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For many of us, our computer has become a critical part of our life. We use them for working, entertainment and corresponding with people we know. Over the course of time, most people create a number of files that are important to them and would cost time, money or both if they were lost. Data backups are the most effective way to make sure you won't lose those important files.

Don't make the mistake of believing that backups are only for computer geeks or large corporations, or a task that can be performed 'when I get around to it'. On the contrary, backups are a necessity for everyone. Even if your computer has been running reliably for years, it will fail one day - either through virus attack, user error or just age.

On that day, one of two things will happen. You'll either suffer the grief that comes with losing financial information, passwords, music collections, personal photographs and all the software you've purchased. Or, you can repair or replace the computer and restore from the backups you've been making regularly. The latter is an annoyance, the first a disaster.

There are a number of things that can cause data loss. There's the obvious hardware failures, where something in the computer breaks down but there are also things such as floods, fires or even your dog bumping the power off button at the wrong moment. You could also be the victim of a virus or spyware that wipes out all your files.

Often the only way you'll get your data back is by having a backup copy. And even if a data recovery service can get it back for you, it can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars for them to do so.

What Should You Be Backing Up?

Most people don't actually have to backup every single file on their computer. This can require a large amount of storage and can take a long time. The critical things to backup are all the files you have created and any software that cannot be replaced. Financial records, word processing documents, legal files - the list goes on and on.

But backups needn't be.

The easiest way to backup your files is to use the software that comes with most operating systems. Windows includes one, as does Mac OS X, Linux and others. These programs are usually pretty straightforward and it's just a matter of selecting the files and folders you want to save. Many of them can even be scheduled to run in the middle of the night or some other time you're not using your computer.

If you want something a little more powerful, there are a number of backup program you can purchase. These programs offer features such as only backing up files that have changed since the last backup, or those that have changed since a particular date.

Some types of data are a little more difficult to backup. Email is a good example. Some email programs don't actually store the messages on your computer - they're stored on the server instead. In these cases, you can usually export the messages into a file on your computer that can then be backed up.

Backups can be done to any kind of removable media - writeable CD's/DVD's, removable hard drives or even the newer 'keychain' devices that plug into a USB port. Even floppy disks can still be used in many cases. Documents often take a small amount of space. Just set aside 7 disks and rotate them from week to week.

Having to run a backup every day may seem like a pain in the neck, but you'll be glad you made the time on the day your computer crashes and you need a file that got wiped out.

About: Data backups are just one part of an thorough computer security plan. Find out what else you need to know to protect your computer from other internet security problems at the Security Manor website. Visit http://www.securitymanor.com for more helpful tips and advice.

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