I recently had a very similar situation. I used my back up drive with my home Mac to re-arrange all my project files (since I’m much more likely to do that onerous task at home in the evening than in the office). Then I replaced all those rearranged folders on my office Mac the very next morning, before I changed anything else.
But my next incremental backup (using SilverKeeper v1.1.4) caused some strange effects. I kept getting a message saying there was a newer version of the file I was trying to backup on the backup device. So I ended up restarting the backup, and it’s working just fine again. But for a couple of weeks, while I was figuring this out, I did notice that some files were not getting backed up.
The plus: I continually check the validity of my latest backup, since I use that backup on my backup drive to update folders on my home computer each week. If there’s a discrepancy I see it instantly.
This week I have cleverly arranged to have someone else write my backup column. During her presentation at the Online International Podcasting Expo last weekend, Anna Farmery of The Engaging Brand mentioned that she has a backup system for recording her podcasts. She uses Skylook to record Skype interviews automatically, but she also uses Audacity to record the conversation. Most podcasters have forgotten to hit the “record” button at least once, and ended up having to do the show over, so it’s a sensible precaution
I asked Anna to write a few paragraphs about what she does to back up her important data, and she was kind enough to provide me with the following answer.
I love Web 2.0, so much so that I have built my company—The Engaging Brand—around the technology. It creates dialogue, it allows creativity. However, one thing that I realised early doors was that backing up your data was even more vital. I now have regular back up routines that ensure that my company is safe and that I am protected from those life hiccups that sometimes occur.
Each week I have the following routines:
A) Norton Save and Restore
I back up all my data twice a week to a Buffalo USB external hard drive, timed to happen late at night automatically so it does not effect the time I have available to grow my business and that it does not rely on me to remember. Occasionally if I will operate a manual back up if I produce some important work that would be impossible to replace. The hard drive back ups both my drives and was purchased on Amazon for under £100. Small investment but huge benefits.
B) Podcasts
My podcasts for The Engaging Brand are a vital part of the marketing. The downside is that they are space hungry so once backed up I then back up to a separate folder on the external drive. After that I delete them from my hard drive to release space, ensuring that my PC is operating at its maximum efficiency. I also use a podcast hosting firm therefore I know that the podcast files have two back ups in case of problems.
C) E-Mail
I use Microsoft Outlook, which means that if my computer went down I would be lost without the e-mails. My back up routine includes daily back ups of content, to do lists and diary to both my Video iPod and my PDA. I also save important e-mails to Word documents which are then included in easily readable documents in the back up routine.
D) Second Computer
I have two computers. For all critical information I have copies on both computers. Therefore my laptop acts as a further back up to any critical data.
Computer failure is a risk—one thing that I have learned the hard way is that your data is your lifeblood. To ensure that you are ready for any type of failure, working out a back up routine that works for you is important to your business, important that you remain able to recover from those disasters that happen when you least expect it.
Have a great weekend!
Anna Farmery
Visit The Engaging Brand website
Listen to my weekly podcast on leadership
Phone Me: +44 07914 381864 or Skype AnnaFarmery
And there you have it: backing up your data in the north of England isn’t too much different from backing it up in Northern California. It certainly isn’t any less important.
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