What Should I Back Up?


There are many, many files on your computer. Which should be backed up? Files can be grouped into three basic types of data files, or tiers: critical files, user files, and system files/programs. Let's take a look at each:

  • Critical files These are the files that you simply cannot lose. It could be your list of clients, the transcript of your memoirs, digital photos, key work files, or whateverany files that would cause you financial ruin, great heartache, or years of work if they were suddenly and irrevocably gone. In most cases, critical files would be those that are updated from time to time, perhaps the exception being photos or other files saved for posterity.

  • User files This class of files includes all the files created on your computer or via another program. This includes documents, presentations, e-mails, spreadsheets, and so on. Any file on your computer today that was not there the day you bought it (outside of program files) falls into this category.

    Very Important

    In many cases, a critical file can also be defined as a user file. The distinction is really up to you. For example, a person could have two documents, each with a recipe. One recipe came from FoodTV.com, and the other is the only documented recipe of your grandmother's award-winning rutabaga pie. Clearly, there is a difference in the personal value of these two files, so you should have at least some form of backup for the recipe that cannot be replaced.


  • System files This is pretty much everything else on your computer, including the operating system and programs that have been installed.

So, which should you back up? Well, it depends on how much storage you have at your disposal and how quickly you need to be up and running in the event of a problem.

At a minimum, every person who owns a computer should back up critical files. We have seen lives in ruins because of one or two files (determined to be critical after the fact) that were lost or destroyed. Some examples of key files to back up are as follows:

  • Financial records

  • Digital photographs

  • Downloaded music

  • Personal project files

  • Your e-mail address book

  • Saved e-mails

Given that storage is relatively cheap, you should err on the side of designating many files as critical as opposed to being stingy with the critical designation. We recommend that you back up all critical files and user files. Whereas losing all the noncritical files would not push anyone to the brink, it really is a giant pain in the rear end to replace them all or live without them.

Should you back up the operating system and program files? It depends. Most often, you have the CD for the operating system, and either CDs for all the programs you have installed or they are easily downloadable online. If you cannot afford to be without your computer for a day or so while you restore it from CDs, backing up the system and program files is a smart move.

Instead of selecting the subset of files you really need to back up, a final option is to back up the entire system. This is not for everyone because it takes some time and a lot of storage; if you run a business using your computer or cannot afford to be without your computer for a day, however, you might want to think about this option. The most convenient way to back up an entire system is to make a drive image, which is essentially a compressed copy of every bit on your computer. A drive image will cost you a few dollars, but it might be worth it for the piece of mind it provides.




Home Network Security Simplified
Home Network Security Simplified
ISBN: 1587201631
EAN: 2147483647
Year: N/A
Pages: 130

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