Pulborough Computer Club
Do I Need a Backup?
Data Backups
What are data backups?
Data backups are copies of data that can be used to recover from a data disaster such as
- Accidentally deleting files.
- Overwriting files with newer, but incorrect versions.
- An unrelated software or hardware failure that makes files inaccessible (eg virus or disc failure).
- Fire, accident or theft achieving the same effect.
Do I need data backups?
The usual answer to this question has to be yes because most people have spent a lot of effort creating one or more of the following.
- Address book including email addresses. (eg Microsoft Outlook, Windows Address Book).
- Financial information. (eg Quicken, Microsoft Money, Which Taxcalc).
- Sent and received emails (eg Outlook Express).
- Sent letters and faxes.
- Diary
- Autobiography
- Genealogy records
Many of these could be reconstructed by great effort from paper records (if they exist) but others would be lost for ever.
If the data files on your computer have no value to you, probably not.
Program Backups
What are program backups?
Program backups enable the programs in a computer to be restored to a known good configuration.
Do I need program backups?
Because you should still have all the CDs that your programs came on, they aren't vital. They are a great convenience though. Loading Windows, loading all your applications and then configuring them all from scratch usually takes 4 to 8 hours. It'll take a lot longer if you haven't got good records of your internet setup and can't find the CDs or floppy discs that came with your modem, graphics card, printer, scanner, camera etc Then there are all those useful little programs and upgrades that you downloaded. Can you resurrect them?
So, whilst a program backup isn't essential, normal service can be resumed in under a quarter of an hour with one.