Backup your data, please

Many times, when someone needs help in most cases is while data get corrupted. Previously, when floppy disk (1.44MB) was used, corrupt data will show CRC error (cyclic redundancy check). It might be a scratch on the drive or mold grown or floppy disk drive head is dirty. We had a lot of problem back then, to save the data.

Nowadays as storage becomes larger, more data can be stored and makes a person more dependent to keep a lot of data on one place. And when storage is accumulated till it's full they will find it hard to backup.

The data which most people are concern with, which i come across:

1. Photos taken during holiday trips
2. Photos taken as proof of work completion (field work or site projects)
3. Accounting software data.
4. Excel files with formula calculation on staff salary/over-time/allowance or account bookkeeping.
5. Word files of legal documents and company profile
6. E-mails in outlook express, microsoft outlook, live mail, eudora, etc..
7. Contacts and data sync from mobile phone to computer.
8. Music and video files

 Reasons for not backing up data that i hear most often:

1. Real busy no time to do it.
2. Too much data to backup, don't know where to start.
3. Thought the computer will backup itself.
4. Always delaying to buy backup storage media, no budget.
5. My IT guy will do it for me.
6. Data is huge, take a long time to backup, so i do it once a month or maybe once every 3 months.
7. Not good at using the computer, afraid i will delete something, i only open files, amend and save the work given.
8. Backing up data is not my job (most frequent with management staff in office environment)
9. Does backup but don't do a proper backup as data is all over the place in the computer hard disk.
10. Backup data is difficult, because every time a change is made, means have to make a copy and overwrite the data on my storage media, if not data won't be up to date, double work, very troublesome.
11. Nobody taught me to backup (in the office, they can download video and song media and transfer to the external drive to bring home. Isn't that a form of backup?).

 Ways of backing up data:

1. CD/ DVD can store 600MB/ 4.7GB. Suitable for small file backup.
2. Thumb drive/Pen drive from 1GB to 64GB. Suitable for being portable and light weight. Easy to carry around in pocket or put into handbag.
3. External drive (portable hard disk). More storage up to 2TB (2000GB). Can keep a lot of data. Will take some time to copy if data amount is huge.
4. Small files up to around 15MB to 20MB at a time, can be saved at e-mail server.
5. Can rent space on online storage to keep data.
6. NAS (Network-attached storage). Need to do setting on it once, to set which folder and schedule to backup. Can access to it anywhere around the world if both side have internet access, log in to the system open files and edit. Have other good features. Will auto backup. Hard disk size depends on model type and most will have 2 hard disk or more. 

Those that have problems with missing or corrupted data  will understand the pain of rebuilding their work done from scratch. They will spend long hours going through items and to key in data back to the computer system software. Please do make it a habit to do backup at least once a week or if you could daily, would be best if you are going to have huge data.

Doing it daily might use up not more than 10 minutes of your time, but rebuilding missing data can take up many many many hours and sleepless nights.