Preventing data loss: A QUICK AND EFFICIENT PROCEDURE FOR BACKING UP YOUR MUSIC AND COMPUTER DATA FILES
"Backing up data is actually a snap to do and chances are you already have all of the equipment and software that you need to do so. If you need some convincing as to why you need to back up your data, check this prologue out. If you're already in the know, then strap in friend and get ready to do a little digital time traveling.
My backing up method requires two horrendously obvious things: the files to back up and a place to back them up to. I'm assuming you have the former requirement or you wouldn't need this article. For the latter requirement I recommend any storage media that is both rewriteable and removeable. It needs to be rewriteable because we're going to use this media over and over again day after day to back up your data. It needs to be removeable because we want to make sure it is located outside the system where your originals are located. That way the back up medium will not sustain the same fate as the originals in a crash, theft, etc.
I wil describe the procedure using Windows XP Professional and an external hard drive as the rewriteable/removeable media. This includes large hard drives like mine, which is the Lacie 60GB mobile hard drive, as well as the smaller usb flash drives (also called jump or thumb drives). Alternatively, you could use a rewriteable DVD-RW, DVD+RW, or CDRW with an appropriately capable burner, but you'll have to make a few modifications to the procedure since your burning software may not allow you to overwrite files on the DVD/CD. The choice is yours, but I like the external hard drive because it has tons of space and in my case is mobile (about the size of a wallet).
PROCEDURE:
1. When you are finished creating/modifying files for the day, go to the directory on your hard drive that contains the files you want to back up. In my case, I have made a single directory on my local disc (C:\) for all my personal files and another for all of my music files. This is better than keeping them in the My Documents folder since that directory is operating system dependent. If something goes wrong with Windows XP you may not be able to access your own files! It's happened to me before and I had to transfer everything using DOS. Crazy, eh?
2. Drag all of the directories containing your personal data to your external hard drive. I make a folder called "back up 2008-07-22" or whatever the current date is so I know the last time I performed the procedure.
Oh, by the way, congradulations! Your data is now backed up! Remember that you don't need to baby sit the copying of the files. Get it going and then go do something else. Ready to take the next step and maintain that back up daily? Here we go!
3. Each day after when you are finished creating/modifying files, go to your personal directories again with windows explorer and hit F3. This will bring up the search function. Select to find all files modified on the current day and hit search. A list of all of the newly created and all of the files you altered will come up in the window. Drag these to a new folder on your external hard drive. I call the folder "daily back up" to differentiate it from the first back up folder we created in step 1. Note that you could also just drag all of the folders that come up in the search, but this will take more time.
4. Repeat step 3 every day, and you now have your entire system backed up daily!
5. Every month, repeat the procedure starting with step 1 again in case you miss a daily back up session, forget to back up a file, or have some other user-error that crops up in the procedure. This is also essential if you're just copying files in step 3 because those files will not be sub-categorized in the original subdirectories on your external hard drive as they are on your local disc (C:\). Like I said, it's a fast method, but you do sacrifice having to go back and put those daily back up files into directories upon a system crash. For me it's always been worth the time saving, and I think you will find it so as well!
I've been using this method for backing up my computer files for years. It has not only saved my personal files on system crashes, but it has also has helped allowing me to reverse changes to a file by being able to go back to the copy from the previous day. I hope you find it equally as simple and effective and can employ it in your own personal studio or on your own PC.
Still reading? Then you must be like me and have limited hard drive space! You're probably saying, "The procedure is great, but I don't have enough external hard drive space to back everything up!" Well, have no fear because I have the solution for that as well! Next up is my article on archiving your data. It's coming soon to a web page near you so check back often or sign up for my newsletter."
e-effect
07-23-08