Backup Specifications for Home/Office PC

Backup Specifications for Home/Office PC

by AllAboutYourOwnWebsite.com, September, 2001.

What files need to be backed up?   We all know that backups are necessary in order to recover from the accidental loss of valuable documents or data due either to disk failure, accidental deletion or inadvertent file corruption. We all suspect that recovery can be done quickly and accurately when done correctly.   The questions to be answered then are:

• Exactly what files (or programs) need to be backed up?
• How often should backups be performed?
• How should backups be performed?

We at www.allaboutyourownwebsite.com provide you with these specifications.  These will assure rapid and complete recovery from any loss of data including, but not limited to, the complete recovery from a fatal hard disk crash.  In addition, we tell you exactly how to perform a complete recovery.  If you do the backups as prescribed here and the full system restore in the order specified, you are assured that when you are finished with the restore process your system will be EXACTLY as it was before the crash replete with the same user documents, mail messages and folders, IE favorites,  desktop appearances, start and program menus, etc.  In fact, if you follow these guidelines, you will be able to replicate your current PC environment on a new PC

in it's entirety simply by restoring your most recent regularly scheduled backup as the last step in the new PC setup process.

Again, Why do Backups?

Backups allow you to restore your files if any of the following occur:

• Hard drive crashes and everything on it is lost. This CAN happen and probably will at least once every couple of years. The likelihood of this happening may be minimized by performing routine disk maintenance but the chance of a crash is still always possible. When a crash occurs a FULL SYSTEM RESTORE performed in the proper sequence using your most recent regularly scheduled backup disk (see below) must be done.
• An individual file has been accidentally deleted, or has become corrupt (unusable), or you just want to return to a previous version of something. When this occurs a SINGLE FILE RESTORE needs to be performed. This is done by running the same program(s) you used to create the backup in the first place, except now you choose the “RESTORE” option.

Exactly What Files or Programs Need to be Backed Up?

The good news is that very few files need to be backed up on a regular basis. Only application data and environment or program settings need to be regularly backed up. You do not have to backup your entire hard drive or anything close to that. The operating system (Windows 95/98/Me) does not need to be backed up, nor does any of the other software, or programs that you may have installed from CDs or elsewhere. If any of these need to be restored you simply re-install the software the way it was done the first time.

The files that need to be regularly backed up are:

• All User Data and Documents
  • C:\MyDocuments   (entire folder).

Everything in this folder tree - files, subfolders, subfolder files, etc.  Program applications always ask you where you want to keep the things that you create (e.g., WORD documents, spreadsheets, graphics creations, photos, MS Access databases, FileMaker Pro databases, etc.) and smart people keep everything somewhere in this "C:\My Documents\..." folder.  This makes it extremely easy to keep everything successfully backed up.

• Windows Settings and Windows Applications Data.
  • C:\Windows\Desktop  (entire folder)
  • C:\Windows\StartMenu  (entire folder)
  • C:\Windows\Favorites  (entire folder)
  • C:\Windows\SendTo  (entire folder)
  • C:\Windows\AllUsers  (entire folder)
  • C:\Windows\ApplicationData\  (entire folder)

Windows keeps windows type stuff in this area, as do many windows applications such as Outlook Express. There are also some \ApplicationData\ areas in the C:\Windows\AllUsers\ tree but these are included in the step above).

• C:\Windows\OfflineWebPages  (entire folder)

If you happen to use the Internet Explorer offline viewing feature.

• Netscape Bookmarks (Netscape users only):
  • C:\ProgramFiles\Netscape\Users  (entire folder)
• Software Specific Data Areas:

Some applications ask at the time of their install where the user specific data associated with the application should be kept while other’s don’t. Either way, you need to know where it is being kept so that you can include it as part of your regular backups.

• Example, the Eudora email program, during install, lets you decide where you want to keep the actual user mail messages and user account settings. We keep ours’  in a My Documents subfolder that we created at C:\MyDocuments\Qualcomm\Eudora\.  Since everything in the My Documents folder is already included in the regular backups (see above) nothing special needs to be done with this application.  And, sure enough, whenever we do a full system restores as prescribed all of our mail messages and folders and preferred environment settings are restored and ready to use as if nothing ever happened.
• Example, the IOMEGA 1-step backup software doesn’t let you decide during install where user data will be kept. The user data is always kept in its own area at C:\ProgramFiles\Iomega\Iomega Backup\. Hence, you will want to include this folder as part of your regular backups. We do and, sure enough, every time we do a full system restore (see below) all of our IOMEGA backup settings are restored and ready to use without the need to re-enter the file selections.

How Often Should Backups be Performed?

• REGULARLY SCHEDULED BACKUPS should be done as often as is practical. A good measure is to do so every eight (8) hours of computer use if appropriate (e.g., you enter a lot of data on a daily basis or work on documents every day). Backups are your insurance policy against the loss of these valuable data and/or files – you decide.

Note: SPECIAL ONE-TIME BACKUPS should be done for any software that was paid for and downloaded. Put them onto a separate backup disk and label them with any account or registration identification. This makes it possible to re-install the software in the future, if necessary.

How Should Backups be Performed?

Three different types of storage media may be used for your backups.

Backing Up to Floppy Disks

Suitable for 4 Mb or less of data (about 4 floppies) but can accommodate any amount. More than 4 Mb of data prolongs the backup process and requires the use of too many floppy disks. You need about one (1) floppy for each one (1.14) Mb of data. Run the Windows backup program

“START/PROGRAMS/ACCESSORIES/SYSTEM TOOLS/Backup”.

Read the backup program's documentation about how to “select” those files you wish to backup and how to “save” the selection for future backup use. Select the folders/files listed above. You will know how many floppies you will need when you are finished selecting the files because the program will tell you how much total data has been selected. Be sure to label and date the floppies when finished. They can be reused and re-labeled for future backups. Keep at least two backup sets in a rotation. Reuse and re-label the oldest ones each time. 

Pros:      No purchase required (software and hardware already built-in to every Windows system). Disks are inexpensive.

Cons:     Slow and cumbersome for more than 4Mb of data.

Backing Up to ZIP Drives

Each zip disk holds 100 Mb (or 250 Mb or more depending on what drive you buy) and the backup process is very fast. Run the backup program that came with ZIP drive. Read the backup program's documentation about how to “select' which files are to be backed up and how to “save”' the selection for future backup use. Be sure to label and date the disk when finished. They can be reused and re-labeled for future backups. Keep at least two disks in a rotation. Reuse and re-label the oldest one each time.

Pros:       Faster than floppies and requires fewer disks (each ZIP disk equals 100 or more floppies).

Cons:     Requires hardware/software purchase (refer to CNET for current prices). Disks are expensive - approximately  $10 each.

Backing Up to CD-RW DISKS

Each CD-RW disk holds 600 Mb (or more depending on what drive you buy). This backup process is the fastest of your three options. Run the backup program that accompanies the CD-RW drive. Follow the backup program's documentation about how to “select”' which files are to be backed up and how to “save” the selection so that you can re-use it every time without having to re-think the file selection. Be sure to label and date the disks when finished. They can be reused and re-labeled for future backups. Keep at least two disks in a rotation. Reuse and re-label the oldest one each time.

Pros:     Faster than ZIP and requires fewer disks (each disk equals 600 or more floppies). Disks are inexpensive – approximately $1 each.

Cons:     May require purchase (refer to CNET for current prices).

Full System Recovery

In the event of a hard drive failure or a fatal virus attack, it is possible to restore your PC to exactly the way it was when your last regularly scheduled backup was done.  Not only your data files, but your desktop settings, start menu, programs menu and browser settings etc., will be perfectly restored.  This is only possible IF you performed the backup according to our instructions above and the recovery steps are performed in the sequence specified here:

• 1.      Replace your hard drive, or have it repaired. It will now be empty.
• 2.      Setup your computer to its original factory configuration. Call the vendor for assistance. Usually new computers arrive with a special CD for restoring your computer to its original factory settings.
• 3.      Re-install any additional software from the CDs that you have added since the computer was purchased.
• 4.      Restore and re-install any software that you paid to download. The original download file should have been backed up when it was first installed (see “Adding Software” above). You can now restore these as single files into the “C:\My Downloads\” folder to re-install them.
• 5.      Restore everything (full restore) from your most recent regularly scheduled backup. This is done by running the same program you used to create the backup in the first place, except now you choose the RESTORE option and opt to restore everything to its original location.
• 6.      Re-download and re-install the software that you had downloaded for free. The web sites should have been bookmarked when you did the initial download (see “Adding Software” above) and these bookmarks have now been restored in step 5 (above).
• 7.      Perform the WEEKLY, MONTHLY and QUARTERLY maintenance requirements (see Required Routine Maintenance above).
• 8.      Re-create your anti-virus emergency diskettes.

Now your computer is exactly the way it was before the crash.

Authors:     Copyright (C) John Dalton & Nancy Baer, 1999-2001.

Contact Authors:                       mailto:aayow@yahoo.com

AutoResponse:    mailto:pcbackups@allaboutyourownwebsite.com

URL:  http://www.allaboutyourownwebsite.com/pcbackups.html

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