Which files do I need to backup?

All of them !

Seriously, you really should backup all of your files. All files means everything.     The total, the entire mass, the complete set, every bit, byte and megabyte!

Backing up your entire computer is the best way to guard against problems, disasters or mistakes.  

If you have the luxury of a program that backs up everything in a neat and complete package, congratulations.  

• Use it.

• Test it

• Use it regularly

If you don't have that luxury, you should take the time to identify what files, folders, programs, configuration settings and utilities need to get backed up.  

Ask yourself, what information is in the computer that I cannot live without?

• Financial Information (Quicken, QuickBooks, Microsoft Money, Peachtree Accounting, DAC Easy, etc.)

• Tax Return Files 

• Homework, Term papers and anything due at school.

• Stock or Investment Portfolio information

• Contact Information (names, addresses, phone numbers of family, friends, business contacts)

• Internet Contact Information (e-mail addresses, web site addresses or favorite places)

• Written Materials and documents (resumes, contracts, agreements, general letters of correspondence, in short anything written and saved in your word processing and related office programs)

• Serial number, warranty number information from purchased items including your computer hardware and software

• All information related to your business if you use your computer to manage your business, or if the information in your computer is your business. 

• Credit Card numbers 

• Internet Access dial in phone numbers, passwords and configuration settings.

Don't forget to identify the same information for people that share the computer:

• Your child's homework projects, term papers and applications to college

• Your spouse's files and internet related information including their e-mail addresses and web site addresses or favorite places

Write down the names of the programs that created this information or the names of folders where the information is saved.  

Many programs provide their own built-in backup utility.  Identify those programs and use these utilities.  Many financial programs such as Quicken, QuickBooks, or Microsoft Money have a built-in utility.

For those programs that do not offer their own built-in backup utility, look for features such as Import or Export, Convert or menus such as File Save or File Save As. Import and Export features can usually export (save to a file or floppy disk) specific information.  Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, and Microsoft Outlook all offer Import/Export and File Save features that will allow you to save your favorite places, bookmarks, and address books to a file.  

AOL users can save their favorite places and  address books in a Personal File Cabinet file.  Remember that AOL allows you to have multiple screen names for each member of  your family. Don't forget to save this personal information for all the screen names that you use.  Your family will thank you for it.

If you use the internet?       When you use the internet..

If you are reading this information, somehow you are on the internet.

What Internet Information should I save?

We have already identified your e-mail addresses, favorite places and bookmarks.  But what about your actual connection to the internet?

You cannot backup your connection information to a file but you should write down some specific information related to your internet account:   

Dial up name and password and the correct way to use this name to connect to your internet carrier

Dial up phone numbers

DNS configuration for your particular internet carrier

outgoing (usually POP3) mail server names and user names

incoming (usually SMTP) mail server names and user names

Use these handy worksheets:

• Internet and Email Connection Worksheet 

• DSL/Cable Internet Connection Worksheet

Much of this information may have come when you first installed your internet package. But if you've lost the information (and CD) that came in the mail or you get a new computer, you'll need this information in order to get up and running again.

Specific documents, correspondence, presentations that may have been saved in your Word Processing or Office package are usually individual files or groups of files.  Once you have identified which files and folders need to be backed up, you can copy them to a floppy, zip disk or CD-ROM if you have a rewritable CD ROM device).

If you do not have the luxury of a complete system backup, you can identify which files are crucial to your use of the computer.  Check each program's help screen to see if backup, import, export or save-as features exist to help you backup your important information.  If you still cannot find the information, check the manufacturer's web site, or e-mail the technical support department.   Their answers may be long winded, and very technical, but they may also answer your question.  They might also give you a whole new understanding of how your program works.   That might be all you need to backup that all important information.

MORE INFORMATION ON BACKUPS AND BACKUP SYSTEMS COMES FROM

NOVASTOR CORPORATION (Use Internet Explorer to view this page)

http://www.novastor.com/backup_options.html