Stuff 101 - CD And 4 Other Types Of Backup Media

Performing a routine backup on all of your essential computer files is extremely important. The following article will explain the benefits of each type of backup media and will help you to decide which one is right for you.

Here are five different types of backup media:

1. Tape
Tapes will allow a backup of a large amount of files and this is the method which is most often used for businesses, even though it takes much longer to copy the files than other backup media.

2. CD
Backup on CD disks can offer a practical solution for data storage and a CD will store your files for years as their vulnerability to wear and tear are very low.

3. External Hard Drive
With the increasing capacity for backups, external hard disks are an easy and affordable means of backing up your important files. It most be noted that of all the backup media external hard drives are the most fragile.

4. USB Flash Drive
Ranging in capacity between 64 MB and 2 GB, these devices offer high data capacities as well as high data transfer speeds.

5. DVD
A DVD can hold between 4.7 GB and 9.4 GB and even more if the files are compressed. This makes a DVD both a feasible and practical media to backup your important files.

When choosing backup media you want to consider the following three things:

1. The size of the media (how many files it can hold)
2. The durability of the media (what will happen if the media is dropped)
3. The portability of the media (i.e. CD and DVD vs. external hard drive)

1. Size of the MediaWhen you are looking for a backup media, you should try to find something that can store more than your current file size. The reason being your files will continue to grow, so if you have 2 gigabytes of files on your computer today you can expect that to be doubled by next year. Of course you may not be backing up your whole system, so take a look at your important file to see how much space will be needed.

2. Durability of the MediaA very important feature of any backup media is its durability. By choosing quality backup media the chances of failures during a restore are much lower. For instance devices that have no moving parts such as a CD, DVD or USB flash drive are more durable in regards to damage from being dropped. External hard drives and tapes are the most fragile type of storage device and can be broken beyond repair if dropped. When choosing your backup media always make sure to compare the durability of each type of media.

3. Portability of the MediaBackup media is available in many different shapes and sizes, ranging from the size of a portable CD or DVD, to a USB flash drive which measure three square inches, right up to an external hard drive which can weigh up to five pounds. Remember in the event of a fire you can lose all of your important files, so it is always a good idea to store the media offsite so you will have a copy. If you are storing your backup media offsite, such as a safety deposit box, the size of the media will need to be considered. CD, DVD and tapes are perfect for this type of backup.

Whichever backup option you end up choosing, performing reliable backups of your important files is a good routine to get into.

About the Authors:
Corey Rozon and David Leonhardt are freelance ghostwriters in Canada, helping UK company Ketta.com to launch their blank CD and DVD or CD DVD vierge sales in France.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_634331_10.html

Three Steps To Better Security

Author: Joseph Simcic

There are dozens of things that you can do to protect your computer. People sell so many software packages and information products you may not be able to get a handle on all of it. Have you wondered to yourself what the basics are so that you can protect your identity and your data and so that you no longer have to worry?

I am not sure if we will ever get to a point that security is perfect and we never have to worry but we can get to a point of an increased security posture. That just means that we can take a few steps to help protect ourselves against the not so nice people in the world.

First if you have a computer you should turn on a local firewall. You may say, I am working behind one of those routers you can purchase from the electronics store, I am safe. There is a term in the field that is called defense in depth. There are many takes on what this actually means and how to implement it but I will be the first to tell you eavery extra security precaution you can take will be helpful in the effort to protect your identity and your data.

Each layer of defense will add to your protection. You may have a router but go ahead and turn on that software firewall that comes with your operating system too. Learn more about your computer so that you can be proactive. You never know when you might travel with that laptop and your software firewall saves you from an intrusion. Just be cautious.

Most people lock their doors at night before they go to bed or when they leave for work in the morning. Don't forget to lock the doors on your computer.

Second, you may consider installing a well proven anti-virus product. There are many packages on the market. Some you can get for free and others you can pay for. You need to determine your level of knowledge and how much support you may require.

There are many anti-virus vendors that are free that have been certified and protect your systems just as well as the pay for kind. The main difference is that you may get better support from the pay for kind. You may end up supporting the free kind on your own and having to do research on the net for answers. This is truly your call and should be congruent to your level of computer knowledge.

Anti-virus software should be a must. It has saved my system many times as well as friends of mine. I had a buddy that downloaded pictures form a digital camera that was infected with a virus. They can be anywhere. This is just another layer of defense you should consider in your quest to protect your identity and your data.

Third, you should consider backing up your system regularly. I am not talking about once a year either. I am talking about using CD, DVD, or an external hard drive and backing up your data daily, weekly, or at least monthly. This may not necessarily be a defense but it is a proactive measure that could save you tons of money and time.

I have known several people who have inadvertently gotten a virus on their computer lost tons of data and information such as pictures and music which were priceless and irreplaceable. They were able to save their data because they backed it up regularly. They may have lost a few days worth of data but they retrieved most of it back. They were quickly able to perform a desktop restore and get 90% of their data back.

Now one consideration is that if your data changes regularly you may want to consider backing up your data on a more frequent basis. The reason for this is if you have to perform a system restore or a file restore you want to be able to retrieve the most current data possible. Anyone out there can do this. There is backup software all over the web and 9 times out of 10 your computer probably has backup software built in that you can use for free.

The bottom line is that you should take measures to protect your data the same way you would protect your house or car. We too many times implement this on the physical world but forget to do the same for the digital world. There is a ton of information available for you to improve your knowledge and understanding of computer systems and how to protect your data and your identity. Don't become a statistic. Protect your data today.

Author Resource: Don't become a statistic. Backup your data. Discover how to perform system restores, learn how to backup files, and find out how to protect your data. Joseph Simcic has written this easy to read eBook so that you can download it now and start to backup your files.

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Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later

Author: Joshua Feinberg

If you're like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods… everyone knows what they're supposed to do… but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?

Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you're prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company's payroll, it's really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.

So here's a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I've put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.

Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.

To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.

Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn't a priority until something goes wrong. By then it's too late…. Like the article title says, “Test Now or Cry Later!”

People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.

Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems

With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.

If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.

The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems

Why do you need to take these precautions if you're purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.

As a result, it's more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it's easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.

Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems

Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.

Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.

When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.

Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist

In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.

This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.

Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System

In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you'll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.

As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it's now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.

Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.

Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files

Many computer consultants have their small business clients' log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.

However, don't think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.

For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant - so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you're out of the office or on vacation.

The Bottom Line

If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional… and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.

Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, "Test Now or Cry Later". The choice is yours.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, PCSupportTips.com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved.

About the Author:
Joshua Feinberg helps small business IT firms get more steady, high-paying PC support clients. Get free access to Joshua's field-tested, proven secrets for generating more recurring PC Support contact revenue now at http://www.PCSupportTips.com.

Backup Now So You Don't Cry Later

Is a data backup solution part of your computer plans? Do you have a way to protect yourself if something goes wrong with your computer or data? Computers are a useful part of our lives but we don't always protect ourselves from their loss be it fire, theft or hardware failure. We often don't consider how fragile our computer data really is. Do you keep sensitive information on your computer that you would be upset if you lost it? Not sure? Consider this. If I told you that I was going to format your hard drive right now and you will lose all of the information on your computer, would you be ready? Or would you need to get a few files first... If you are in the second group, chances are you don't have a proper data backup solution in place to help you handle disasters. What happens if your computers are stolen? I recently had a business colleague of mine who's office was robbed and who had all of his computers stolen. He naturally felt helpless and victimized over the situation. What was especially frustrating was that he thought he had taken the proper measures to secure his office. He had a good security system in place, had secured his premises and yet they were still able to cut his phone lines, disable his alarm and have their way in his office. Don't think a computer theft can happen to you? Guess again. It can happen to anyone even if you don't own a business. Computer hard drives do crash If theft doesn't get your computer, a hard drive failure certainly might. Hard drives are the devices in your computer that store the information on your computer. Your computers' long term memory if you will. They are built with rotating mechanical parts. These parts break down. If they break down, your data can be gone. Are you prepared? Data on a hard drive can often be recovered by expert data retrieval houses but their prices usually start at $10,000 and up. Want to avoid such costly recovering options? Establish a data backup solution. A fire can wipe out your computers and your data If computer theft or hard drive failure don't destroy the data on your computers, a fire certainly might. This threat speaks to an off site backup storage solution. While the first two can be averted by simply burning a CD of your most critical data, fire can destroy your CD's too if they aren't stored off site. Fire is just one more reason why a data backup solution needs to be a part of your vocabulary and your action plan. Protecting your data just makes good commonsense, if you have data that you don't want to loose and most of us do you owe it to yourself to protect your data.
About the Author
Joe Camarda is an expert on data storage and backup methods. Find out more about his expertise at http://www.westcliffassociates.com

What is the Best Method to Back up Data?

Author: James Walsh
This being the age of internet, chat rooms, blogging and innovative hackers, their expectation never gets fulfilled. The news always leaks out or is methodically publicised by a rival or a gleeful hacker. Thereafter, insult is added to their injury as irate customers and the eager press demand explanations about every unsavoury detail of the incident. But data loss is not a problem affecting only the big players only any more. All of us deal with some amount of data and almost all of it is important to us. Albums have been replaced by .jpeg files, our music is inside the hard drive of our pc or laptop, and our emails are stored in offline folders or software like Microsoft Outlook. Students keep their study material in their machines, and a doctoral thesis is usually a file on the hard disk instead of being a thick volume bound in leather covers. It is, therefore, strange that we keep losing data because we have not taken the precaution of backing it up elsewhere. Several start-up home businesses have not seen the light of the day anymore after an initial incident of data loss. All of this underlines the importance of backup, which really cannot be overstressed.
Some Methods of Obtaining Backups
The method, or rather, the medium chosen for backing up data will depend on the volume of data to be stored, as well as the nature of the data. Some common methods are being enlisted below:
CD and Floppy: The floppy has largely gone out of use by now, due to its many limitations, small capacity and security problems. The CD is a good choice for obtaining backups, and is one of the favourite choices in both domestic and corporate spheres. It is cheap, readily available, portable and compatible with several file formats. Storing a CD and sharing information from it are also quite simple.
DVD: The DVD is a good choice for storing audio visual information. It may not be as cheap as the CD, but offers better quality, often lasts longer, and has way more space. DVD RWs can be used in such a way that literally every bit is used to store information. A DVD also has the same facilities when it comes to sharing and easy transporting. However, the DVD RW, many market observers feel, may turn out to be an intermediate technology and be replaced by something superior but very similar in function, or may evolve in such a way that the problems would get solved. It must be noted here that the constant research in this regard, and inventions like the Blue Ray disk etc. point out that we can hope for a better technology soon.
USB Devices: These are the new favourites all over the world. The greatest proof of the popularity of this technology lies in two facts. Firstly, the storage space of pen drives / flash drives/ memory sticks is constantly increasing. Secondly, their prices are plummeting downwards rapidly. Almost all kinds of files can be stored on these; they are very easy to carry, do not require a separate software or booting up of the machine to start functioning, and it is very convenient to share the data stored on them. For storing smaller music libraries, an iPod may be an option too.
External Hard Drives: For larger data storage requirements, external hard drives are excellent solutions. Arrays or stacks of hard drives are available for corporate purposes and are provided by all good hard drive manufacturers. Seagate, Maxtor, ASB, LaCie all make external hard drives of varying capacities and prices.
Online and Offline Storage Spaces: These are ‘spaces’ provided by professional firms, and are extremely secure for sensitive data storage.
Tapes and Printouts: Traditional storage should not be left out of the list. There is some information that one simply needs to see on the good old piece of paper. Tape has been in use for a long time now, and will probably continue for some time.

About The Author:
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk

The Advantages of An Offsite Server

Author: Jason R Davidson

It is necessary for all business to have some type of disk backup for their computer systems in case of a system failure or other computer disaster. However, the mass amount of information some business produce make normal disk backup impractical and cost prohibitive. Businesses with such issues often find that using Offsite Server Backup companies is the finest solution for this predicament.
Offsite Server Backup companies offer the same kind of back up technology that is available to most consumers. The main difference is, the Offsite Server Backup company has their own storage capacity and allows business to save the space needed for disk backup servers, and the expense involved with maintaining them.
The most common type of Offsite Server Backup is done with cloning or mirror technology. However, when using mirror technology with an Offsite Server Backup company, the information is not saved in real time as it is when the technology is used on-site, directly connected with a computer or network. Although this may seem like a downside to using an Offsite Server Backup, in truth it can be easily remedied by having employees save their work periodically on disk drive or thumb drive.
In order for an Offsite Server Backup company to copy your system information properly at the end of each day, an on-site visit will be made by the Offsite Server Backup company. This company absorbs all the cost of installing the correct system and maintaining the system, while the company who hires them simply pays a monthly fee based on the amount of data that needs to be stored.
An Offsite Server Backup company does all the work and your company simply lets the Offsite Server Backup company know what its needs are. The monthly cost is based on gigabyte space and can be adjusted by your company monthly as needed, or if needed. This flexibility means that your company need never have more space reserved than needed and does not have the expense of upgrading equipment as it grows.
This is a practical back up solution for a smaller company as well. It intends to grow, of course, but that takes time. Rather than disburse the cost of constantly updating a system for a growing company, or buying a system that that is too big for the company, an Offsite Server Backup company offers the most cost effective and practical solution for the small business.
Further more using an Offsite Server Backup company for either small or large businesses, means that the business in question will not have to employ an expert to maintain the system, rather the Offsite Server Backup company provides those services as well due to the fact that the equipment belongs to them.
No matter how you slice it, an Offsite Server Backup company is a cost-productive solution to growing businesses and provides a service beyond what a business could do for themselves, with much less cost.

About the Author:
Jason R Davidson owns and operates http://www.diskbackupreview.com Visit us to find out why it is vital that you have a robust Disk Backup strategy in place, even if you're just a home user and why it will become even more vital in the future.

Retrieving Data With Hard Drive Recovery Software

Author: Ken Roberts
Hard drive recovery is a real possibility for anyone who uses a computer. Even when you take every precaution to avoid it, the day usually comes when you have to face it head on. Maybe that's now? Now for the solutions.
Using hard drive recovery tools
Hard drive recovery software is usually the first place people turn to solve their hardware recovery issues.
You can usually find low-end products for common data problems like deleted files.Then there are the complex hard drive recovery tools for more difficult situations like RAID data recovery. Nine times out of ten your problem falls somewhere in the range of these two extremes.You can use free hard drive software to retrieve a deleted file. But there are usually only a handful of situations attached to this sort of drive recovery software to get a successful recovery. But don't take my word for it - try it yourself and you will know what I mean.
Low-cost hard drive recovery products can be used to resolve a deleted file problem. And it can handle some other problems too as long as the file system is still intact. If you are dealing with any situation where the components have been altered, you will need a more complete data recovery software.
It is not easy to tell one level of hard drive recovery software from another ' especially if you are unclear what to search for in the first place. This confusion stems from the fact that so many low-end recovery products claim to produce the same results as the more powerful products: recovering deleted, lost, corrupt and damaged files. But they forget to state in the fine print that they cannot recover anything when the file system has been changed.
The real question is...
Where do you look for the right data recovery software? Unless you can decipher all the confusing technical terminology - i.e. file system corruption, damaged data, boot and partition table repair, and so forth - then you really won't know. The bottom line is, if data recovery is important to you, skip the child's play and head directly to the surest data recovery software.
How do I know what that means?
"Real" recovery software do recover data for just about everything except a dead hard drive. Yes, there are priced higher than the undelete tools, but you do want your data back, right? Expect to give up at least $75 to $120 for any recovery beyond undelete.
For the technicians
The hard drive utilities that are reliable will offer a variety data recovery operations. For example, try to recover or rebuild a partition using the partition repair function. When the results aren't what you want change functions. If that doesn't work, you could switch to file recovery. Say that doesn't do anything. If you understand how the file system works, you can use a manual editor to rebuild the file system.
Giving your drive to a local computer shop
Sometimes help is needed. If you are unable to solve your data recovery problems, or if you just don't want to deal with recovery by yourself, you have two solutions: using the local computer shop or the recovery expert.
You may decide to use a local technician because they are so easy to locate and are cheaper compared to going with a expert service. Unless the technician you are considering is able to use a sector imaging utility which produces a backup of your primary hard drive to a different one - think strongly about walking away!
Keep in mind, you usually get a single chance to recover data. That is why experts advise that you get the second sector-copy of your of your hard drive. That way the recovery can be tried on the second sector-copy as many times as is needed with no damage to your original drive.
Expert recovery services
Hard drive recovery specialists handle nothing but data recovery and data forensic cases. They are skilled experts at safely recovering data in just about any situation. In fact, they may not even be located in your city or state. So you will probably need to ship your drive directly to a hard drive recovery firm for repair. This is not unusual because of the major investment is cost for clean room and data recovery technologies, and the experts it takes to utilize them.
Whatever you decide
Always take the safest road to recovery when it comes to data recovery to avoid losing your files for good. Avoid disassembling the drive - this can and will destroy data instantly without the right clean room environment. Why not give a recovery utility a go. If you find that your only choice is to use a hard drive recovery service, make sure a sector clone is performed before any recovery software is used; then hard drive recovery software can be used.

About the Author:
Getting good hard drive recovery information is difficult with all the sales-pitching going on out there. Ken Roberts cuts through the chase to give you the info you want and need. His advice is often sought after because of his two decades of experience in data recovery. You can get more information at http://www.atl-datarecovery.com./ Want to interview Ken? He's available at 800-444-3225

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/retrieving-data-with-hard-drive-recovery-software-456837.html

The Importance of Data Backup Reporting

Author: Dina Schultz
The cliche "it will never happen to me" happens to most people. When it comes to computer data loss or corruption, you do not want the aforementioned clichй realized. If you do not have an adequate and reliable product for your computer data storage and backup system, your business or work is at risk, from the ground up. The good news is that there are companies that can improve the way you backup, as well as the overall security and reliability of your computer system.
Among the best companies to help increase the security and reliability of your data backup system are web-based companies that are highly knowledgeable about data backup reporting software. With the right storage and backup software, the increase in security and reliability can be instantaneous. By enlisting the help of a knowledgeable software company, you can ensure adequate protection for your important computer documents and never have to worry about computer data loss or file corruption again.
When looking for a company that can supply the data backup reporting software you need, remember to choose one that can offer quality, personalized service to help you choose the right products for your computer. Some businesses have very expensive and time-wasting products on the market that offer a range of features you may or may not need. The company you select should offer you reliable and fully featured products that you specifically need at affordable prices.
Learn what the company is providing you before you enlist its service. Is the company providing you with a full view of the SAN storage environment that allows you to see applications, storage arrays, and hosts? If you are unsure what features you are getting, the company should be available to answer your questions and provide you a demo version or free trial of its data backup reporting software.
If you are looking for more information or products for backup data reporting, visit APTARE.com. This web-based company provides high quality software for storage administrators to achieve maximum data protection.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dina_Schultz

Computer Backup - A Safety Net

Author: Zane Horton
Computer backup is the storing of copies of files on a medium that is separate from the hard drive. The key that protects personal, business and financial files is backup software. Backing up computer data has become a necessity in that the volume of data processed by personal computers has increased so much.
Data backup is something that is thought about but seldom done. Ignoring computer backup is inviting a disaster to happen. Backing up of the hard drive is the duplication of those files, photos, or documents to a local computer with another partition, external hard drive, DVD or CD. For a permanent storage backup to optical media like a DVD or CD is definitely the best option. The life span of media like DVD and CD is in years, but magnetic media like a hard drive, floppy disks or tape can be easily corrupted by any magnetic field that comes close to the storage medium.
Computer backup software helps users to create backup files that can be restored with ease if needed. Data backups should be saved in two or more locations. Data corruption or loss can occur in many ways, including hardware failures, power outage, fire, theft, vandalism, or accidental erasure. A poorly written program can also damage data files.
Data that is manually entered or created with a program is the prime candidate for backup. If backup space is limited be sure these files are backed up. Program and system files can be reinstalled if necessary from original disks.
If there is a chance of theft or vandalism an external hard drive connected to a local network, either wired or wireless, should be used. This external hard drive should be mounted in a place that is not visible from the computer location, such as another room or closet. An external hard drive that is out of sight is less likely to be stolen or vandalized.
Computers are here to stay. Protect data that would be hard to enter again, like photos, important documents and system settings. Just remember that it's not a matter of if it's going happen, but when. Make a backup before installing any program just in case something goes wrong. Do not use a scheme that the backup will overwrite an older backup, but use a scheme that creates a new backup each time. There may be a time when the older backup must be used.

About the Author: Zane Horton has 45 years in the computer industry and is well versed in computer security.
Visit his website http://www.computersecurityshop.com for security questions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zane_Horton

Data Backup Service!

Author: Kirthy Shetty

Get your confidential data secured with the help of fully automated back up. Such automated back ups can eliminate the need for traditional tape based back up solutions. Data is stored in remote mirrored locations for resilience. If the back-up is too large to transfer over the available bandwidth, a snapshot is created and saved to a physical device, which is then uploaded to the back-up platform.

Data back up and Recovery!

The backup process starts after the installation and registration of backup software on the user's system. The backup process automatically detects important data files that are located anywhere on your hard disk and creates a backup set. You can fine-tune your backup set by adding and deselecting files and folders.

Back ups are quick and efficient, even over a dial up connection!After the file selection is made you can initiate the backup process at any time. The initial backup will be the most time consuming since you must transfer all of your files to the data center. Online backup process has features such as Send-Once technology and file compression to perform this transfer as efficiently as possible. Easy backup utility unlike the conventional back up makes your backup process quick and very easy to perform. The Backup Solution software can store multiple versions of each file backed up during the last three months. This backup restore utility allows you to quickly restore a prior version of a file if an accident occurs overwriting a file template without changing the name.

Our scheduled, unattended backup process assures that backup occurs regularly and with certainty. Our backup software is smart enough to tune the backup process, it can happen automatically on a schedule, can be initiated by the users, or can be configured to occur in the background whenever a traveling computer is connected to the Internet.

What happens in case of emergency?
If data from your computer, laptop, PDA or mobile phone is ever lost, stolen or corrupted, Data back up and recovery ensures that there is always a current copy available for immediate retrieval. All you have to do is simply select the data you want to restore, be it a single document, digital photos, music files or your entire hard drive, then select OK and watch a copy instantly return to your computer. It's that easy. Such data back up services automatically archives 30 previous copies of your data, so if you ever get a virus, you can go back in time and retrieve a clean copy that was made before the attack. Try online to find out how you can get your data recovered on time.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/data-backup-service-358182.html

Local Vs Remote Data Backup - The Pros And Cons

Author: Niall Roche

Backing up your data should be an essential part of your daily routine. Unfortunately for many businesses this simply isn't the case. The only time data backup crosses their mind is when they have a hard disk crash or a serious spyware or virus infection. Unfortunately by this stage it's already too late to do anything about it - the data is gone and you're then looking at several hundred, if not several thousand, dollars to have the data rescued and restored.
The concept is simple - choose a data backup plan and stick to it.
The burning question on most IT managers minds is should the data be stored locally or remotely? To be fair this is the pivot point of all data backup plans. There are pros and cons to each method.
Local Data Backup
Most companies rely on either DVD, external hard disk or tape drive data backup solutions locally. These provide fast, cost effective storage for most small companies and are also very easy for even the IT novice to operate. In the case of any data being lost it's simply a matter of restoring the data from a previous backup point and the user can then continue working.
The data, however, is only as safe as the building it's in. What happens in the case of fire, burglary, flooding or storm damage? That's right you just lost all your data backups in the blink of an eye.
Remote Data Backup
As an emerging industry remote data backup has really taken off. Most commonly remote file backup services allow you to log into a remote drive and via a web based interface upload all your critical files. 5GB of storage space is the entry point for most of the remote data backup services and this is provided at a low cost. Knowing that your data is being stored in a secure facility that's deliberately protected against harm allows you much greater peace of mind.
The weak point here however is the data transfer speed. Unless you're operating a high speed LAN in your company then remote backup can be a complete waste of time as you're tied to the maximum upstream speed of your network - which can be surprisingly slow depending on your IT infrastructure. Add in the issue of firewalls blocking uploads on certain ports and it can quickly become a real IT headache.
So how do achieve a Win-Win scenario? Blended backup! Look at utilizing both of these forms of backup. In an ideal world you'd store a local copy of your data and then upload an exact copy of that data to the remote file backup server. If money is an issue then store your bulk data locally but copy your mission critical data to the remote backup service. That way in the worst of disasters you'll still have the data you need to actually function as a business. That's not to say that bulk data such as archived email is not important but that old data could be recovered in time by a data recovery specialist whereas you mission critical data needs to be available at a moments notice.

This article was written by Niall Roche and provided courtesy of BackupAdvice.com If you want to know more about computer backups this site is full of useful information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Niall_Roche

Data Loss Effects on Different Types of Companies

Author: Mark Robin

No one can contradict the fact that how the data loss can severely impact the companies. But this is not necessary that this impact is same for all of them. Let us say any R&D company has suffered hard drive crash then due to having some confidential data related to the new inventions, this is hard for it to trust on any of the data recovery service provider company.

So this becomes a hard and fast rule for that company that to choose the one which is reliable and has been known for the same from decades. This will let the R&D companies to be sure that the data will remain confidential and the success of the data recovery operations is guaranteed.

Some R&D projects take several years to get completed. So loosing any of the information about the projects is not at the money level but this also the time loss that the developers have spent.

The banks and financial institutions are running their business based on the millions of transactions each day. Now let us suppose that a person wants to invest $ 2000 in the stock market but due to the present data loss problems in the stock brokerage company, he/she can't do so. If the company deals with approximately 100 transactions each day then the total loss would be $ 20000 per day until the data recovery is not done. Thus the longer it takes for data recovery, the larger it will loose.

A customer only puts his/her money in your financial institution if he or she trusts your company and if that gets lost then this costs at price of the market reputation of the institution. Such types of data loss incidents will make the customer to doubt your trustworthiness and he or she is bound to take his or her business elsewhere.

For the film and advertisement companies, lot of time, money and efforts are required. There is a use of lot of external technical expertise and resources that cannot be replicated easily. If some film or advertisement copy is lost then that would mean losing all the financial resources that went into making that copy. As lot of money has been spent in producing the movie but a silly data loss incident can convert this expenditure into large financial losses and no benefits.

So as proved from the above examples, the data loss can affect in several of the ways to the company based on the works that the company performs and the type of information it possess. So the relevance of data recovery runs the uniform kinds of issues for them. However the way outs for uncovering the data loss is unique for all i.e. data recovery software for logical data loss and data recovery services for the physical data loss.

Seeking the confidential matters and safety aspects of the data, the reliability of the data recovery software and guarantee of the data recovery company that they will go for keeping the data confidential is the primary facet to be seen. So better choose according to your needs.

Stellar Information System Ltd. is a data recovery company which fulfills all your data recovery needs. The data recovery software are available for operating systems like Windows, Macintosh, Linux, UNIX and Novell. They perform a systematic scan of your hard drive and fetch your data from it. These data recovery software do not alter the data even a bit and retrieve them intact.

Data recovery service by Stellar is provided in the Class 100 Clean Room where apt surroundings are given to the failed hard drive. Stellar assures you that your data will remain just under your limits and will not leak at all after data recovery by its experts.

The data recovery experts are well qualified and experienced and carry out the best procedures for the data recovery.

About the Author: Mark Robin a student of Mass Communication doing research on data recovery software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

Why "cheap" Data Recovery Can Cost You More Money and Your Data

Author: Dan Fisher

With so many data recovery companies out there, sometimes it's hard to determine which one is really best. While many consumers choose a provider based on referrals, or just a general comfort level, others simply shop for the cheapest price, and are taken in by $299 or less data recovery promises. Ultimately, this can cost you not only more money, but most likely your data.
This doesn't mean you need to send your drive to the most expensive companies either. As many of them are way over priced. What we are talking about here is companies that charge $350 or less for ANY type of recovery (including drives that have physically failed).
To put it simply, data recovery is akin to major surgery. Choosing the cheapest doctor is not always the best path when it comes to something as serious as heart surgery. In regards to data recovery, your life may not be at stake, but your business might very well be. So why should you avoid some of the cheaper data recovery companies?
1) Many use "bait and switch" tactics. They will lure you in with unreasonably low quotes, just to get the work in. Then when you have sent them your hard drive you are told that the damage was much more serious and now the cost for the recovery is going to be 2 or 3 times what was quoted.
2) It's all about volume. The vast majority of these companies are taking in as many drives as they can, and recovering data from the easiest cases using simple software solutions. If a job requires hard to find parts, or extensive work with some of the more specialized tools of the trade, then they simply proclaim that those drives are "unrecoverable". Untold numbers of drives that contained vital business data, family photos, etc. have been tossed in the trash by their owners simply because one of these companies told them that their data was unrecoverable. The fact is, unless the platters of a drive are severely scored, or the data itself is heavily corrupted it is almost always recoverable. You just have to put in the time and effort necessary to do it.
3) Watch out for hidden charges. It's quite common for companies to lure customers in with low prices, only to charge them for parts, additional hourly labor, evaluation fees, etc. Make sure to have in writing, exactly what the charges will be before you send the drive into them.
4) It is nearly impossible for any company to recover data for less than $350. Yes, you read right, it is nearly impossible for any company to recover data for less than $350. That may be a pretty bold statement, but it is absolutely true. Sure you can recover easy jobs that only require simple software solutions, but to recover physically damaged drives, it's an impossibility and I would challenge any of these low dollar companies to prove me wrong.
The reason for this is not only the time and expertise that is involved but also the equipment, and even the parts. In nearly all cases where a hard drive has physically failed, specific parts are needed in order to complete the recovery. This is not just a matter of finding the same model drive. In most instances you have to find the same model, same country of origin, close to the same manufacturing date, same firmware revision, and a host of other parameters. Unless you have every possible drive variation in stock (which no company does), or you get lucky on Ebay, all of this translates into parts outsourcing, which means a company pays a premium for the parts themselves.
For example, looking at just one parts source, I can see that they have a Western Digital 80GB, model WD800JB-00FMA0 with a DCM of HSBACTJCH and a manufacturing date of March 2004. This simple 80GB drive is listed for $215.00. Why so expensive? Because it is exactly what a company may need to complete a recovery.
Now using the example above, how can a company guarantee a recovery price of $299 to a customer for any type of recovery? What if they didn't have a parts drive on hand? What if the supplier above was the only one that had the drive they needed? You can see how a company would be inclined to deem this particular case "unrecoverable" as opposed to investing a lot of time and money into a job that would generate very little, if any, profit.
In closing, do your homework when it comes to data recovery. Cheap doesn't always save you money. There are many reputable companies out there. Companies like ACS Data Recovery (www.acsdata.com), Salvage Data (www.salvagedata.com), Ontrack (www.ontrack.com ). Look for companies that put their reputation and profit on the line. This means avoid companies who charge you X amount of dollars just to look at your drive. Look for companies that basically don't get paid unless they recover your data. If these companies aren't good at what they do, then they can't be in business. Just keep in mind how much your data is really worth before selecting a data recovery company, doing so can often help you avoid losing everything.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/why-quotcheapquot-data-recovery-can-cost-you-more-money-and-your-data-415578.html

How to Create Backups

Author: Neha Gupta

Backing up data has become golden rule in the computer world. You need to backup data once in a day to avoid panics at the time of data loss. Data backups, hard drive backups, email backups prove beneficial when you lose some important data.

In such case you can trust the backed up data!

How to create backup of your data:

You might have heard many people saying about backing up data but might not know how to create backups of your data. You can create backup by following simple steps without any added backup software to your computer system.
1. Click Start
2. Select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup
3. Backup and Restore Wizard window will be displayed.
4. Click Next. The following window will ask the operation you want to perform.
5. Select Back up files and settings option, if you want to create backups of your data or select Restore files and settings option, if you want to restore any backup.
6. Click Next.
7. What to Back up screen will be displayed. Here you can select what files you want to backup. The backup system allows you to backup:
• My documents and settings: Create backup of My documents folder, Favorites, Desktop items and cookies
• Everyone’s documents and settings: Create backup of every user’s My Documents folder, their favorites, Desktop items and cookies
• All information on this computer: Create backup of entire data of the computer system. It also creates a system recovery disk which proves helpful while restoring Windows in the case of major failure.
• Let me choose what to backup: Create backup of your desired files and folders. Select the appropriate option and click Next.The next screen is displayed according to the selected option. We had selected Let me choose what to backup option in the previous screen. The window to select files and folders form your computer system will be displayed.
8. Select the files and folders and click Next. The window to select saving destination of the files which are being backed up will be displayed.
9. Select any location to save backup of your files and click Next. The finishing window of the backup process will be displayed.
10. Click Finish to complete the backup process.You can also specify advanced backup options by clicking the Advanced… button. You can choose the type of backup which you want to create: Normal, Copy, Incremental, Differential and Daily.
11. Select the type of backup you want to create and click Next.
The wizard will now start creating backup of the files and folders. The Backup Progress window will appear with backup statistics.
Backup of the files and folders on your computer system or on network has been created and now your data is safe and saves you from facing data loss situations. If in case the backed up data gets corrupt, damaged or becomes inaccessible, you can always trust the bkf file repair software, which instantly recovers the backed up files which you cannot open.Visit my blog for detailed info.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/how-to-create-backups-117476.html

Why Use Backup Mass Data Storage?

Author: Terry Edwards

With computers as our lifeblood, backup mass data storage becomes a necessary tool for anyone using a computer on a regular basis, whether in the office or at home. Home PC's can use a weekly system backup to ensure no critical information is lost.
Backup software isn't always affordable, so most people think that it's an unnecessary purchase. The time it would take to restore lost information would more than pay for the backup software. Backup software allows you to protect your investment in your computer, and to maintain your vital computer data.
Businesses must use backup mass data storage given the plethora of information stored on their systems. Any loss or tampering of this information can mean loss of time, money, vital information, and if enough downtime ensues--loss of customers.
Tape devices often act as storage backups. Whole networks are often duplicated periodically and the tapes are put into storage and reused at a later date. Often, just current changes are taped to add to the already backed up information. The drawback to tapes is they can become dilapidated over time.
CD's and DVD's are other devices that can be used as backup storage equipment. Data is compressed to have the ability to place more material on the discs and so they don't fill up as quickly.
USB ports and external hard drives are additional tools in assisting with backup storage. A computer that has been compromised can swiftly be recovered with these tools. That way there is no major loss of data.
The first commercial industries to utilize backup mass data storage aids were the banking and stock industries. This is due to the huge amounts of data they store, and the sensitivity of said data. Now computers are used on such a large scale that all businesses and home PC owner's need to backup their information.
You can learn more about Backup Mass Data Storage as well as much more information on everything to do with data storage at http://www.OnlineDataStorageA-Z.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Edwards

Offsite Backup Services

Author: Sig Kappel

What are you waiting for? Prevention is the key to reduce the amount of money, time and stress when it comes to computer data loss. I work in a tech firm that handles all types of clients, all too often we get someone walking in with a data loss issue and they don't have any type of planed recourse.
We do what we can to help those that have lost their data, and it ends up costing them more time and money to do a restore then if they just backed up there data in the first place. Sometimes it's a lost cause, we can't do anything about the data loss; the hard-drive may be completely shot, or they realized they lost a piece of data too late to recover it.
So unfortunately many will learn the lesson the hard way, and now that they do their ears are open to the idea of using an offsite backup service. You can think of it as insurance, but better then insurance, because in the situation of data loss your data will be completely reconstructed; there's no such thing as a deductable, it's all there.
Choose an Offsite Backup Service that encrypts your data on site (on your computer/workstation) and uploads it to the retention server. You should be able set the backup schedule anywhere from intra-day to monthly (it depends how much you work on your precious data). Most offsite backup services will provide you with the ability to backup your data on demand.
So when the enviable happens and you have lost your data your business is dependent on, you won't be left scratching you head. Your Offsite backup service will have you back up and working with your data in no time.

About the Author: Sig Kappel is a Computer Engineering Technologist and Lead architect of the JetBack Offsite Backup Service. You'll find more information on Jetback Offsite Backup Services at http://www.jetback.com

Few Steps To Prevent Data Loss And Preparing For Disaster

Author: Ali Bokhari

Prevent Data loss and Preparing for Disaster
You know that computer security is important to you and your business. But do you know exactly what you need to do today to protect your home/business computer? Sooner or later, disaster will strike. It does not have to be anything as dramatic as storm, fire or flood - an overheated motherboard, electric jerk, a malfunctioning hard drive, spyware or a computer virus can be enough.
The cost of backup hardware and media is trivial compared to the value of your data. Imagine that you lost your customer list, your product database, your accounting spreadsheet or other crucial business data. How would your business continue?
So, back up your data. Nothing can prevent data loss better than doing backups of all your important data. You save hours, days and weeks of works doing backups regularly.
Here are few tips for implementing a disaster recover strategy:
1. Buy an external hard drive. These hard drives, which connect to your computer via the USB 2.0 or FireWire port (check which port your computer has), have fallen dramatically in price. Some of them are about the size of a paperback and can be easily transported. Most come with a backup program that lets you schedule automatic backups for your data. Prices have gone down dramatically and if you shop around you can get a hard drive for under $50.
2. Put all crucial computer-related information in a folder. This includes the customer support numbers of hardware and software manufacturers, serial numbers, warranty documents and configuration information. The last thing you want to do is to hunt for these items while you are desperately trying to get your computer working again.
3. Back up data and store the media offsite. Having an external hard drive is great, but what would happen in the case of theft, flood or fire? You should regularly (let your calendar program remind you) back up important data on CD or DVD and store these elsewhere, such as at a friend’s house or in a safe deposit box at your bank.
4. Back up data online. There are numerous companies that will store your data online for a fee, but it might even be enough to use a web-based e-mail service such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo Mail, as these now offer very generous storage quotas. Just email important files to yourself.
5. Have extra hardware. If your main computer fails, you can just move the external hard drive to your laptop and continue working. It might also be useful to keep an old computer around as a backup machine, as long as it still runs the programs you need to use. This way, you do not have to run out and buy a new computer right away, if your current one fails.
6. Central storage of data on the network. Your critical data if possible should reside in one place on the network. It is far simpler and easier to backup, restore and protect one machine than several. As a side benefit, physical and network access to that machine (and therefore to critical and perhaps sensitive data) can more easily be restricted, improving security.
7. Always quit your programs before shutting down your computer. When you quit a program, it saves vital data and then exits the program. If you just turn off your computer without properly exiting your applications and closing your files, you run the risk of loosing your data.
8. Avoid overheating and vibration. All hard drives are going to crash sometime. Electronic and mechanical drive components are sensitive to heat and vibration. Keep your computer in a dry, clean and dust-free environment. It is essential that the drive must be properly cooled and ventilated. Even if your system has embedded coolers and fans, additional coolers installed in a way of cooling the hard drive directly, will improve the drive's reliability. Heat and vibration are two critical causes of hard drive failure.
9. Scan for viruses. The threat of losing data from virus is now greater than it has ever been because of growth of the Internet. Using anti-virus software is as important as keeping backups. And the anti-virus software must be updated regularly. Take the time to scan the computer and any unknown media storage that will be used on your computer. This might come from someone who might have a whole shop full of infected computers.
10. User Friendly Operating system. Always use that operating system and software applications which is user friendly and easy to handle, because users are typically less technical.
All of above preventive measures, Human error is three times more potent a data destroyer than all viruses, floods, lightning bolts, earthquakes and hurricanes combined. One accidental / intentional deletion, for instance, can be as devastating as a natural disaster. Most people delete a file and say 'Oh my God, that was a week's worth of work' and then they start looking for a product to recover the file, rather than installing the product as preventative medicine. Until and unless you have the complete satisfaction about the recovery software doesn’t use that.
After performing all the preventive measures at least you are sure that now all the data is safe and readily available whenever it is required but repeat the process regularly.
By Ali Bokhari

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ali_Bokhari

Data Recovery – a Need for All Computer Users

Author: Recover Data

There is nothing more frustrating than losing your important documents which you’ve created spending precious time. You might have heard the term “Data Recovery” if you are somewhere related with this circumstance. The Concise meaning of the term is to extracting lost, deleted data from damaged, failed, corrupted, or inaccessible hard drives when it cannot be accessed normally with the help of various Data Recovery Software available in the market which is capable of recovering data which has been lost due to many reasons.

Reasons of Data Loss
Data Loss is a fatal situation in which you cannot get access to your important data which has been stored on your hard drives. This data can be your Business Documents, Music files, Personal Pictures and important Emails or anything. What’s the reason for such loss and what steps do we take to overcome to this situation? This Question will come to your mind first when your hard drive gets corrupted.Before proceeding to the preventions we should first take a look to some of the major causes which led to certain stage of disaster.

Major Reasons of Data Loss
•Virus Attacks - “Virus Attacks increases at the rate of nearly 300-500 new Trojans and viruses every month”. In daily life you are at an ever-increasing risk to become infected with a virus. To prevent yourself against a viral threat is to install an Anti-virus program on your system and scan it regularly to keep yourself update whether your system is infected.
• Hardware or System Problems - When powering on your computer you might hear clicking, buzzing, scrapping and ratting sounds. These are the noises that come when the motor, electronic boards or magnetic platters get damaged due to any electric failure or a head crash. Alternately, the drive might also refuse to spin and results in inaccessible data.
• Human Error - Accidental deletion and overwriting is one of the main reason of data loss that more often happens. This event occurs when you overwrite any existing data or emptied the recycle bin. This is the data loss event of human error category.
• Software Malfunction - Data can also be lost due to some technical defect of failure of some software running on the computer.
• Natural Disaster – Natural disaster can have devastating effect on the physical drive. Data Recovery Software rescued data from fires, floods, lightening strikes and subsequent power surges. The best way to prevent your important data from the arrival of such an unpredictable event is to keep the backup of your documents once in a week.These are the main five reasons of data loss, from which you should be aware of to avoid your valuable data from being lost. You can prevent yourself from such situation by taking some simple and easy steps.

Ways to Prevent Data Loss
Here I will recommend you some major points to prevent against Data Loss:
• Back-up important data regularly - Using CDs or even an external USB hard drive for data storage can potentially save you from having to hire a data recovery service to perform hard drive data recovery on your hard drive or RAID server.
• Install some sort of Anti-Virus – Viruses infects your computer by reading an infected e-mail, by sharing an infected file and by visiting websites that take advantage of security flaws to compromise and destroy your data.
• Placement of your computer system - Keep your computer system in safe, dry and dust free area to prevent physical damage to the computers.
• Use power surge protectors - A power surge is one of the most common occurrences that can damage your data and potentially cause a hard drive failure.
• Shut down your computer - Always close your programs before shutting down your computer. If you just turn off your computer without properly closing your files, you run the risk of loosing your data.

Conclusion
Trust your data on professionals not hawkers. Do not wait for the worst to happen just call in the professional or choose Do-it–yourself Data recovery Software by searching the terms like “Data Recovery, Data Recovery Software” on the Google toolbar. We at Recover Data assure you to provide best and professional Data recovery software to help you retrieve data or information that has previously been deleted. It can also help you recover any data that has been lost because of virus attacks, power surge, software failures, and more.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/data-recovery-a-need-for-all-computer-users-396921.html

Data Loss Consequences

Author: Peter Paul
Concerning data loss events up to the range of PC’s hard drive data is not apt as data is spread all over other storage media too like on USBs, CDs, DVDs, memory cards etc. If we merge all these data, we will discover that today we are totally dependent on this data for our existence. As paper work was proving to be perishable and could be discarded, therefore storing data on the computers came into existence. This was done to be sure that data will be safer now but unfortunately this decision also resulted into wrong one when certain of data loss scenarios stepped in. This situation led to the need of data recovery tools.
Due to versatile nature of data, we can store the same data on the multiple devices and thus this empowers you to have backup. This backup saves you from most of the catastrophic conditions of data loss. If the same data is stored online i.e. on servers, then this plays a more reliable and safer part.
But in the case of the non existence of backup or failure of that too, if any of the incident like accidental deletion, virus attack, accidental drop down, fire strike or any alike happens, would reduce us to tearing our hair in despair are gone. The consequences of the data loss can be beyond the limit that you can ever think. This may halt your business, make your market reputation down in the market, make you bankrupt and many more.
However there are few of the simple rules to be adhered in case of massive data loss:
• If you have deleted any of your work important file or there has been some virus attack which has corrupted your data or some accidental formatting is making your data inaccessible, then leave each thing on the data recovery software. These data recovery software are present at the marketplace under different brand names. But beware, do not perform any of the wrong installation in the mean time as this may further overwrite the data and makes the data recovery software job tougher. • However if some physical reason has strike your hard drive, then do not apply any of your mind made solution by yourself. If you want that your data should remain intact then do not make data recovery services task impossible for your damaged hard drive. Just pack it off as it is in some air tight bag and fetch to any reputed data recovery service company.
Apart from this, there are few of the general guidelines that sound to be very obvious kind of like checking for the data recovery company which can make you avail both of the things: data recovery software and data recovery services. This is required as in the case of physical failure, this may happen that even after applying all the possible solutions, you may not able to retrieve your data as some data recovery software help is required.
Another of the suggestion includes making a priority list of all the data and files, so that you may cut down your costs. This would make data recovery process money efficient.
Now comes the search which data recovery company to choose. So let me aware you of the fact that Stellar Information System Limited is a data recovery company which holds expertise in recovering data from all the possible data loss reasons. This data recovery company offers data recovery software and data recovery service at the most guaranteed level.
The data recovery software are present for the operating systems like Windows, Macintosh, Linux, UNIX and Novell. These software have no issue of the fact, what the reason was of logical data loss. These data recovery software perform a thorough scan of your affected hard drive to drag out the precious data out of it.
Data recovery services are also the most demanding. These services are provided under data recovery expert’s sight and with the best of the applicable data recovery procedures and tools. The company offers you Class 100 Clean Room for data recovery so that no further contamination of dust like particles may make the recovery impossible.

About the Author: Peter Paul a student of Mass Communication doing research on data recovery software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

How Does An Automated Backup Service Work?

Author: Michael J Hackett
Quite simply, an automated data backup service will back up and store any or all of your computer data files to a remote location automatically. All you need to do is regulate, via the software control panel, how often you want your files to be backed up. Once installed, it is an easy and worry free process of keeping your files safe and secure.
You have control over:
1. The Automated Backup Scheduling:
Set the days of the week and times for automated backups to run. By default, it may be set to run every night at 9 pm. You can also set it to run at a schedule that meets the needs of your particular business.
2. Back up on Demand:
You have the option to back up whenever and as often as you wish with the convenience of one click. It can be set to run a backup while you go out to lunch, or into a meeting. You won't have to worry about your files disappearing while you're away from your computer.
3. Back up when Exiting Windows:
You can set the controls to have the backup software ask you if you'd like to back up your files when you shut down or log out. You can also choose to have it back up your files, then shut down your computer when the task is completed. Perfect for the end of the work day.
4. Backup prompt when connecting to any Network:
This is a ideal option for traveling laptop users. Automated backup software prompts you to back up your computer as soon as an Internet connection is detected. No more lost files while you're on the road!
So where do your files go, and what do they do with them?
Your data will be sent over an encrypted internet connection, ensuring privacy and security. The files you send are only stored at the remote backup locations - not viewed. The data is also conveniently stored at several locations so that if one site goes down, there is always a backup stored safely at other sites.
I have duplicate files everywhere. Will they all get backed up?
Duplicate File Recognition, an advanced feature, will also identify duplicate files saved in multiple locations (an email attachment for example, stored in a desktop folder and saved elsewhere on your hard drive), and only transfers and stores one file instead of all of them.
The automated backup software also detects common program and Windows system files already stored at the data centers and associates them with your account. This further optimizes initial full system backups.
These factors all combine to save significant network time and backup space, and makes nightly backups and restores faster and more efficient - no matter what your internet connection speed.
So, what do you think: Is an automated backup system in your future? I know it's in mine. It's just too easy.
Backing up your valuable data with an online service can be easier and less expensive than you might think, not to mention the peace of mind you'll have knowing that it's all kept somewhere safe and sound. You can try out one of these services for free to see how it works - and how it might benefit you and your business. To learn more, visit Remote Data Backup Controls.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_J_Hackett

Data Backup - Which is the Better Way?

Author: Lee Morrell

Before we investigate which data backup method is a best fit for your business, we need to evaluate why and what you expect from your backup solution.
Obviously, we backup our data so we can continue trading after a disaster, but what type of disaster are you protecting yourself from and how quickly does your system need to be back online? Please think about this before you think of the usual stock answer, "I am protecting myself from all disasters and I want to be back online as soon as possible" easy to do if you have £500,000 budget and many man hours to devote to the task of backup. You need to be realistic about your backup and restore plan. Are you planning to recover from a hardware failure, total server failure, fire flood or any malicious event? Remember, the rule, the bigger the disaster you plan for, the bigger budget you will need.
Let's look at the business backup options;
Tape Backup - Is a solution which has been around for many years, recent technology means backup and restore is becoming faster and faster. The main benefit of tape based backup is the speed in which you can restore, tape solutions are now capable of moving data at rates of up to 80MB per second. The down side is the initial cost, a high end tape backup device will cost from £4,000 and can work their way up to hundreds of thousands. The software to control the backup starts at around £500 per device to be backed up and can escalate to £3000 per device. Cost of media, £30 per tape and usually you will need a minimum of 10 tapes.
Cost aside, the human intervention requirement can be a drain on resource, for example someone will need to ensure a tape is fitted into the backup device and removed offsite after the backup has taken place. Usually most company's leave the tape inside the server overnight, leaving your backup exposed to the same threats as your server.
Disk to Disk Transfer Easily the fastest way to backup and restore and is suitable for high quantities of data which can be transferred between two servers at up to 320MB per second. The speed of this form of backup is usually only slowed down by the network connecting them together. There are two downsides behind this solution, firstly the cost; you will need a second server and this server will need to grow at the same time as your live server. Secondly it is impossible to remove the server to a secure remote or offsite location, again leaving your backup exposed to the same threat as your live server.
Offsite or Online Backup - By far the cheapest method of backup, however until recently your backup and restore process can usually operate only as fast as your internet connection, usually 2MB per second. This form of backup has usually only been suitable for smaller companies with smaller quantities of data. Times have changed, some offsite backup solutions now offer high performance disk to disk backup functionality whilst still securely backing up your data to an offsite location, you might say this offers the best of both worlds, very fast restore using disk to disk functionality but still copying your data offsite ensuring you will always be able to restore regardless of disaster.
One final benefit is zero human intervention; once you have setup you backup schedule the whole process is automated from there on in.

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Backup Software: Why it is Crucial for Safe Possession of Files

Author: David Hensley

Back up software, as the name indicates, is a software designed exclusively to back up the data to have a second copy of the original source. This is done to have a safe copy in the event of the original data source being damaged accidentally.
Back up is used basically for two reasons, the first is to restore the original data following a disaster and the second is to restore small numbers of files after they have been accidentally deleted or corrupted.
Older back up procedures used to keep track of backed up files and it was a time- consuming task, which needed the help of a user until the process was over. Since the introduction of backup software, the task has become much easier. This software is highly customizable and is easily accessible for beginners and a powerful tool for professionals.
Back up software are designed with various features to make them more effective. The features that are mainly in vogue are:
Volumes: The back up data can be compressed and split into separate parts to store on smaller, removable media like CDs, which are easily transportable and inexpensive, as against hard drives or servers. This ability is known as voluming.
Data compression: By compressing the data and reducing the size, less drive space is utilized, thereby saving money, because hard drive space is expensive. This feature is known as Data compression.
Remote back up: This is an online system for backing up and storing computer files and managed back up providers provide this type of service. There are many reasons for remote backup gaining popularity. The rapid growth of data, which is vital for any business, the advent of Internet and the risks of hackers, hurricanes, viruses and failure of hardware are some of the reasons. This facility of automatically backing up data to remote centers through the Internet is utilized by many banks, stock exchanges and other large institutions and thus it ensures data integrity.
File locking: A plug- in for access to exclusive, in use, locked files is available with many backup solutions.
Incremental back up: This feature is provided along with full back up. The new or changed data alone is backed up, compared to the already backed up data. Due to this technology, the speed of the back up process is increased.
Encryption: Some back ups offer the encryption facility to protect the back up.
Even though the hard drives are so reliable, there are other risks such as virus attack, user errors and also theft that increase the chance of data loss. So, it is sane to have a back up of data, while having a hard drive because it would be better to ask "what if?" rather than "so what?” when it comes to the question of data loss.

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Automatic Data Backup

By Kent Pinkerton

Data backup and backup storage is a problem faced by everyone using computers. Automatic data backup can be customized simply. With a few mouse clicks you can arrange a backup profile, for further usual use by the command-line backup utility. Forgetting to take backups of important data may lead to data loss. Only automatic backup processing can ensure regular data backup.
Backup software is available in various versions, offering flexible solutions. The scheduler in the software distribution kit allows setting up unattended execution backup jobs on both personal computers and server systems. There are three independent programs planned to automate backup process on any computer running. Backup manager is the main tool that allows you to create a custom backup profile for further automatic backup. Command-line backup utility is ideal for unattended backing up in a command-line mode. The main advantage of the program is that it backs data up automatically according to the backup profile, without any action on the part of the user. The backup scheduler was designed to automate executing backup jobs at the specified time. This is helpful to schedule backing up by the command-line backup utility or to automate execution of any command-line tasks. Therefore there are two steps to perform automatic backup. First it is necessary to create and test your backup profile with the backup manager program. Then a new job is created in the backup scheduler program and the startup of your profile specified by the command-line backup utility.
Online backup is an automatic process. Once online backup software is installed and backup sets are arranged, backups start automatically. Online backup is scalable and offsite. It allows you to easily retrieve data and save money.
Traditional manual backups are time consuming. Automatic data backup makes secure data storage easy. Automatic backups, by default, run every night after business hours, transferring only changes to files.
Data Backup provides detailed information on Data Backup, Online Data Backup, Data Backup Services, Data Backup Storage and more. Data Backup is affiliated with Computer Data Storage.

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Windows Backup Methods

Author: David Hensley

Windows backup or Microsoft backup software helps create a copy of the information on the hard disc to be used, in case, the original data accidentally becomes inaccessible, due to hard disc malfunction or overwriting or any other cause.
The backup storage medium can be a hard drive, a removable disc or a full library of disks or tapes organized into a media pool. Using Windows backup software, it is possible to archive selected files and folders on the hard disc, restore them to any other accessible storage, make a copy of the computer's system files, registry and other components, or make a copy of the boot partition and the files needed to start the system.
Windows backup has five methods of backing up the data:
Copy backup: This copies all the selected files but it does not mark the files that have been copied.
Daily back up: A daily backup copies all selected files the day it is performed and as in copy back up, the archive attribute (marking backed-up files) is not cleared.
Differential back up: This backup copies files that have been created since the last normal or incremental back up. The archive attribute is not cleared.
Incremental back up: This backup backs up only those files created or changed since the last normal or incremental back up and here the archive attribute is cleared.
Normal backup: This is used when a backup set is created for the first time.
Using Windows backup, data can be copied to a file or a tape for which a file name should be designated to a file and a tape device is necessary for copying to a tape.
To run back up in Windows, click start programs, accessories, system tools and then backup. For the first time in creating a backup, "All selected files "should be chosen and for subsequent backups, "New and changed files only” should be chosen.
The quickest method is to use a combination of normal backups and incremental back ups which requires the least amount of storage space but the recovery time is more and difficult. The unique feature of Windows back up software is the ability to back up locked files.
Also, windows back up creates a volume shadow copy of the data to create an accurate point- in -time copy of the contents of the hard drive. This ensures that data can be continuously written during back up, opened files are no longer omitted, and backups can be done at any time without locking out users.
The System State Data, which comprises the registry, the directory service and other key system components, can be backed up using Windows Back up Software. If an alternate location is not designated to the restored data, Windows Back up will erase the current System State Data on the computer and replace it with the restored System State data.

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Visit http://www.backupsoftwarecenter.com/ for comprehensive information related to backup software solutions.