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Ensuring that
all your important data is backed up
In
the age of complex operating systems that store files all over
the place, can you cope with tracking the location of these
files? More often than not, even the guru-est of gurus cannot
be 100% sure that they are backing up all their important data.
This may result in choosing poor backup solutions or, worse
still, never backing up. Can you afford not to backup your data
when loss may just be a few hours away? Here is how
to make sure that your data is backed up.
Today's operating system are highly complex
platforms that organise and control your hardware and software
resources so that you can create and store a variety of data.
This data takes the form of emails, documents, audio and video
files and images. You will typically store these files under
a folder called "My Documents" or under other folders
that you have created.
So far so good. If you have created folders,
you will usually remember where you keep your data. But is this
all the data that you need? Is this data the only data that
is important?
What about?
What about your document templates (e.g., Word, HTML editor
or Spreadsheet templates)? What about your preferences and
settings (e.g., changing the various icon and menu positions
within the various applications; setting your email to send
out messages in text rather than in HTML)? What about the
months spent browsing and book-marking various sites?
What about important registry settings effected for the
various applications that you have installed on your system?
What about such items as custom dictionaries and other data
that you have 'taught' your applications? What about all
the important data files that your operating system requires
to organise and control all your hardware and software resources?
How do you make sure that this data is saved
when operating systems like Windows store this information in
a variety of different folders including Documents and Settings,
Application Folders and Windows Folders?
Where does Windows Store Important Data Files
The later versions of Windows (XP and 2000) store important
data files, registry settings and important information in a
variety of folders and files across your hard drive. Keeping
track of these folders and files is a daunting if not impossible
task. This article will show you the main locations of these
files and will also explain how difficult it is to keep track
of these files. In addition, you must keep in mind that because
some of the files may be hidden, you may not be able to see
them unless you change your settings.
Things, however, are not as easy - you must
make sure that you are backing up all these files before having
the peace of mind that all your data is protected.
For example, Microsoft Outlook stores your mailbox
database file that contains your emails, folders, contacts,
notes, tasks and calendar in a folder within your profile found
under the Documents and Settings folder ...
If you want to have a 100% accurate restore
you must back all these files. But that's not all! Outlook stores
more data elsewhere:
These files correspond to a variety of registry
and related settings. Where are the templates that you may have
created? These are stored under your Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Templates\1033 folder.
What about the other files? Well the list goes
on and on and on! Suffice it to say that you will soon get tired
trying to track all your files and end up either buying the
wrong type of backup product or not backing up or storing a
carbon copy of all your files on a number of CDs or DVDs.
How do I make sure all my data is saved?
Well there is not much choice. You have to backup and you have
to backup in such a way that your data can be restored accurately.
You can either backup your data only or create an image of your
hard-drive. This latter option is not really an option simply
because it takes too much storage space (e.g., at home I have
an 80Gb hard drive with 20Gb of data) and you would be imaging
the disk in its entirety. This means of your drive has corrupt
clusters you will be saving the data with those corrupt clusters
- i.e., your data will be corrupt! Backing up just your data
could be an option but this means that you will lose your settings,
preferences, bookmarks and templates and when data loss occurs
you might end up having to reinstall your operating system and/or
some or all of your applications.
What choices do you have? Read
the next article to learn how you can make sure that all your
important data is saved.
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