Strategies for Foolproof Backup

Advice is easy to give, but hard to take--especially if the advice is "Back up your computer!" The nine tips below will help keep your data safe, and keep you calm in the face of a disaster.

* Establish the list of files you want to back up: If you need to protect just your data files--documents, databases, address books, Internet bookmarks, and Microsoft Office style sheets, for example--your backups may require a lot less space than you expect. Also back up software updates, patches, downloads, and service packs, too: If your hard disk crashes, having these files available will make getting your system back up-to-date much faster.

* Decide how often to back up: Measure your potential angst over lost data, and modify your backup schedule accordingly. If most of the data on your system is important and you use it every day, daily backups are crucial. Work out a schedule for rotating your media; this can allow you to recover data you may not have realized was lost or corrupted.

* Verify your data at the end of each backup: Don't take a chance that you're saving a bad backup. For maximum safety, you shouldn't just depend on what the software tells you: Run a test restore to make sure that everything is there and working.

* Create multiple backups in different locations: For must-have data, make two backups and store them in separate locations. Having a local backup is important for quick access to your data, but it won't help you recover from a fire or a flood. Redundant backups also protect against media failure.

* Don't rely on just one technology: Making redundant backups is a good idea; an even better notion is to make them using a different backup method. If you run backups to a hard disk, for example, save duplicates of essential files on some form of removable storage, such as CD-R or DVD+RW. This approach provides an additional hedge against disaster or hardware failure.

* Pick a backup program: Drag-and-drop works fine for backing up a folder here and there, but a backup program gives you several advantages, including compression, automation, and the ability to span a large backup over multiple pieces of media. Backup software can also perform incremental backups--backing up only new or modified files--which saves time and space. Alternatively, drive-imaging software such as PowerQuest's Drive Image or Symantec's Norton Ghost captures an exact replica of your drive, including your operating system. Before buying, though, check to see whether the software supports your hardware; some backup packages, for example, won't work with the latest CD-RW drives.

* Make a dry run: Backup applications almost always have logs that tell you what did--and what didn't--get backed up. We recommend making a dry run of the backup and restore processes with your software, so you can identify and fix any existing configuration issues while you still can--and so you won't need to fumble with the software's manual in the midst of a crisis.

* Mirror your hard disk for real-time recovery: If you can't afford even brief periods of downtime, put a second hard drive in your PC and have it "mirror" your primary drive. (You'll need a RAID controller card to do so.) The distinction between disk mirroring and formal backing up is that in mirroring, all changes on your primary hard disk--both deletions and additions--appear in an identical fashion on your mirrored drive. This approach can help you get up and running after a disk crash, but it won't help you retrieve a file you overwrote two days ago.

* Baby your backup media: After you perform a backup, store the media or drive in a secure place (away from moisture, heat, and dust). And don't neglect to test the backups periodically, particularly as they evolve from backups into archives. --Robert Luhn