Keep files and settings safe with PC backups

Whether it’s due to accidental deletion, damage or physical failure, it’s likely that most of us have experienced the frustration of losing files that we thought were safely stored on a computer hard disk. Often this is merely irritating but with more of our precious photos and videos stored on computers, disappearing data can be a devastating blow, akin to losing our most valued and irreplaceable possessions.

Despite this, a recent survey conducted by online backup service Kabooza suggests that four in every five computer users don’t back up regularly, despite two in every three having suffered a significant loss of files. Computeractive readers are, unsurprisingly, more savvy about the need to protect files. Our survey found more than half of you (51 per cent) back up files to an external hard disk and more than a quarter use DVDs with just a handful (eight per cent) keeping no backups.

So why a new feature on backing up? Well, here at Computeractive we like the simple life and this article is packed with practical tips on how to make backing up files and settings as easy as pie. There are many ways to take a copy of a file so we’ll also talk about the benefits and pitfalls of each so that you can choose the most appropriate and convenient for your needs. Finally, we’ll show you how to combine methods to create a watertight strategy for ensuring the safety of irreplaceable files.

Accidents will happen
Your computer’s hard disk is designed to run non-stop for thousands of hours but like any electronic component it can fail. Random failures aren’t restricted to old components ­ in fact, disks are statistically more likely to fail within the first year of operation. With new disks able to store up to 2,000GB of information, a single failure could lead to an unthinkable loss of files. It’s for this reason that a backup should never be kept on the same physical disk as its original, even if that disk is split into two or more partitions.

More often than not, though, we have only ourselves to blame. Deleting a folder or file by accident is easy to do, and while the Recycle Bin goes some way to ensuring these files aren’t immediately deleted, it’s all too easy to get into the habit of emptying it immediately ­ – especially when trying to recover space on a full disk. There’s also the chance of unwittingly causing data loss ­ downloading programs from an unreliable source or opening email attachments can unleash one of the many viruses designed to cause damage to your files. Running effective, up-to-date anti-virus software is therefore an important step in keeping files safe, as well as exercising common sense when downloading files from the internet.

It may feel like a chore but backing up all your files is easier than you might think. Your files might seem like they’re spread all over your computer, in folders on your Desktop, in your Documents, Photos or Music folder, but in fact from Windows XP onwards, all documents are stored in one place. In Windows XP, this folder can be found in C:\Documents and Settings, while on Vista and Windows 7 it is located in C:\Users.

If you are not sure how to access these locations, double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop or open it from the Start menu, then open the main disk, which is usually labelled ‘C:\’. That’s where you will find the folder that contains the documents and photos of every person with an account on the computer, it’s this that needs to be kept safe ­ – especially as it occupies the same busy disk as Windows itself. This folder will often be tens of gigabytes in size, maybe more if it contains downloaded movies, your music collection and several albums of holiday snaps. As a result, backing up this folder requires a back up location with at least the same capacity ­ – ideally a number of times more.

Outside the box
The best bet here is an external hard disk. There are hundreds available and prices have plummeted in recent years, so let’s consider how to choose one that’s suitable for your needs. External hard disks come in two main versions – ­ those that contain a 3.5in desktop hard disk, exactly as found in the computer itself, or a 2.5in laptop hard disk. Desktop hard disks are generally faster and cheaper but need to be plugged into a mains electricity socket to operate. They’re a great option if you intend to keep the disk in one place, such as on the desk. A laptop hard disk is physically smaller, so most external disks that use one are pocket-sized. These are designed to run on the power supplied by a computer via the USB cable, too, so they are a good choice for backup on the move or between work and home.

All external hard disks have a USB socket but some newer products provide a connection called eSata, the principle benefit of which is that the speed at which data passes from computer to external disk is about three times faster that using a USB cable. When you’re saving an entire hard disk’s worth of material, that’s a significant advantage but one you can only take advantage of if your PC has an eSata socket ­ see the image to the left if you’re unsure what to look for.