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.  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.   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. 

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 2009 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, Mozy Home and Carbonite online backup will protect your data at a remote location keeping your data safe and secure.    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!

• True Image 2009
• HP Upline
• Norton Ghost
• Mozy
• Carbonite
• XZ Backup

Acronis True Image 2009

Acronis True Image 2009 - Just released Version 2009. The complete disk imaging, system disk backup, and bare-metal restore for workstations and home PCs. See our review of Acronis True Image 2009 Home. Great for Seamless Hard Drive Upgrades: Transfer Windows and all installed programs from one drive to another. A perfect solution if you're looking to upgrade your hard drive and don't want to reinstall Windows. Get 10% off Acronis True Image 2009 by entering the following coupon code when you order: Coupon Code: PromoATI10OFF  This is a limited time offer!

HP Upline Backup Solution

HP Upline is an online backup and storage service that makes backing up, storing and accessing your data from anywhere simple and secure.  Using Upline, you can share photos and access work files from anywhere with ease.  Hard drives crash and catastrophes happen that can and will destroy your precious data that you may have stored on your computer.  An online backup solution is the best way to keep your data safe and secure.  HP Upline offers solutions for your home, your family and your small to medium business backup needs. See our Review of the HP Upline Online Backup Service

Norton Ghost 14

Norton Ghost 14 - 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 14.0 can restore it back to a working state in minutes! Check our Norton Ghost Tutorials for more information. For a limited time, you can Get 10% off of Norton Ghost 14.0 just for entering the following coupon code when you order: Code: 10NGHST08 This offer expires January 10, 2009 - Enjoy!

Mozy Online Backup

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 is effortless to set up and performs backups automatically in the background. Mozy encrypts all files on your computer before data transfer and backs up open and locked files. See our full Review of the Mozy Online Backup Solution. Get an extra 10% off an annual subscription to Mozy just by entering the following coupon code: Code: JANUARY Get an additional 10% off a bi-annual subscription just for entering the following coupon code: Code: JANUARY

Carbonite Online Backup

Carbonite is a very small application that backs up your important megabytes and gigabytes automatically. You will never have to worry about losing your data with Carbonite installed on your computer. The files are backed up online to a safe and secure data storage center so you never have to if your data will survive a disaster. Try Carbonite to see how easy it is to backup your critical data. See our full Review of the Carbonite Online Backup Solution.

XZ Online Backup

XZ Online Backup knows that all of your data is important and that is why they provide you with a very reliable and secure online backup solution for all of your home or business backup needs.  There are an estimated one billion computers in use today and it is estimated that about 6 percent of those computers will lose data due to crashes, viruses, natural disasters and data corruption. That adds up to 64 million computers that will lose data.  Is your data safe?   See our Full Review of the XZ Backup Online Backup Solution Here. Protect your data online with the XZ online backup solution.  Learn more about the XZ Online Backup Solution.