Backup Computer

The process of backing up a computer refers to creating a copy of the information contained in that computer’s hard disk, so in case of a hardware failure or any other disaster, it can be easily restored without any (or with minimal) data loss.

Backups are created at software level, however there’s some hardware used to store such backups, there are tons of devices that can be used to store the resulting backups and even removable media such as writeable DVDs or CDs can be used.

There are different types of backups that can be applied, such as mirror backups, differential backups and incremental backups, the type of backup to be used will rely on the amount of data to back up and the periodicity (how often) in which backups will be updated.

Backing up should be a common practice among computer users, all experts advice you to keep a current backup at all times, however only a small percentage of current computer users actually take the time and resources to back up their information.

It’s when something bad happens that people regret not having a backup copy, most of them won’t even remember what they lost but the latest used files, however as time passes by and they need some information, they look for it and… surprise! It was lost and they didn’t have a backup.

Some software publishers even had to add some sort of automatic backup, even if it’s a very simple one, just to prevent some of the most common mistakes. For an instance, Microsoft Windows creates backup copies of the registry and other system settings, so if something is modified and the computer won’t boot anymore, you can always select the “Use last configuration known to work” at the boot screen, which will restore one of those backups and re-try the boot process. However those backups are stored locally, which means that if your hard drive fails, they won’t be readable and therefore it’s like they never existed.

So we know that you’ve heard or read this several times, but always back up your important information, it’s ok to leave some information without backups if it’s not really important (like the photo a friend just sent you via an IM) but keep a copy of your information somewhere else, it can be on a DVD disc or a more advanced solution, as long as there’s a backup you’ll be on the safe way.