 |
The
Importance of Having a Back-up
![[Digital Coffee Break]](../images/digitalcoffeesmall.gif)
March 3, 2000 - Okay, I really wasn’t going to write this
article, but quite a few students have lost data recently, and very
few of them actually had back-ups of their work. I know that most of
you will read this and immediately forget about it, but hopefully more
of you will read this and take this advice seriously.
I am going
to share with you the most secret information regarding computers that
you will ever find out… Computers can tell when you are stressed
out about a deadline, and will retaliate by destroying your work, or
crashing after you’ve worked for hours without saving. The only
defense we humans have against such villainy, is the act of making back-ups.
So, here
is your big tip of the week:
Back-up
your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files!
Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up
your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files!
Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up
your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files!
Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up your files! Back-up
your files!
Okay,
now some actual practical information regarding back-ups.
- Make
a back-up of your file after every major change. This means that if
you change an image significantly, or change wording or anything you
do not want to have to do again, save the file under a different name.
- Keep
your back ups on different zips or disks. A back up of a file on the
same disk does not do any good if the disk crashes hard or has problems
(gets lost or crushed, or dropped in the snow and put into an oven
to dry out, etc…).
- Zips
fail. Make sure you have more than one that can be used in an emergency.
I can fix a lot of zip problems, but sometimes, your data may not
be fully recoverable. Having a back up can really save you.
It
only takes losing a critical file once to make a back-up believer out
of someone, but that one file could cost you a passing grade or a job
if is super-critical. You should always attempt to have multiple copies
in multiple locations of every file you are working with. This is true
whether you are working in our high-end graphics programs, or typing a
paper in Microsoft Word. Let’s face it — do you really want
to try to recreate half of your thesis or final project from scratch,
or do you want your boss to see how great you managed a possibe catastrophe?
You decide.
–J
Jennifer
Nieland is the lab coordinator for the College of the Design student
computer labs and is a firm believer in Norton Utilities and TechTool
Pro.
|
