Comments on: Backing up your computer and preserving your files http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/ Preparing Deseret, one blogger at a time Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:05:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Arj http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Arj Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:00:49 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-270 I'm a huge fan of Mozy because they keep my files encrypted. Plus, it's way more likely that I'll lose an unencrypted jump drive than that their earthquake protected datacenters will completely go down. If anyone's interested in one of their free accounts, use my referral link and we'll both get an extra 1/4 GB free. https://mozy.com/?code=P2GWBL I’m a huge fan of Mozy because they keep my files encrypted. Plus, it’s way more likely that I’ll lose an unencrypted jump drive than that their earthquake protected datacenters will completely go down.

If anyone’s interested in one of their free accounts, use my referral link and we’ll both get an extra 1/4 GB free.

https://mozy.com/?code=P2GWBL

]]> By: clint http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-259 clint Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:20:31 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-259 Great Post, hadn`t thought about backups in such a way Thanks for the thought. I like the flash drive Idea. Great Post, hadn`t thought about backups in such a way Thanks for the thought. I like the flash drive Idea.

]]> By: phil801 http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-252 phil801 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:26:41 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-252 @Jodi You ladies did a great job of writing up Mozy and doing backups! Way to get the conversation started :) We definitely like to take things as deep as we can here as you've noticed. We plan to do it quite a bit with your blog posts. Not always like this one did but to talk about things that complement some of your food storage posts.... you'll see :) @Jodi

You ladies did a great job of writing up Mozy and doing backups! Way to get the conversation started :)

We definitely like to take things as deep as we can here as you’ve noticed. We plan to do it quite a bit with your blog posts. Not always like this one did but to talk about things that complement some of your food storage posts…. you’ll see :)

]]> By: phil801 http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-251 phil801 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:24:33 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-251 @JeffBarr Great suggestion, I've not heard of the algorithm you're describing but I REALLY like the idea! Jayce and I discussed whether to include encryption in this post and decided that it really deserved its own writeup. We should be publishing that soon. Thanks for stopping by! @JeffBarr
Great suggestion, I’ve not heard of the algorithm you’re describing but I REALLY like the idea! Jayce and I discussed whether to include encryption in this post and decided that it really deserved its own writeup. We should be publishing that soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

]]> By: Connor http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-250 Connor Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:38:20 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-250 Another alternative to a large flash drive as you've linked is a few small ones - one in each person's bugout bag in case you get split up. On Newegg they have a <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148153" rel="nofollow">Crucial 2GB drive</a> for ~5 bucks, free shipping. Another alternative to a large flash drive as you’ve linked is a few small ones – one in each person’s bugout bag in case you get split up.

On Newegg they have a Crucial 2GB drive for ~5 bucks, free shipping.

]]> By: Connor http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-249 Connor Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:24:16 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-249 <em>I also have issue with it in that it’s not a grab and go, then plug in anywhere solution (or is it?) to my understanding. </em> From <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/132627/2008/03/timecapsule.html" rel="nofollow">this review</a>: <blockquote>Time Capsule can be used as a source to restore files to the machine that created the backup via Time Machine; used with Migration Assistant to move files to a new system; and used to restore a system that’s booted with the Leopard installation DVD. The sparse image files can also be mounted over a network to retrieve files manually, or copied as a monolithic file for an archive of the entire backup set stored in the sparse image.</blockquote> I also have issue with it in that it’s not a grab and go, then plug in anywhere solution (or is it?) to my understanding.

From this review:

Time Capsule can be used as a source to restore files to the machine that created the backup via Time Machine; used with Migration Assistant to move files to a new system; and used to restore a system that’s booted with the Leopard installation DVD. The sparse image files can also be mounted over a network to retrieve files manually, or copied as a monolithic file for an archive of the entire backup set stored in the sparse image.

]]> By: Jayce http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Jayce Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:18:53 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-248 @Jodi Yeah, big mozy fans here. We'll be actually going into this more with some future posts, including the encryption concepts, which are very vital. @Connor Time Capsule is great for the Mac users, but offside, and multi-disk storage is important. I've lost too many things to single disk backups before. But as always, use all the tools available, you'll need them all at some point :) @Jodi Yeah, big mozy fans here. We’ll be actually going into this more with some future posts, including the encryption concepts, which are very vital.

@Connor Time Capsule is great for the Mac users, but offside, and multi-disk storage is important. I’ve lost too many things to single disk backups before. But as always, use all the tools available, you’ll need them all at some point :)

]]> By: Jodi @ Food Storage Made Easy http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-247 Jodi @ Food Storage Made Easy Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:14:11 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-247 YAY for another Mozy fan! My brother was one of the very first people to sign up for Mozy several years ago. Thank you for going into further detail about backing up your info. As you know from our blog, we try to keep things easy so that people will actually DO IT. I know from experience I have been meaning to back up my computer and important docs for about a year (and still never did it until Mozy!). So Mozy is definitely a great interim step which is "better than nothing". But you are absolutely correct that there could be a situation down the road where the internet is unavailable so to have multiple forms of backups is great. (We recommend an emergency binder for paper documents, and USB drives are great for copies of those things too) I'm so glad you have a blog that takes things deeper than we are able to go yet. We don't want to scare off beginners and that is a huge portion of our readership. YAY for another Mozy fan! My brother was one of the very first people to sign up for Mozy several years ago.

Thank you for going into further detail about backing up your info. As you know from our blog, we try to keep things easy so that people will actually DO IT. I know from experience I have been meaning to back up my computer and important docs for about a year (and still never did it until Mozy!). So Mozy is definitely a great interim step which is “better than nothing”. But you are absolutely correct that there could be a situation down the road where the internet is unavailable so to have multiple forms of backups is great. (We recommend an emergency binder for paper documents, and USB drives are great for copies of those things too)

I’m so glad you have a blog that takes things deeper than we are able to go yet. We don’t want to scare off beginners and that is a huge portion of our readership.

]]> By: phil801 http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-246 phil801 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:45:58 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-246 @Connor Great comment, thanks! I've thought about using the Time Capsule several times and I think it sounds like a great solution for part of the problem - as you've indicated. I also have issue with it in that it's not a grab and go, then plug in anywhere solution (or is it?) to my understanding. I totally agree with you on getting complacent about backing up your files, it's a big problem. For me personally, I have the files on my hard drive backed up offsite via the internet, critical stuff redundantly on an external hard drive and 2 flash drives with my most important files on them - mostly family photos for the last decade. I keep one flash drive at my office and one in my go bag at home. I can see a time capsule fitting in there to take place of the external drive like you have covered - I think it's an excellent solution to replace that part of the plan. @Connor
Great comment, thanks! I’ve thought about using the Time Capsule several times and I think it sounds like a great solution for part of the problem – as you’ve indicated.

I also have issue with it in that it’s not a grab and go, then plug in anywhere solution (or is it?) to my understanding. I totally agree with you on getting complacent about backing up your files, it’s a big problem.

For me personally, I have the files on my hard drive backed up offsite via the internet, critical stuff redundantly on an external hard drive and 2 flash drives with my most important files on them – mostly family photos for the last decade. I keep one flash drive at my office and one in my go bag at home.

I can see a time capsule fitting in there to take place of the external drive like you have covered – I think it’s an excellent solution to replace that part of the plan.

]]> By: Jeff Barr http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/01/backing-up-your-computer-and-preserving-your-files/comment-page-1/#comment-245 Jeff Barr Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:38:37 +0000 http://www.utahpreppers.com/?p=920#comment-245 This is good info, and thanks for the links to Amazon! If you do put all of your critical personal data on a Flash drive, be careful with that drive. Encryption might be a good idea here. There's a special form of encryption which would let you give 1/8 of a key to each of your kids and then allow any 3 (or 2 or 4 or whatever) to decrypt. This could come in very handy. I forget the formal name of this but will find out. This is good info, and thanks for the links to Amazon!

If you do put all of your critical personal data on a Flash drive, be careful with that drive. Encryption might be a good idea here.

There’s a special form of encryption which would let you give 1/8 of a key to each of your kids and then allow any 3 (or 2 or 4 or whatever) to decrypt. This could come in very handy. I forget the formal name of this but will find out.

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