Backup
From ITS Wiki - Information Technology Services - University of Rhode Island
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Backing up important files is more than just a good idea. It can mean the difference between a quick solution and a week-long disaster. When backups are not performed regularly, a malware-infected computer may require hours of costly work to safely retrieve files whereas having a backup means a simple wipe and re-install of the operating system.
"Before you go forward, you must backup." - Cardinal Rule of Computing
Contents |
Purchasing Storage Devices
The University of Rhode Island Help Desk recommends purchasing products with the following specifications,
- A storage device with at least 250 GB of space.
- Disk drives with a SATA connector, not an IDE connector.
- An external, USB-based drive OR an internal drive WITH an enclosure.
Backup Frequency
A full backup of your entire operating system should only be done once every 6 months to a year. This can be done with commercially-available or free products (see the links below for details). Incremental backups of only the most important files, however, should be performed once per week. This might include a Documents folder, Pictures, and Music. It is easiest to make weekly backups if those files and folders are kept neatly organized.
Macintosh 10.5
1. In the menubar at the top left of the screen, click the Apple icon.
2. Select System Preferences. Under the "System" row, select "Time Machine".
3. Use the slider on the left to turn the service on and then select your backup drive on the right.
4. Schedule the times, dates, and types of information to be backed up.
Windows XP
1. Click on Start and navigate to All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools and check to see if there is an Option for Backup. If there is, skip to Step 7.
2. To Install the Backup service insert the Windows XP CD that came with the computer.
3. On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen, click Perform Additional Tasks.
4. Click Browse this CD.
5. In Windows Explorer, double-click the ValueAdd folder, then Msft, and then Ntbackup.
6. Double-click Ntbackup.msi to install the Backup utility.
7. After opening the Backup program click Next to skip the welcome screen.
8. Chose what to Backup and click Next.
9. Chose where to Backup the data and click Next.
10. If you want to create an Automatic Backup done on Schedule click Advanced and follow the Wizard that pops up.
11. Click Finish to create the backup.
Windows Vista
1. Open up the Control Panel and chose "Backup and Restore Center".
2. Chose to either Backup files or the system.
3. Follow the wizard to select a backup location, then schedule the times, dates, and types of information to be backed up.
NOTE: Vista Home Basic does not have this option. To Backup data use a safe third-party program such as BackUp Maker. The Helpdesk does not support this third party program. The Helpdesk service catalog can be found here.
Windows 7
1. Click the Windows icon at the bottom left and select "Control Panel" in the Start menu.
2. Under "System and Security", click "Back up your computer". Click the "Set up backup ..." button.
3. Follow the wizard to select a backup location, then schedule the times, dates, and types of information to be backed up.
Related Links:
http://www.symantec.com/norton/ghost http://clonezilla.org
