Backing up your data suggestions

[AZ-Tax]

So here I am, putting Humpty Dumpty (my pc) back together as he crashed. New HD installed now installing apps back. My last on line back up was 7/16/2011 (day of crash) but my ms outlook email on line back up was last backed up on 5/9/2011. Even some of programs there were in themselves suppose to auto back up daily, did not for weeks to a month prior to my crash. When the tech guy ask me if I wanted my old HD in a case to use if I cannot locate a certain file, I really did not know why I would need it since he supposedly move all my data over from the previsou drive. Now I find myself more and more importing from the previous HD. I was able to restore all my msoutlook emails and my Calendarscope files. So how do I avoid this in the future, I was told regulary go into your on line back up and check the backup dates on vital files. Any thoughtsl

[erchess]

Backups

Personally, I make a complete new mirror image of my two internal hard drives to an external drive once a week. The hard drive I use only holds one image so I only have one version at any given time. I store the hard drive on my desk so if I have a fire in the home office and lose the laptop I will most likely lose the backup as well. I have considered doing a backup once a month or every other week to a hard drive stored in a safety deposit box at my credit union. Personally, I would not be comfortable storing anything related to my clients including emails and of course their returns and the scanned images of the papers they give me in an online backup. I would rather run the risk of a disaster causing me to irretrievably lose client data than the risk that its security will be compromised by some third party service.

[taxea]

Do you have a friend who lives close enough that you could leave a backup with them? A neighbor? Off-site doesn't have to be "a world away".

[erchess]

Would not use neighbor

because of fear I'm responsible if neighbor compromises info. I'd actually use an online service before I used a neighbor. If I found going to my credit union a bother I'd buy a fire proof safe and keep the hard drive in it when not in use.

[oceanlovin'ea]

stupid question

Here is a stupid question, or at least an ignorant one.

I back up my QB and my tax program files when I finish in a return or account. How do I do a complete back up of my computer each week?

Linda EA

[ChEAr$]

After reading the first two posts in this thread, I figured it wouldn't hurt to use online storage, so today I'm starting to use Mozy, a company which offers 2 gigbytes free.

Then if I really like it, will spring for more space.

[DTS]

I've been using Mozy Pro for about 6 months. Backups every night. To date, I have not had to retrieve any data from this backup. I have a plan that adds more storage, as needed.

[taxea]

because of fear I'm responsible if neighbor compromises info. I'd actually use an online service before I used a neighbor. If I found going to my credit union a bother I'd buy a fire proof safe and keep the hard drive in it when not in use.

Just don't use someone who you suspect might compromise the info.

[joanmcq]

I use iDrive, which uses more encryption than any of the other services I researched, and has a better price. The first backup took forever; I backed up my entire computer. The subsequent backups only backup any information that has changed, so it only takes a minute or two.

[tpert]

My two main computers have twin system/application drives and a separate data drive. The twin drives are on drive drawers and used as follows: One is the main drive and is used for booting and running applications on a regular basis. The other remains disconnected except for a weekly cloning from the main drive. By remaining disconnected, it is immune from any power spikes that get through my surge protectors and it also never goes through more than a small fraction of its useful life. In an problem situation, it can serve as an immediate replacement for my main drive just by switching drawers. The main drive is also backed up to an external drive monthly.

Key folders on the data drives of each machine are currently backed up to a network attached drive using SyncBackSE and to "the cloud" via Mozy. Other key folders are synched between the two machines with SyncBackSE so that each computer's data is generally no more than an hour behind the other. I can start work on a file on one machine and later pick up where I left off on the other.

About two years ago I did successfully restore a different machine's data from Mozy and it was workable though pricey and quite a long process.

I am considering changing some of the above strategy to use SugarSync for my data files if I am able to confirm that it works as I am expecting. Mozy is changing their charging structure, and since most of my data is ultimately the same on all machines, I would benefit from the deduplication inherent in the Sugarsync paradigm instead of being charged multiple times for backing up the same data from multiple machines. I have been gradually increasing the number of folders using SugarSync and will use the next tax season to decide whether this is sufficient for me not to renew my Mozy subscription.

[joanmcq]

iDrive has a 'family package' that is good for up to 5 computers that is quite reasonable. I have my biz desktop and my laptop. Still have to figure out how to back up the laptop....

[erchess]

what can be backed up online?

If I am reading idrive correctly, my OS and Applications would not be backed up, only my datafiles. Is that correct? I have decided to start backing up but I want to be able to uninstall Windows and put everything back the way it was in one operation as opposed to downloading programs or installing from cd one by one and then repopulating them with data.

[okie1tax]

Re-install Windows 7

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/win7s-no-reformat-nondestructive-reinstall/

Start here, may be helpful.

[joanmcq]

On the original backup, I chose to backup the entire C drive; it took a couple of days. Subsequent backups only do what has changed. You can select how much or how little you want to back up.

[erchess]

joan

If I am reading correctly what they are saying to me in email your OS and your programs won't work when you restore them from backup. Would you please ask and report back?