Non Profit Computer Backups
Backups. Yuck. A topic usually raised by auditors and computer consultants. Yep everyone should have them. But why doesn’t everyone? Because they are not trivial to create. And they take effort to remember to run.
What’s interesting about computer backups is that before computers, when everyone was keeping manual records on paper records, no one talked about them. Probably because they really weren’t possible with paper records.
But with computers, computers make mistakes – or so we are told. People using computers make mistakes. Computer equipment fails – e.g. hard disk crash and everything on the disk is lost.
Well computer backups really aren’t that hard to do. Yes they can take some effort but if set up properly they can take minimal effort. And, won’t you sleep better at night knowing the important information about your agency and clients is backed up and safe from loss??
Back Up Only Key Items – Not Your Entire Computer
The key to backups is to regularly backup key files – not the entire computer. Yes, it is good to backup the entire computer every once and a while. If using the right computer software and backup, you can restore your computer to exactly how it was when you made the full backup. But much of the information on you computer doesn’t change very often. And much of what changes is system stuff that is not critical.
Step By Step
Step 1
The first step is to identify the key data that should be backed up. Start by making a list.
Database
MS Word or other word processor files
Correspondence
Key documents such as reports, grant requests,
First just list them, without concern as to exactly where they are located on you PC.
Keep the list next to your PC and add to it over the next month.
Step 2
Hopefully after a month you have a pretty complete list of files that need to be backed up. Now you need to find where on your computer these data files are stored.
You may want to use Windows Explorer to look for them (right click on “Start” and select “Explore”)
If the files were created using software like MS Word, open a document in the software and click on “File” “Save As”.
If you click the down arrow in the upper left box, you should be able to see the Windows file path to the area where the file would be stored.
Write down the full file location of each type of file. Only the directory name is needed, not each file instance.
You may need help of someone in your office that is knowledgeable about computers.
Step 3
Brute force backup. This first step will give you a backup. It will also convince you that you need an easier method.
To use this step you need a CD writable or rewritable drive (or a DVD writable or rewritable drive). If you don’t have one, but your PC has a CD read only drive, that can be replaced with a CD writable drive for about $50.
The CD writable drives come with software to allow you to create, or “burn” a CD.
Follow the instructions that come with the CD software, select each of the files you need to backup which are on your list and “burn” your CD. If the software gives you the option to “verify” the CD, select it. (Some software has this as an Option so look for it).
Once the CD is created, it is accessible just as you would any CD. Go to windows explorer (right click on “start” and select “explore”. Navigate to your CD drive, usually “D”. Double click on one of the files you just copied. If an Access database, the database will open automatically. Similar for MS Word documents. What you want to do is to ensure that it was actually written on the CD.
Now remove the CD and label it with a sharpie felt tip marking pen.
Take it home! That way if the place burns down, your data is safe – at least the data at the time you made your backup.
Step 4a
If the above is not too bothersome, then just continue doing so every day. You can rotate two CDs so the latest one is always at home. Bring the older one at home back to the office to use the next day. Once a CD is full, retire it to an archive location – at home – and substitute a new, blank CD.
Step 4b
An alternative is to take a look at your CD burning software to see if it has a way of recording the definition of files you want to record. Note that for things such as MS word documents, you would need to specify the directory, not individual files, to ensure you backup new files as well.
You usually have the option of creating such a definition immediately after you have created a backup. If you do, create the definition, naming it something meaningful.
Then next time you want to do a backup, open the CD burning software, select the “Project definition” and it will automatically recreate the files and directories to be backed up. Then just run it.
Isn’t this a lot easier?
Step 4c
Need still easier? For this you probably need help of a computer geek. He/she can look at your backup software to see if this is possible. The idea is to create an icon on your desktop you can click that will automatically run the CD burn software, using the “Project definition” you created above. He/she might even be able to setup an automatic backup so you won’t have to remember.
If this works, you should have no excuse for not running backups daily and storing them offsite.
Step 5
What if you only got step 4a or possibly 4b to work but it still isn’t easy enough for daily use??
In this case you probably need new backup software. I recommend you try 2BrightSparks. Why? It’s FREE. And it received good marks in a computer magazine review.
You can download it from here:
Click on the products button. Then, at the upper right, click on "Freeware". Follow the prompts to download and install the software. Install “SyncBack Freeware” NOT “SyncBack SE” which is a commercial product you must pay for.
If you are comfortable with installing computer software, install it and follow the directions to setup an automatically reoccurring backup. If not, you may want to get help of a computer geek.
Key advantages of this software:
Other Backup Options
There are other options that can be used for backups.
Option A – Use a “memory dongle” that fits into a USB port
These use “memory dongles” or “memory sticks”. They plug into your USB port and then are used just like a disk drive (usually “E” or a higher letter, depending on your PC configuration).
The downside is that you must manually copy files to them or have a computer geek setup a “BAT” file to automatically do the copy. You would only need to click on an icon on your desktop and insert the dongle.
Another downside is that it is difficult to keep more than one version of the data. Such is often useful if you have a problem and your latest backup also has the problem.
Option B – Copy files across your LAN to another PC in your office
This is better than no backup. It will help if you have a hard disk crash on your PC. But it won’t help you in event of a fire or natural disaster.
Option C – Create backups on your own PC
A computer geek can setup a “BAT” file, you run by double clicking, than can copy your data to another portion of your hard disk. I like to use an approach that adds a date/time stamp to key files like databases, so that you have multiple versions in your backup.
This approach, used in conjunction with option 1, would allow you to save multiple different versions of your database.
Miscellaneous
Blank CDs – Watch the Sunday ads for good prices on blank CDs – at CompUSA, office supply and similar stores. Typically you can get deals on packs of 50 or even 100 blank CDs.
You only need the CDs – you don’t need the plastic cases – if you are careful with the CDs.
You don’t need rewritable CDs. I find that write once CDs are so cheap it is easy to archive them when full. And they are cheaper.
Someone is going to work on your PC – Next time, before a computer geek or anyone else makes changes to or “works on” your PC, run your backups - first!
Questions?
If you are a nonprofit and have questions about any of the above, you can contact the author at
Bobalston9 at yahoo DOT com