12-03-2007, 10:27 AM
|
 | Desi Club Badshah | | |
  Re: ~ A Tip A Day ~
03 December 2007:
Back Up Your Data To preserve your computer files and prevent them from being lost forever, you should copy them to recordable or rewritable CDs/DVDs or a separate hard drive. Here are the most common reasons for data loss:
• Dead hard drive: The hard drives that store your files are just like any other electronic gadget — they are prone to sudden failure.
• Killer virus: Some digital threats lurking on the Internet have the capability of destroying certain types of files on your computer.
• Power surge: An electrical storm or a fluctuation in your power lines can cause a sudden burst of electricity to race into your computer and fry your hard drive and other computer parts.
• Theft: Computers, especially laptops, are a big target for thieves. Having your computer stolen is a double whammy because not only do you lose your data, but the thief has complete access to it and can use it to commit identity theft.
• Fire and natural disasters: All of your computer files can be wiped out in an instant when your home or office is destroyed by a fire, hurricane, tornado, flood, or other weather phenomenon. This makes it critical to back up your data on a regular basis and store it in a safe off-site location like a bank vault.
• Children: Whether your children are a few years old or a few decades old, the chances are high that at some point they will use your computer and change your settings or accidentally delete a particular document or file that has great importance to you. Prevent this by backing up your data, protecting your Windows account with a password, and setting up separate accounts for each of your family members. Create a Disc Image By using special software, you can create an image of your hard drive, which is a fancy way of saying that you are backing up the entire contents of your hard drive — including Windows and all software. If your hard drive ever crashes and you lose data, all you have to do is load the disc image onto your computer, and you will be up and running as if nothing ever happened. This software can be used with almost any backup device (external and internal hard drives, CD/DVD burners, and so on). Here are some popular disc imaging programs (in no particular order):
• Norton Ghost (http://www.symantec.com)
• Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com)
• NTI Backup NOW (http://www.ntius.com)
• Turbo Backup (http://www.filestream.com) Manually Back Up Your Important Files Instead of copying your entire hard drive, the manual backup method only
copies the data you consider to be irreplaceable, such as financial documents,
digital photos, music files, and so on. Here are some popular programs that are used for manual backups (in no particular order):
• Nero Burning ROM or Nero Express (http://www.nero.com)
• NTI CD-Maker (http://www.ntius.com)
• Roxio Easy Media Creator (http://www.roxio.com) |