Wow, I feel like such a slacker!!! I really like the 250 gb external drive that I got for backing up and its a snap to do the backup (once I figured out that the buttheads who preinstalled my xp home edition did NOT install the backup utility). I installed that manually. I think I'll just get another external drive and duplicate everything on that and keep that one in my fireproof safe. Sounds like I'm keeping state secrets or something, but I guess all those Fall Colors, Spring Fling, Nor'easter and Fossilfest pictures are pretty important things!!!

PS thanks to all you fellas for your discussion on this. I really appreciate and feel soooo much better about how to keep things that are irreplaceable.

 

Val,

I use an external HD and run a weekly backup. I also burn CDs of the very important stuff anytime that I make a change. I've just been too lazy to get another external HD, but will get one eventually and stop burning the CDs.

Justin

 

I thought a back up was having an ankle pistol?

 

 

Val -- First, your neighbor may not be completely out of luck. If her disk did really, truly "melt down", then she's a goner, of course. But sometimes PC experts (repair shops that are good) can rescue data from "dead" disks. This worked for me a few years ago when I had a big crash.

Second, there's nothing magical about an external HD -- it's just another disk to fail, after all. The various suggestions here about alternative media for backups (CDs, DVDs, flash drives, et al.) make sense because they provide a completely separate storage method with different failure modes from a HD. And the dual-backup approach is indeed what the professionals use; further they store one of the copies somewhere extra safe (for a regular person, some place like a safe-deposit box) off-site.

But probably the most important advice here is to set a routine and stick with it. Like mine: at the infrequent intervals when I happen to think of it and don't just blow it off. HPH

 

Thanks Dr. for a little clearer explanation. I was wondering if I wasn't doing enough after reading about double backs and safety deposit boxes.

For myself, I add a bad experience years ago at work. I opened a brand new floopy disc and inserted it only to learn that I had infected my pc with a Monkey B virus. Our IT dept found the entire box infected. At the time I had no backup! Lesson learned the hard way. Since then I've been a good boy.

On the home pc, for me, it all depends on how much 'new' stuff I am saving. If I am doing research on a subject or adding lots of new info, photos, genealogy, etc. I backup weekly. If I am just adding stuff kinda routine like, I back up monthly. If I am not saving much I will go as long as 3 months. Which reminds me I have done one since 1/14/07 (after the Christmas photos); so I'm due.

I just do a simple back up to CDs - which in my case takes 5.

 

On a related subject ...... does anyone have any suggestion on an easy way to destroy CDs that were saved as backup. I started out with 100 CDs years ago and this weekend used up the last ones. I now have to find an easy way to destroy 95 of them!

 

I have a friend who smashes them up and uses the shards for craft projects. Is that helpful?

 

Until I tossed it, I had a CD player that did a pretty fair job of it...

There are office-grade paper shredders that will eat CDs. They tend to be expensive and have slower feed rates, but they do the trick (I have one at work). Of course, they also work quite well on paper, so if you don't have a shredder at home, this might be a solution. (Actually, the one I have is more in the form of a "chipper", in that it makes confetti rather than strips.) HPH

 

Yep, a good shredder will do the trick. So will a hammer, just be sure to wear safety glasses.

I also give some of them to my son, he uses them as targets for his air rifle.