Home Computer Backup Scenarios
There are many reasons why you need to backup your home computer and there are just as many different scenarios on the best way to accomplish a complete PC backup solution. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that you do need a full backup of your computer if you have any valuable data stored on the hard drive. Computers do crash and there is a multitude of factors that could cause the crash. What is a Hard Drive Crash? You could have a hardware failure where your hard drive decides not to work anymore for any apparent reason. That happens moer often than you would expect. Hard drive reliability should be a major concern. There is also the distinct possibility that your Operating System may just decide that it does not want to boot up anymore. It happens more often than you may think and you should be prepared for a fast recovery.
Create a Computer Image or Clone
The need for an image of your computer is a no-brainer. Whether you load a Windows Operating System yourself or buy a new computer, it may take you two or three-hours to get the PC just the way you want it. You need to load your favorite applications, set up your email account and download all of the security updates from Windows Update. After all that work is done, why would anyone want to do it again? Computers crash for various reasons. When your computer crashes, would you rather spend three-hours loading everything back up or a few minutes restoring an image? Most people would choose the latter. Creating and restoring a computer image is a very easy task to accomplish so why take chances.
Backing up Your Data
Once an image or clone of the computer is finished and stored in a safe place, data still needs to be protected. Should you image a hard drive or clone one. Most computer imaging utilities will allow you to do incremental or full backups of all of your important files. What you choose to do with the backups is an important step to keeping the data safe. You should always keep the backed up files in a place away from the computer itself. Whether you store the backups on an external hard drive or an online backup solution depends on your personal preferences. An online backup solution is probably the best solution because if there is some sort of a natural disaster in your area, your data is still protected at a remote location. Online backup services also keep your data very safe and secure.
Just think of all the time and energy you have invested in collecting all of the data stored on your computer. Some of the data could be irreplaceable; other documents may be able to be recreated. Why take the chance with your valuable data? Most computer users have a collection of pictures, music, videos and probably some other important documents stored on the hard drive. If you do not want these files to be lost forever, you need to structure a reliable backup scenario to keep them protected. If you use an online backup solution, your data is definitely safe and secure. If you choose to use an external hard drive or DVD’s, you need to take some additional steps to insure the safety of the data like removing them from the premises or keeping them in a waterproof and fireproof safety box.
Backup at Regular Intervals
Data can accumulate at astonishing speeds so make sure that your data gets backed up at regular intervals. At least once a week is a good rule to follow unless you work on important documents on a daily basis then you may want to do a daily backup of your files using an incremental backup scenario. You could create a backup scenario for your home computer manually but there are utilities available to accomplish the backup tasks a lot easier than you could possibly manage them yourself.
If you choose to use an external drive source to back up your data, Acronis True Image and Norton Ghost will allow you image your computer and then schedule your backup scenario at whatever intervals that you deem necessary for your data protection. If you choose to use an online backup solution, we have some good reviews of the top online backup services available. If you are not comfortable trying to back up all of your important computer files on your own, an online computer support service can help you with the task. Whatever backup scenario you prefer, just remember to Backup, Backup, and Backup!
Acronis True Image Home 2013
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Acronis True Image Home 2013 has just been released with some exciting new features to keep your data safer than ever, including file synchronization and better network backup capabilities. The hard drive backup and imaging program still has all of the useful features as before with some great improvements including virtual hard drive support and the Universal Restore feature which allows you to restore an image to dissimilar hardware or a virtual machine. See our Full Review of Acronis True Image 2013. True Image now supports Windows 8 and includes an online backup solution to keep your files safe, secure and available. See an easy backup strategy using True Image. Save up to 35% on True Image 2013!
 $49.99
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Norton Ghost 15
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Norton Ghost 15.0 - Too many unexpected things can happen to your computer that would make you wish you had this program. If your hard drive crashed, Ghost would be there to restore your data to a new drive. If the Operating System (Windows) crashed, Ghost can restore it back to a working state in minutes! Check our Norton Ghost Reviews for more information.
$69.99
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MyPC Backup
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MyPC Backup is an easy to use online backup strategy to keep your important computer files safe and secure online. Once the files are selected to backup, the application will transfer those files to the cloud and any changes or additions to the files and folders will be automatically backed up to the secure online servers. MyPC Backup allows you to synchronize with multiple computers and offers unlimited storage space for your convenience. Available for MAC and PCs with free mobile apps which allows you to backup your iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle, Windows Surface or Blackberry device. Another plus to the program is the ability to access your photos, music and documents anywhere, anytime that you may need them. See our review of MyPC Backup. Save 35% on MyPC Backup when you find the Secret Link!
$4.95/Month |
Zip Cloud
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Zip Cloud is a simple, safe and secure cloud storage system to back up you documents, photos, music and more. These days, when you backup your computer you backup your life as well. Zip Cloud makes it easy. Simply choose the files to backup and upload them to the cloud. This online backup system allows you to share and access the files anywhere from any device hooked up to the Internet. Use Zip Cloud for Tablets, PC's, Smart Phones, Laptops and Desktops. Try a Free Trial to see if Zip Cloud is right for you.
$4.95/Month |
Oops!Backup
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Oops!Backup – a backup solution with a name like that just screams to review it; and review it we shall. Oops, after all, is one of the reasons we wish we had backed up that data in the first place. I think I have used some other choice words when I lost data in the past but that's a story for another day. The Altaro software has a few interesting twists to the backup scheme that may be quite useful. Oops!Backup allows you to keep a double backup for extra protection, has Continuous Data Protection capability and something called ReverseDelta Technology that enables you save the changes between each version of a changed file, rather than backing up the whole file every time it changes. See more about the Altaro Oops!Backup solution here.
$37.00 |
Mozy 2.0 Online Backup
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Mozy is an easy to use, smart, and economical way to protect your data. All you have to do is install it on your computer, set it up, and then never worry about data loss again.
Mozy 2.0 introduces 2xProtect that allows you to back up to an external drive in addition to the secure online data centers at no additional cost to you. The new Mozy 2.0 also has speeded up the online backup process and touts a new easy to use interface. See our full Review of the Mozy Online Backup Solution. Save an extra 10% off any subscription to Mozy just by entering the following Promo code: SAVEME10
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SugarSync 2.0 Online Backup and Sharing
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SugarSync 2.0 takes the online backup solution to a new level. SugarSync is the only cloud backup solution that allows you to backup, sync and share files across an unlimited number of computers. That means you can access, edit and share any of your files from any PC – and whatever changes you make will automatically replicate across all your computers. You can store documents, photos, music, video files – and once you are synced, you can access them from any web browser or smart phone. SugarSync automatically synchronizes any photos you take on your mobile phone right to your computer. You can even share photo albums and stream entire music collections directly from the Internet. See our Review of the SugarSync Online Backup Service.
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Norton Online Backup
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Norton Online Backup stores your files online so you can retrieve them anytime, anywhere using any computer connected to the Internet. You can get your files back fast whether you are at home, in the office, or on the road. Norton works with both Windows and Mac computers lets you search backup sets for specific files by keyword, simplifies file sharing and saves older versions of your backed up files. A trusted service by a trusted name. Read more about Norton Online Backup.
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SOS Online Backup
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SOS Online Backup is one of the largest worldwide providers of online backup for consumers, small and medium businesses and IT/managed service providers. SOS Online Backup delivers simple yet powerful online backup that has become the industry’s top award winner, including Laptop Magazine’s Editor’s Choice and PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award since 2006. The SOS Online Backup solution utilizes 11 data centers across multiple continents to keep your data replicated for added security. Also has an iPhone and BlackBerry App, File sharing, Web Access to your files and a built in local backup option. Save 25% on the Personal - Home Package! Read more about SOS Online Backup
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NovaBACKUP Software
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The NovaBACKUP data storage and protection service offers a wide range of backup solutions for your Personal Computer or an entire office of networked PCs. This solution allows you to back up your critical data to a wide range of devices and online storage solutions. The disk imaging technology that is included in NovaBACKUP allows you to recover your entire operating system with just a few simple steps giving you total data protection. NovaBACKUP is a complete backup and disaster recovery solution for Windows servers, PC’s and laptops and VMware virtual machines. Read more about the Backup utility here.
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Keepit
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Keepit is an online backup solution that is simple to use, automatic and secure. Keepit automatically backs up your default folders every day and you can choose which files or folders to backup. Your files are securely encrypted before they leave your computer so nobody else will ever see what you are backing up online. You files are safe with Keepit. There are two different storage facilities to ensure redundancy so your files can never be lost or destroyed. See our review of the Keepit Online Backup Solution. Get 10% off of your Keepit purchase when you use the following Coupon Code:
Code: whatsabyte
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