I take data backup seriously, especially since a lot of my data are digital photos and videos that I can’t reproduce. Most of the photos and videos that I backup are of my children, so losing them because of a hard drive crash is not an option. It is this reason that I have created a backup process to ensure I have more than one copy of my files, with multiple copies stored offsite.
In past posts I have discussed my backup process. In this post I will focus on the hardware and media that I have used to keep my data safe from any disaster that may happen. I currently use Mozy to backup my data online, but I am exploring other options for the future because Mozy will be too expensive for me next year.
Hardware and Media Used for Data Backup
I have used various methods to backup my data, including trying different hardware and media. I have seen what happens to cheap media after a few years – corrupt or unreadable files – as well as what happens when a hard drive crashes.
Everyone knows that nothing lasts forever, and that is especially true in the world of computers. Brand name components are generally better built than cheaper quality products. With that in mind, I am always buying from manufacturers that I know, and have had good success with.
I have also ensured that when I backup my data I make multiple copies as problems could surface on one copy. I also have at least two copies of my data stored offsite, so in my backup process I have needed to include backup components that was easy to transport.
Below is a list of the most common components and media that I have used in the past to backup my data.
Convenient Data Backup
An external hard drive is probably one of the most common components that people use to backup their data, and I am one of those people. I constantly have an external hard drive connected to my desktop, which makes it very convenient for me to easily copy my files to the drive.
The large size of the external hard drives means I can backup all my files in a single location with more than enough room to backup my data for years to come.
I have had good success with Western Digital hard drives, so my current external hard drive is a Western Digital 2 TB hard drive.
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Conventional Data Backup
The first backup copies I made of my data involved burning the files to a CD. Over time, and as the amount of data increased, I moved my data to DVD-ROM optical discs.
A few years ago I did research into good quality discs and eventually settled on Taiyo Yuden as my media of choice. These discs are known for they high-quality media, and longevity, as well as their ability to always being able to burn a disc. The fact that they are also easy to transport made them a good choice to store offsite.
After several years, however, my data outgrew even DVD discs so I had to think about a larger storage alternative.
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Portable Data Backup
When the amount of data I needed to backup outgrew the amount of storage space on a DVD optical disc, I once again turned to hard drives. While I do have an internal hard drive in my computer, and an external hard drive connected to my computer, I needed a more portable drive that I can store offsite.
The solution was the Western Digital My Passport portable hard drive. With 1 TB of storage, this small hard drive contained more than enough storage space for my data backup. The small size made it very easy to transport offsite and store in a secure location. I have carried it several times to the offsite location, after performing a data backup, and have had no issues with the drive.
If you are looking at storing your data offsite, and need something that can hold a lot of data, I suggest you look into buying a portable hard drive.
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Data backup is something that I take very seriously, and developing a good process, and using high-quality components to backup my data ensures that I will always be able to access my data for years to come.
13 Comments
Hi
We can easily back up the data which is good thing. This is the good thing for this mobile,
thanks,
I personally used flash disk and memory card. Simple and easy carry out. For larger data backup i used gold dvd/cdr
Flash disks and memory cards are useful if they contain the space to hold all of your data. For me, I need to use a hard drive as I have over 300 GB of data to backup. At least until flash drives get larger.
Good post, Paul. I’m ashamed to say that I just started using Hitachi Backup in the last year. Fortunately I never lost any data in years of computing, but there is nothing like piece of mind to know your files are being backed up on regular intervals. Not to mention it makes migrating your files to a new computer a breeze!
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For me, I have had issues when I wanted to format my computer and reinstall the operating system. There was always something that I forgot to backup, and I would kick myself afterwards. Now that I backup all my data on an external hard drive, I can reinstall my operating system without having to worry about backing up my data. The key is to remember to backup files on a regular basis.
Hard drives these days don’t cost much so that is the most reliable way to backup your data. However, you may try syncing your entire hard drive on the cloud. I cant think of safer way than that.
I currently use Mozy for backing up my files online, but once my contract expires next year I don’t think I’ll go back to online backup, at least in the near term. I currently have over 320 GB of data that I need to backup, so in order for me to backup online, I will need to first physically get my data online. Backing up that much data over the Internet will take far too long. In the meantime, I’ll invest in another portable hard drive to create another copy of my data.
Agreed. Data back-up is something that you should take as a habit. I’m backing up me data every two weeks and keep two latest back-ups on my external hard drive and one latest back-up on my laptop.
It’s good that you have multiple backup copies. If you accidentally lose one copy, you still have the second one to restore your data.
Data backup is really crucial aspect about it. I’ve been using portable hard drive for long time and it’s really secure according to my need.
Twitter: Rancorinfotech
I like using my portable hard drive. The large capacity and the ability to store it anywhere are two of the aspects about the hard drive that appeals to me.
Hi. Thanks for sharing this,. I see that we use same protable device, WD. It’s a nice and light external storage!
The portable WD drive definitely is light and easy to carry around.