-=PCTechTalk=- Re: Back ups - They're not just for breakfast anymore.

Hi Guitar man,

I looked and found a "cab" folder in my C: directory, not in my "windows" 
directory and I opened it and saw a bunch of files, one of them was user1 
cab1 and sys1 cab.  There were actually two folders inside of the cab 
folder, not all are cab files though.  I do have the restore disks only.  Is 
this the folder you were referring to?

I am seriously thinking about reformatting my older computer which I 
actually like much better than my newer one, seems to run faster for some 
reason.  I want to purchase the operating system CD, not sure yet though 
whether to go with win xp or the new one coming out soon.

I also want to figure out a back up system for files and programs.  As of 
now, I only have some files on some CDs, that is it.  My problem has been 
"time".  But I would hate to lose my files for sure.  I also have a neice 
using a wireless laptop which is hooked up to my system with a router and 
all.  Is there a way to save all that set up so when I reformat, it does not 
have to be set up again.

Christine
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GuitarMan" <gman.pctt@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "PCTechTalk List" <PCTechTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 2:12 AM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Back ups - They're not just for breakfast anymore.


> Just how much of 'who you are' is on your hard drive somewhere?  What 
> would
> happen if you suddenly lost everything that's on your hard drive?  I mean,
> all of your email messages - GONE!  All of the tech info you've collected
> over the years - WIPED OUT!!  That incredible image library you've
> painstakingly build since your significant other bought you that awesome
> digital camera 4 years ago - SORRY ABOUT YOUR BAD LUCK!!!  And how much
> other stuff is in there that you'd never be able to replace again?
>
> ************************************************************
>
> Now that I've got your attention, let's talk about backing up your 
> important
> files.  Before we can get into any serious discussion about this most
> important topic, you'll need to decide why you're backing up your stuff.
> Here are a few of the more common scenarios to consider.
>
> Reason #1.    You're a bit nervous about all of the viruses, worms, 
> trojans,
> malicious scripts, etc. that permeate the internet and/or the inevitable
> eventual failing of your hard drive and simply want to safeguard against
> losing your important data to some catastrophic event beyond your control.
>
> Reason #2.    You'd much rather keep your multimedia files (MP3s, images,
> theme collection, screensavers, etc.) on CDs or DVDs to free up hard drive
> space or to protect the files from others (or others from the files) who 
> use
> your PC.
>
> Reason #3.    You need to back up critical customer data for your business
> so you can store it offsite (somewhere other than your business' building)
> in case of fire, theft, flood, etc.
>
> Reason #4.    Any other reason you can think of is a good reason for 
> backing
> up your data.
>
> It is the combination of your reasons for backing up and your level of
> comfort with the procedures outlined below that will dictate the approach
> you decide to take.  Regardless of your reasons, it's imperative that you
> understand that all hard drives will eventually fail and sooner or later, 
> we
> all get hit with some sort of malware that penetrates our computer's
> defenses and could bring down the entire system, taking our precious data
> with it (yes, even the most tech savvy among us is not completely immune).
> It's also important to note that a lot of what you've saved to your hard
> drive is not easily replaceable, if it's replaceable at all.
>
> ************************************************************
>
> The next step is for you to determine just exactly WHAT you need to back 
> up.
> Again, that depends on the type of backup you choose to follow.  If you
> choose to go with creating an image of the partition in question, then
> you're choosing to back up the entire partition, regardless of the
> individual file's importance.  All other methods will need a detailed plan
> to make sure you get everything you want into the backup.  With that in
> mind, here are suggestions of some of the things you'll want to back up.
> This is by no means a comprehensive, all inclusive, no need to look for
> yourself kind of list.  It's only meant as a starting point.
>
>
>    1.    Email. This includes not only the files that constitute your
> messages, but also your settings (email accounts, filters, signatures,
> stationery, address book, etc.)
>
>    2.    Multimedia.  Any images, sounds, themes, wallpaper, cursors,
> icons, fonts, movies, etc. that you've collected over the years.  This 
> stuff
> is too difficult to replace!
>
>    3.    My Documents.  You created everything in this master folder.  I
> can only imagine you'd want to back up the entire thing.  Of course, if
> there's stuff in there you really don't need anymore, trim the fat before
> you back it up.
>
>    4.    Documents and Settings folder (specifically the ones that are
> named after each username and the All Users subfolders).  This is a
> depository for most of what constitutes your identity on that computer.
> While some of it would easily be replaced with a reinstall of Windows, 
> none
> of the personalized stuff would remain.
>
>    5.    If you purchased your system from a major PC maker (Dell, 
> Gateway,
> Alienware, etc.) and they only gave you a Restore CD/DVD or set, look in 
> the
> C:\Windows\Options folder and subfolders and see if there are a bunch of 
> CAB
> files in there.  If there is, chances are pretty good that this folder
> contains the files you would need to reinstall Windows without all of the
> stuff the manufacturer added (which most folks would rather NOT have on
> their systems).  If they're there, go ahead and back them up, too.
>
>    6.    Favorites (saved bookmarks).
>
>    7.    All downloaded programs.  Most folks like to download trial
> versions of software they wish to try out on their systems before 
> purchasing
> them.  Some actually follow through and buy the full version or a license 
> to
> enable all of the full options and functions of the software.  These 
> should
> definately be backed up along with any registration info or keys the 
> company
> sent to you.  This is part of what will enable you to get your system back
> in case of emergency.
>
>    8.    QuickLaunch, Desktop, Send To, etc. folders.  If you store
> frequently used shortcuts (online &/or offline) or other important files 
> in
> any of these, you'll want to save them, too.
>
>    9.    Saved games.  If you play computer games, chances are you're in
> the middle of one and wouldn't appreciate having to start over.  Most 
> games
> save your place in the game in a folder inside the game's installed 
> folder.
> Look for a subfolder called 'Saved' and back them up if you're planning on
> reinstalling Windows and all of your software.  Once the game has been
> reinstalled, you can copy the Saved folder back to where it belongs and 
> you
> can usually pick up right where you left off the first time you play it.
>
>    10.    All privately owned Certificates, DRM licenses, etc..  This is
> very important if you belong to a music subscription downloading site such
> as Napster, ITunes, etc..
>
>    11.    Your contacts, chats, conversations, etc. from any instant
> messenger apps you use.  It's a real bear trying to reconstruct these 
> things
> if you don't have these.  There are programs designed to save this stuff 
> for
> some of them that make it much easier than doing it manually.
>
>    12.    Anything else that you consider important to preserve.  A lot of
> programs save stuff in their own folders and subfolders and you'll lose 
> them
> if you don't know where to find them.  I strongly suggest that you open up
> Windows Explorer and go through every folder looking for anything you 
> might
> wish to backup.
>
> ************************************************************
>
> Below, you'll find several methods of backing up that data so you can
> quickly restore it any time you see fit.
>
> Method 1.    Copy of all of your important stuff to another partition or
> hard drive (an external drive works great for this because it can be
> disconnected easily from the system and stored wherever you want).
>
> Method 2.    Burn the data to CD-R/RW/DVD or some other medium that will
> preserve the data while still allowing you quick & easy access to it.
>
> Method 3.    Create a single 'image' file of an entire partition
>
> Method 4.    Use a 'back up' program to collect and compress the data.
> Since everything ends up compressed, retrieving a single file or folder is
> much more involved if the need should ever arise.
>
> Method 5.    Upload the stuff you don't want to lose to an internet upload
> storage service.
>
> If you'd like more details about how to accomplish any of these methods or
> just have some questions about them, just ask.
>
> ************************************************************
>
> In the meantime, here are my recommendations for which method or methods
> should be used for the scenarios described earlier.
>
> Reason #1.    You're a bit nervous about all of the viruses, worms, 
> trojans,
> malicious scripts, etc. that permeate the internet and/or the inevitable
> eventual failing of your hard drive and simply want to safeguard against
> losing your important data to some catastrophic event beyond your control.
>
>My Suggestion:    As long as you know that Windows has not been comprimise
> by anything malicious, your first line of defense could be to first create
> an image of the entire C: drive.  If something should happen that hoses 
> your
> system, just restore the image and you'll be right back where you are 
> today
> (minus anything you change between now & then, of course).  If you're able
> to store them on a separate partition or hard drive, create a new one 
> about
> every 3-4 months and be sure to label them with the date they were created
> to minimize confusion.  If you don't have the room or there's only one
> partition on your system (and you don't want to partition that drive or 
> buy
> a second HD), you'll want to burn the image onto a CD-R/RW or DVD instead.
> If you choose this solution, be sure to label it with the date and then 
> keep
> it with all of your other important disks & info (manufacturer's driver
> disks, emergency startup floppy &/or CD, serial numbers for purchased
> software, etc.).
>
> Next, you should create a folder somewhere easy to find and call it
> something like Backup.  Inside this folder, create additional subfolders 
> as
> needed to duplicate the folder structure of the things you wish to back 
> up.
> If you have a bunch of pics in a folder residing at
> 'C:\Multimedia\Images\Family', create a folder called 'Multimedia' and 
> then
> open it.  Inside it, create another called 'Images'.  Go inside that one 
> and
> create one called 'Family'.  When you're finished, go into the original 
> one
> and select all of the files you want to keep.  Right click on one of them
> and select Copy from the context menu.  Now, go into the new Family folder
> and right click on a blank area.  Select Paste from the menu this time.
> Repeat this for everything you wish to save until you're confident you 
> have
> a copy of everything that matters to you (that won't be restored by
> reinstalling the programs, of course).  When you're finished, you'll have
> everything already in its proper folder structure so if you ever need to
> restore it, you'll know exactly where the file or files came from. 
> Finally,
> burn this entire folder structure to CD-R/RW/DVD for safekeeping.
>
> NOTE #1:    If you are able to create the new folder tree structure on a
> separate partition, you can save a lot of work by just dragging the files
> from the original folder into the new backup one.  Dragging a file from 
> one
> partition or drive to another will automatically Copy the file rather than
> Move it, which is what happens if both folders are on the same partition 
> or
> drive.
>
> NOTE #2:    My tutorial for organizing your hard drive will show you how 
> to
> make this part of backing up MUCH, MUCH easier.  I'll update and post it
> shortly.
>
> **********************************
>
> Reason #2.    You'd much rather keep your multimedia files (MP3s, images,
> theme collection, screensavers, etc.) on CDs or DVDs to free up hard drive
> space or to protect the files from others (or others from the files) who 
> use
> your PC.
>
> My Suggestion:    Get them as organized as possible and then burn them
> directly to CD-R/RW/DVD as data (as opposed to music, audio, slideshow,
> etc.).
>
> **********************************
>
> Reason #3.    You need to back up critical customer data for your business
> so you can store it offsite (somewhere other than your business' building)
> in case of fire, theft, flood, etc.
>
> My Suggestion:    Use a good backup program to create archives of 
> everything
> in your data store (these customer records should always be on a different
> partition or hard drive already).  Once the Full backup set has been
> created, instruct the software to do Incremental back ups.  This way, 
> future
> back ups will only include new files or ones that have changed since the
> last backup.
>
> If you don't like using backup software, you can always burn the entire 
> data
> structure to CD-R/RW/DVD disks instead.  This is the method I prefer.
>
> **********************************
>
> Reason #4.    Any other reason you can think of is a good reason for 
> backing
> up your data.
>
> My Suggestion:    Forget about reasons and just do it!  Nothing beats
> knowing that all of your important stuff is safely tucked away someplace
> where the baddies can't get to it.  It's good for your data and it'll 
> allow
> you to sleep well at night.
>
> **********************************
>
> You may have noticed that I didn't endorse the use of any internet storage
> options.  That's because I see them as being of little use unless we're 
> only
> talking about a couple of files.  Personally, I don't trust the idea of my
> files being on someone else's server.
>
> I know I didn't give much in the way of details here, just concepts.  If 
> you
> need help choosing, setting up or using one of these methods and their
> associated programs, give a yell and we'll open up a group discussion 
> about
> it.
>
> Peace,
> GMan
>
> "The only dumb questions are the ones that are never asked!"
>
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