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Backup
Tips
Creating original documents is dangerous work. Hours of
irreplaceable work can be destroyed in a flash due to
computer hardware failure, virus infection, disk failure, or
user error. “Backup” is the most practical means of
protection.
“Backup” means keeping one or more extra copies of your
document, preferably in separate places. Imagine the
worst: what would you do if your computer crashed and you
lost everything on it right now? What if the building burns
to the ground? How much work would be lost? What would you
have to do to replace it?
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Compose your document with frequent saves to your
computer’s hard disk, and always consider that version to
be your "original" (modern hard disks are considerably
more reliable than floppy disks, CD’s, or other removable
media).
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When
you stop for the day, or when you reach a milestone
representing a level of work that needs extra protection,
“back up” by saving the file(s) to removable media:
floppy disk, CD-RW, flash drive, etc. Usually, you can do
so by selecting File, Save As while your document is open,
or you can close the document and copy it with Windows
Explorer or by some other means.
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If
you work on lots of different files, consider using
Beyond Compare or a similar program to synchronize your
hard drive data folders with your backup media.
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At
the earliest opportunity, store the backup in a separate
physical location. The backup should be far enough from
the original that the likelihood of both locations being
destroyed is extremely small.
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If
you can’t immediately store the backup media in another
physical location and the document isn't too big, consider
e-mailing it to a friend or colleague. You can also
e-mail it to yourself. That way, the document is safely
stored on your e-mail server until the next time you check
your e-mail.
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The
second time you create a backup of a document, make it on
separate media from the first backup. That way, you
always have TWO backup copies of your document. This will
protect you from computer failure or user error that
destroys both the original and the copy while doing your
backup.
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If
you must do significant editing to the document, save it
under a different name, for example, mypaper2.doc.
Continue to use new names with each successive edition,
being careful not to delete the old ones until you are
100% sure that you will never need them. This is
especially important when combining documents to make a
new document: always give the new document a different
name, and always save the original pieces in case they are
needed later.
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For
extra protection, periodically print your document. That
way, the document can be re-typed if the disk version is
destroyed or damaged.
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If
you have lots of software installed on your computer that
would be time-consuming to re-install, consider doing a
backup of the entire hard drive. Many programs are sold
for this purpose, but they are more practical if you have
high-capacity removable media, such as a DVD-RW drive or a
USB hard drive. If you are using a computer with Windows
XP Professional, a backup program is available under
Accessories, System Tools.
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If
you do have media suitable for full system backup,
periodically use the Windows XP backup program and
choose the option to back up "all information on this
computer." This creates what is called an "ASR"
(automated system recovery) backup. When used with the
recovery CD that came with your computer, the backup can
quickly restore your entire system to the state it was
in at the time of the backup, programs and data alike.
This is very helpful if you have to replace your hard
drive or if there is massive data loss from a virus.
Finally, make your backup efforts proportional to the value
of the document. If you are doing something simple and
short that could easily be reproduced, you may not wish to
back up at all.
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