Insurance for your Computer

[nicholsons]

This weeks Ontario REIN meeting we talked about Insurance on our properties. I`d like to talk about how we insure our data and find out what backup solutions to you use.

Here are some questions:

1. How often do you backup your computer(See Poll)
2. Do you scan in all your paper files?
3. What products do you use? (eg. Acronis, Ghost, Other)
4. Where is the backup stored? (eg. on special location on HardDrive, External Drive, Offsite via service)
5. Do you have a backup plan? (eg. Full backups monthly and then backup only changed files in between)

Here is what I do

1. I have a full backup of my system including all applications (No Data) to an external hard drive
a. I can use this to restore my system and then perform any software security updates since the backup.
2. I then use a program to sync my changed data files once per week

Pro: Saves time by only copying what changes
Can open files if needed.
Con: If you delete a file locally if will disappear from your backup
Takes more space because not compressed
3. This external hard drive is then stored offsite at my office.

What is your plan?

If no plan then create one!

 

[ChrisDavies]

I have a MacBook Pro and I use timecapsule to back it up to an external hard drive, although I need a bigger one. TimeCapsule does a continual sync to keep the backup up to date. The majority of the files I have on my computer which are active and important (accounting, active campaigns, etc) pass through my email (Gmail) at least once and I use Google Docs for a lot of work. That keeps a virtual copy safe for me.

Chris

 

[housingrental]

Ghost
With a few hdd`s
Try to have one offsite when possible and switch hdd`s occasionally to back up too
So if things went wrong have update one near computer
If there was ever a major fire etc.. in location of computer there`s another hdd to backup files but possibly updated weeks prior, etc..
Occasionally add cd`s to the mix and store elsewhere

 

[MikeMcC874]

To protect against localized failures on one system (if you have multiple in your home), I use subversion. http://subversion.tigris.org/

It is actually a source code management system and is pretty much the industry standard for software development.

Using it as a sync and backup system is going a bit afield of its intended use but it works very nicely for me and the small number of docs I juggle. It also lets be easily keep docs synced across the various computers in my house.

I then occasionally use Imgburn to write things out to a DVD and am good to go. http://www.imgburn.com/

Mike

 

[FraserCampbell]

QUOTE (MikeMcC874 @ Jul 17 2010, 03:57 PM) To protect against localized failures on one system (if you have multiple in your home), I use subversion. http://subversion.tigris.org/

It is actually a source code management system and is pretty much the industry standard for software development.

Using it as a sync and backup system is going a bit afield of its intended use but it works very nicely for me and the small number of docs I juggle. It also lets be easily keep docs synced across the various computers in my house.

I then occasionally use Imgburn to write things out to a DVD and am good to go. http://www.imgburn.com/

Mike
Interesting, I also use subversion. Wouldn`t have expected to find another subversion (backup) user here. My desktop is Linux so svn makes a very nice fit for backup/restore, I`ve been using svn for this for almost 7 years.

 

[DaveL]

QUOTE (FraserCampbell @ Jul 17 2010, 08:45 PM) Interesting, I also use subversion. Wouldn`t have expected to find another subversion (backup) user here. My desktop is Linux so svn makes a very nice fit for backup/restore, I`ve been using svn for this for almost 7 years.

I use carbonite (www.carbonite.com) It costs like $50 a year and you can access your files from any computer. It backs up all your files whenever you are not using your computer. As soon as you start using your computer the back up software goes to sleep. I have been really happy and impressed with this program. It`s really great for those that are not that tech savvy. I recently bought a new computer and after installing windows I just downloaded carbonite went to bed and by the morning all my files were on my computer exactly where I had them last!

 

[PropertySolution]

I use an external hard drive and update weekly as a rule but if I have done an extra amount of work for some reason I will backup everything daily. I have an on-going problem with my Quickbooks... it has a habit of crashing on me without warning so I save a copy after every entry and put it on a flash-drive.

 

[GaryMcGowan]

We use a web based app called My Drop Box. It syncs and backs up files in real time.
You can have many users and it also gives you access to your files anywhere on the web!
Your files are stored locally on your pc/mac and on a remote server.
O, and it`s Free!

My Drop Box

 

[JimWhitelaw]

I have a few backup scenarios, depending on the data. For most personal data - finance, photos, etc, I make daily backups of local data to a network server and that server makes daily offsite backups. So I have two levels of backup and can restore even if our internet service is down. It`s all automated and works across our mix of Mac, Linux and Windows PC`s at home.

For business docs, all my work computers automatically sync to an offsite backup. No backup schedule needed, it happens immediately so the remote offsite data is always in sync. Plus I keep 60 days worth of versioned backups offsite as well.

My wife has some critical and confidential work docs that get updated to offsite storage once per hour and are kept in a separate secured repository with 90 day versioned backups.

I use a service called JungleDisk to manage this. It creates automatic, encrypted backups using Amazon`s S3 storage service.

Operating systems and applications I never back up; not worth the time or space, since they are so easily re-installed.

 

[DaveL]

QUOTE (GaryMcGowan @ Jul 19 2010, 05:42 PM) We use a web based app called My Drop Box. It syncs and backs up files in real time.
You can have many users and it also gives you access to your files anywhere on the web!
Your files are stored locally on your pc/mac and on a remote server.
O, and it`s Free!

My Drop Box


dropbox is only free for 2gigs. Which may be okay for some users but I like to back up all my photos, music, videos, etc... as well. I pay $55 for unlimited data per/year.

 

[KevinMatwichuk]

QUOTE (GaryMcGowan @ Jul 19 2010, 06:42 PM) We use a web based app called My Drop Box. It syncs and backs up files in real time.
You can have many users and it also gives you access to your files anywhere on the web!
Your files are stored locally on your pc/mac and on a remote server.
O, and it`s Free!

My Drop Box


I second Gary`s vote for DropBox. Another similar free option is Microsofts www.mesh.com