Backing up whole computer
I know, I know....I should have been doing this all along but never have partly due to fear and this question... So when I back up the total computer to CDs (I don't have an extra modem & am not ge...
Forum Discussion
If your programs and data are important to you . . . don't scimp here. If you are a casual user, you have more leeway.
There are two types of backups. One is called an "image" backup, or complete system backup. It backs up the operating system,drivers,settings, your programs, your data . . . everything.
The other is called a file backup . . . it backs up your data only.
The choice is not "either or", you should really do both . . . as they serve different functions. The full system image backup is what you want to have handy IF you have a hard drive failure and you are replacing the hard drive into the same machine and you just want everything back exactly like it was.
If, on the other hand your operating system gets corrupted and crashes . . . you can't use the full system backup to restore your "stuff". If you did, you'd be restoring the corrupted files. Full system "image" backups don't give you the choice to backup or restore just what you want. It's everything or nothing.
When Windows gets corrupt and crashes, you must rebuild from scratch. You'll need to reinstall Windows (this wipes everything else out), reload any programs you use, and then use your "files" backup to reload your data files, email, pictures, etc. Most file system backup software will allow you to "pick and choose" what you backup and what you restore. One thing you will need to know before you begin your backup is where the files you want to back up are stored, so you can be sure to include them in the backup. Most personal files get stored in "My Documents" and "My Pictures" but some programs (including iTunes and mail programs) have a mind of their own and store their files in other locations or in the hidden "apps data" directory.
I'm just recovering from the worst type of system crash . . . corrupt Windows. I had a recent system "image" backup, but that was not the appropriate choice for this catasthophe. After restoring the machine to its default state with the original Windows install, then it had to be rebuilt from scratch: loading programs, trying to remember all the settings and then loading the data files. I used Carbonite for my file backup and the restore took over a week to download from the internet. Thank goodness I happened to be on a good connection when it happened. A cellular connection would never have worked. Carbonite (or any cloud backup) can be handy to keep your backup up-to-date, but it's not a practical solution for anyone that has a large data set.
Having said all this, if you are a casual user and are mostly an internet consumer (facebook, online email, searches, etc.) you may not have much to back up and DVDs could work for backing up the few files you actually save. You just need to learn where they are.
For those of us that are serious computer uses and have years and years and years of data . . . both business and personal . . . local hard drive back-ups are the only solution that makes sense. We need both the image and the file backup as you just never know what will happen.
I have a friend that recently bought a new computer and transferred what she told me was "minimal data" from her old machine to her new one. When she started her full system "image" backup on her new computer, the system told her she would need fifty-some DVDs! Yes, she immediately purchased one of the handy little external back-up drives.
There are two types of backups. One is called an "image" backup, or complete system backup. It backs up the operating system,drivers,settings, your programs, your data . . . everything.
The other is called a file backup . . . it backs up your data only.
The choice is not "either or", you should really do both . . . as they serve different functions. The full system image backup is what you want to have handy IF you have a hard drive failure and you are replacing the hard drive into the same machine and you just want everything back exactly like it was.
If, on the other hand your operating system gets corrupted and crashes . . . you can't use the full system backup to restore your "stuff". If you did, you'd be restoring the corrupted files. Full system "image" backups don't give you the choice to backup or restore just what you want. It's everything or nothing.
When Windows gets corrupt and crashes, you must rebuild from scratch. You'll need to reinstall Windows (this wipes everything else out), reload any programs you use, and then use your "files" backup to reload your data files, email, pictures, etc. Most file system backup software will allow you to "pick and choose" what you backup and what you restore. One thing you will need to know before you begin your backup is where the files you want to back up are stored, so you can be sure to include them in the backup. Most personal files get stored in "My Documents" and "My Pictures" but some programs (including iTunes and mail programs) have a mind of their own and store their files in other locations or in the hidden "apps data" directory.
I'm just recovering from the worst type of system crash . . . corrupt Windows. I had a recent system "image" backup, but that was not the appropriate choice for this catasthophe. After restoring the machine to its default state with the original Windows install, then it had to be rebuilt from scratch: loading programs, trying to remember all the settings and then loading the data files. I used Carbonite for my file backup and the restore took over a week to download from the internet. Thank goodness I happened to be on a good connection when it happened. A cellular connection would never have worked. Carbonite (or any cloud backup) can be handy to keep your backup up-to-date, but it's not a practical solution for anyone that has a large data set.
Having said all this, if you are a casual user and are mostly an internet consumer (facebook, online email, searches, etc.) you may not have much to back up and DVDs could work for backing up the few files you actually save. You just need to learn where they are.
For those of us that are serious computer uses and have years and years and years of data . . . both business and personal . . . local hard drive back-ups are the only solution that makes sense. We need both the image and the file backup as you just never know what will happen.
I have a friend that recently bought a new computer and transferred what she told me was "minimal data" from her old machine to her new one. When she started her full system "image" backup on her new computer, the system told her she would need fifty-some DVDs! Yes, she immediately purchased one of the handy little external back-up drives.
