Thursday, September 19, 2024

Reasons (And Tips) For Using XP Backup

A simple misclick, a nasty bit of malware, or, as a recent Apple commercial suggests, a clumsy coworker – these things all pose serious threats to your computer and the data it contains.

So it’s a good idea to back up that data. IT consultant Erik Eckel created a helpful list on that subject – “10 things you should know about Windows XP Backup.”

His number one point is that “It’s Proven.” “No one in their right mind wants to explain to a client or director why a backup or recovery operation failed,” Eckel wrote. “Although many criticize Microsoft’s native Backup tool for its lack of sophistication and flexibility, the Windows utility’s lack of complexity is its greatest strength. Windows Backup provides a simple and proven method for safeguarding data.”

“The wizard is your friend,” he then stated, by way of a second suggestion. “Sure, you can elect to work in Backup’s Advanced mode, but wizards simplify complex tasks. More important, they help ensure that you don’t forget a step.”

Eckel walks through the wizard’s process, in case anyone’s unfamiliar with it.

He next moved on to a third point – “you must watch names when creating new backups.” “When creating backups using Windows Backup Or Restore Wizard, you need to provide a name for the backup routine,” Eckel stated. “Take care to ensure you don’t accidentally overwrite an old backup file or mistakenly alter an existing backup operation when configuring new backups.”

The fifth “thing you should know” is that “you needn’t overcomplicate schedules/types.” The ninth statement is related – users should realize that “when scheduling backups, once is default.”

“If you don’t confirm that you’ve selected the appropriate frequency, you’ll wind up configuring a scheduled backup to run only once,” Eckel wrote. “When you create a new backup routine using Windows backup, always be sure you specify that it run Later and click Set Schedule.”

The rest of Eckel’s suggestions can be found here. They’re definitely worth reading.

Tag:

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg | Yahoo! My Web | Furl

Bookmark Murdok:

Doug is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest eBusiness news.

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Articles