Backing Up

[the diff]

RE: Backup System - Data

I'm curious to know what backup systems folk use for home (non work/business) data files? What are the considerations? What key things to look for? Not talking about a significant amount of data.

Zip Drive?

Tape (Still make these?)

Thanks!

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[BigBlue66]

Hey Diff,

You might consider a zip drive. They are fairly reasonable nowadays and afford you at least 100mb of storage space. My son uses one for his "photo albums" from his digcam. Works pretty slick.

However, if cost is not a concern, you might consider setting yourself up with a CD-RW and the necessary software to burn them with your backup data. Personally, I think the zip drive is good enough for storage purposes, but others may have a different view.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability that you'll get it wrong.

[tjaymadison]

The cheapest cost per byte option is probably adding a second HD,
especially if your present one is a few years old or is getting full.

If you get a bigger and/or faster one, you could 'clone' your present drive to the new one.
Then after switching the master/slave configuration, you could use your old drive for
data backup and other additional storage, and boot off the newer faster one.

Of course, you can do a lot of other things with an RW besides making data backups.
And you do get portability with either the RW or a Zip drive.

EDIT --
I think it's a Murphy's Corollary: Data grows to fill the available capacity. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif
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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson


[This message has been edited by tjaymadison (edited 05-26-2001).]

[AwARe]

Personally, after a "VERY" bad experience with a zip drive, Ill never use one again.............
So my view on that is gonna reflect that experience <- This is not a good way to Back Up Data...especially if the data you're backing up is something you cant easily replace ->when your zip disk desides it doesnt wanna werk anymore, then what?.....(I "Strongly" Recommend Finding Another Way!)

A friend of mine uses the Hard Drive Method that tj mentioned, and seems to work out great for him.........I also do a bit of backing up to extra Hard Drives, and its werked out pretty good for me as well........My main backup system is however CDR, because they dont yet make a Hard Drive "Big" enough to hold all the stuff I have backed up heh http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif
(If you choose this method "Buy Good Disks For Your "Valuable" Data")

So depending on how much you want to back up, and how easy it would be to replace if lost, should pretty much determine the manner in which you back it up............

Mainly I wanted to post because I want to say that I do and would recommend "AVOIDING" Zip , Jazz , and anything similar......this type of hardware in my experience isnt reliable enough for "Back Up" purposes and I doubt it was ever really designed or meant to be used for that either...That kinda stuff is more geared towards taking a large file or similar home from werk and vise/versa, more like a "Transport" for files "Not" a Back Up...............

Hope this helps!

[This message has been edited by AwARe (edited 05-26-2001).]

[Adam Pintar]

If you get a zip drive get a 250mb one but I feel that cd-writer is the best method of storage since a hard drive could still go bad.


Plus think of all the other stuff that cd-writer would be good for http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif .

anyways hope this helps

Adam http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[kayofcircles]

For us, the deciding factor between the Zip drive and the CD RW was the cost of the media. Was a HUGE difference between the price of a CDR that would hold 650 MB and the Zip disk..sorry can't remember what that media is called. I put all my finished files on CD's..either CDR's or RW's. We were pleasantly surprised to find that both the CDROMs we have read the RW's just fine. And the price for the CD burners have come down considerably...even some of the better rated brands like Plextor.

Has anyone got an opinion on those "portable" hard drive thingies?

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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
-- Chinese proverb

[yawningdog]

I'm extremely cheap, too cheap to lay out the long green for a CDR or CDRW so my favorite backup option is an old 480 mb HD in a removable drive bay. Dead simple, cheap, works fantastic.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler.

[bassman]

I have used Zips for some time now and have to say "I am very happy with them." As mentioned above though, CD-RWs are comming WAY down in price. Like with anything, you get what you pay for but you don't have to pay top doller. Check Pricewatch for some great deals. This will be my next computer purchase.

That was clear as mud http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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They say to eat before you go to the grocery store so you don't buy so much. That doesn't work at the liquor store does it!

[Bokus]

I'm partial to the LS-120 "SuperDisk", myself. It holds 120mb of data and can use an encrypted disk to store more sensitive stuff. They run about $75 and I belive the disks are about $5. You can also use a regular 1.44mb floppy in them.

[Bokus]

I forgot to mention that I also have another hard drive and use the method described by tjaymadison to back up data. In addition to that though, It's good to have key data stored on some kind of removable media and kept in a safe place in case of fire, theft or some other kind of catastrophe.

[the diff]

Thanks to all! Great exchange of good ideas for me to consider.

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