I snap virtually every semi picture-worthy moment from humiliating moments to cliché birthday celebrations. My hard-drive is literally chock full of such moments and as a result, I have come to fully appreciate the advent of mac backup.

Everyone knows that computers are susceptible to a myriad of hazards and no one knows this better than individuals who have experienced traumatic computer failure and lost valuable or priceless computer files – I certainly don’t intend to be one of them.

An online backup solution is hands-down the most convenient, easiest, and affordable way to protect your precious photos and other irreplaceable computer files (think MP3 files, term papers, financial documents, etc.). Information is stored at a secure remote server, so if something happens to the original files, they can be quickly restored. Other forms of backup, such as CD’s and external hard drives are not as safe, secure, or even as reasonably priced as online backup; they are vulnerable to the same threats as your hard drive, especially if they are kept within the same proximity (i.e. the same building). That, in short, is why I am enamored with mac backup – this amateur photographer sleeps well at night knowing her many personal photos are protected and secure.

The 4 Best Laptop Backup Solutions

helladmin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:00:44 +0000

People searching for data backup solutions often overlook that service as it applies to a laptop. Doing a laptop backup, for some reason, does not rank very high on most people’s action item list, despite the fact that laptop computers are scores more likely to be stolen than a desktop. Add that risk to the fact that a laptop computer is just as likely to quit as a desktop (in some cases, even more so), you need to explore backup options for your laptop.One of the easiest solutions for laptop backup is using flash memory units. You can find them very cheaply in a number of sizes ranging from as little as a few megabytes all the way up to multiple gigabytes. They are the new floppy disk; they store data indefinitely with no power usage and are highly portable. Unfortunately, they are also easy to steal or damage. External hard drives are a great way to store your data. They remain separated from the main system, so they are not usually affected by system wide problems, are available in huge sizes, and have recently become quite affordable. Of course, you can still lose them or they can crash just as easily as a regular drive.Some people feel comfortable backing up their data burning CD copies of their important folders. This is fine if you only want to backup key files and only so often, but this type of media can only be used once and doesn’t have the storage capacity to make it practical for extremely large amounts of data.Online backup services have grown in popularity recently due to their ease of use, very high security, and relatively low cost. Some services even have an option that backs up your files automatically every day or so (you can set the time frame). The main downside to this service is that if your computer crashes, you need Internet access to restore your files. Remember that you can be downloading huge amounts of files for a restoration operation, so that can take some serious time. No Internet connection can be as fast as the USB port you plug an external drive into. While no one method is completely fool proof, using two or more methods for redundant security is often the best course of action. Luckily for us, the cost of a laptop backup plan is pretty low in general, so using two methods is not prohibitively expensive. Pick one method or pick them all, but just do it before it is too late.

Carbonite was our “Editor’s Choice” for the best laptop backup solution. Visit us to read the full Carbonite backup review to see why we rate it so highly.

4 Easy Ways On How to Backup Files On Your Computer

helladmin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:45:37 +0000

Data loss is a big problem for anyone who uses a computer to work. Fires happen, computers crash (with alarming frequency), and virus programmers have become more advanced than ever before. Each of these situations presents its own uniques threat, but there is one way to deal with the most devastating outcome- file backup.Some operating systems come with a backup utility that allows you to create backup copies of your entire hard drive (or folders that you select) automatically. The two most popular operating systems, Windows Vista and Mac OS X both come with backup utilities. After a certain point, though, backing up files on the same computer that has the potential for crash can end up devastating your system.Backing up files on CD or DVD is a viable option for anyone who has that capability and backs up once in a while. The one major advantage to this method is that the CD or DVD is an external storage media, and it can be kept safe outside of the computer, or even the room the computer is in. Many large companies do routine backups of important data and keep those disks in a fire-proof safe off site. This can still be a time consuming method, and each disk can only hold a fraction of the entire contents of a hard drive.External hard drives offer the easiest and most reliable method of local backup storage, as they are available in very large capacities, connect easily, and can be physically isolated from the computer at any time. Unless you keep your external hard drive locked up in a safe as well, it too can be destroyed by fire, flood, or storm should a disaster strike. They are also prone to the same failure problems that plague internal drives. A solution for how to backup files is growing in popularity among home users as well as office IT managers and that solution is online backup. This relatively new method of file backup is done online with a company that is physically miles away, yet the data is always available at the touch of a few keystrokes. For a nominal fee, there are several companies that will store your data in heavily protected servers, often automatically as well.Choosing a backup method is simply a matter of determining how much capacity and security you need. Most people find that external hard drives and online services offer the best protection for the cost.

If you are looking for the best online storage solution, we recommend Carbonite or Mozy. Visit us to see a head-to-head comparison of Carbonite vs Mozy and decide for yourself which option is best for you.