Healthy Computing at DePauw University

Backing Up Your Computer

Backing up your computer involves placing a duplicate copy of your data onto a secondary medium, such as floppy disks, a recordable CD, or even an online server or Web site. Then when your hard drive fails or you accidentally delete a file, you can rely on the backup to recover any files. The most important things to back up in college are your class documents and files, such as notes, papers, presentations and email. You should also consider backing up your operating system, software and settings; besides dealing with lost data, reinstalling your operating system and sotware can be a lengthy process.

How often should I back up my computer?
Depending on the number of files you work with and the frequency in which they are modified or created, you can do a backup as often as every day or as infrequently as every quarter. The key is to determine a schedule such that it will not be too difficult to recreate or update your data from your last backup. For example, if you work with a database that is updated daily, then you should back up daily. On the other hand, if you type only a few papers each quarter, it is acceptable to backup each quarter. A lot of backup software will also allow you to schedule your backups so you don't have to do it yourself. You should also do an extra back up whenever you perform any delicate tasks on your computer, such as formatting a hard disk or upgrading a piece of hardware

How should I back it up?
There are myriad ways to back up, from using dedicated backup software, to using Windows' backup utility, or simply using Windows Explorer or MacOS Finder. There are also many secondary mediums that you can use to store your backup, including CD-Rs, DVDs, or even online. How much and how often you want to backup usually determines the methods you will use. If you need to back up your files very often, you should invest in a large capacity medium (i.e., an external hard drive) in conjunction with robust backup software.

Do I need software?
If you do not need to back up your files on a very frequent basis, you probably don't need any special backup software and can instead use your file manager (Windows Explorer, Mac Finder) to copy files to a removable medium (e.g., drag and drop your files to a flash drive). You can also use Windows' Backup utility if you use a PC. However, if you need to back up your files more often, you should purchase specialized backup software like Seagate BackUp Exec or Cheyenne ARCserve, which can automate much of the procedure.

Make Sure Your Backup Works
A backup can give you a false sense of security, since the media that you use is also prone to damage. To counter this, you should periodically test your backup media by recopying the backup to your computer or using your backup software's restore process. You should also keep your backup away from your computer and someplace safe, so a natural disaster or theft will not strike both your computer and your backup. And finally, don't use the same disc for each backup. Instead, use two or more and rotate them for each backup you do so if the most recent backup fails, you can rely on the second most recent.

Saving to the P: Drive

Information Services recommends saving a backup copy of all critical documents. Information Services also recommends saving all important documents on your Network P: drive. (File -> Save As -> Save in: P:). Files saved to the Network are backed up nightly. If a file is accidentally lost or deleted, it may be possible to restore that file from a backup tape.

If you are planning to save a Power Point presentation or other very large document (graphic intensive) to your P: drive, it is very important that you make sure you have enough space available to do so. If you think that you will need additional space in order to save a Power Point presentation or Seminar Project, please contact our office at x4294, --BEFORE-- attempting to save the file. Insufficient space may cause the program to crash and the entire file may be lost or become corrupt.

Your P: drive can be accessed from any computer that is attached to the network.

If you find that you must save a final paper or other important document to a CD, consider using a brand new CD, not one you've saved to before.