BACK IT UP.....PLEASE

[Sycamore67]

As a reminder to everyone, it is a New Year and a great time to back up your computer.  I just started my back up a few minutes ago.  This time I am just backing up all my files which includes all my scroll saw patterns and MANY other files and pictures.

Back up media has gotten cheaper.  You can buy a 126  Gb flash drive for under $20 on Amazon.  You can get a 5 TB  external hard drive for less than $100. 

No matter how you do a backup, the beginning of the year is a good time.

I back up my computers every 3 months and alternate external hard drives.  I know people who do it much more often or others never do it. I always feel bad when someone on this forum say their computer crashed and they lost all their files.

As a note, there are companies which can retrieve data from a bad hard drive but not cheap.  My daughter used one of them to get back all her kids pictures.  

[kmmcrafts]

Thank you for the reminder.. I back-up each pattern I use for products I sell on my site.. They are separate from the normal folder for patterns I'd like to cut as opposed to patterns I have cut and items for sale.. I also lost a hard drive about 7 years ago that had probably around 20,000+ patterns on it.. 

Just to take it a step further... I also keep two flash drives outside of my home and shop with the patterns on them as well... just in case something happen to the house... I have a back-up copy in the shop as well as the old barn.. Many of the designs I have if lost.. I'd never find the original designer again.. as many are paid custom designs I had a designer make for me... that designer ( DonR) is no longer around to get the files back from.. 

[JimErn]

For what it is worth.

Every computer should have at least 2 hard drives (not a partition actual separate hard drives), one is the C:\ drive and the other (E:\ usually, D:\ is almost always the CD drive) should be where you keep your data, graphics, etc.  C:\ is for the system and installed programs only.

Default directories, my documents etc, can be redirected to the E:\ drive easily, google how.  Actually I never use the folder my documents, think it through msft has told every hacker in the world where you store your data. 

If you are paying for your own web site, your domain, then you should have FTP access.  Create a directory (and sub directories) on the web site, and use that to upload your data files as back up.  I use filezilla for ftp, it is free and works great.

If you do not have your own site, then make use of the cloud for data storage, google drive, msft one drive, etc.

The only good thing, IMO, about the cloud is for data storage, I would never use the cloud for cloud based computing.

Periodically make a rescue disk for the C:\ drive, that way you can restore the system to its present state when you put in a new C:\ drive after the old one dies.

Edited January 11, 2020 by JimErn

[oldhudson]

Great reminder, unfortunately I'm not sure how to do it. I have a older windows computer and an external storage device. I'm sure no one wants to teach a class on this, however if some knowledgeable person wants to outline the process, I'd be very grateful.

[Sycamore67]

I often will just back up my files from the Documents and Pictures files.  In this case, I just copy and the paste them in an external drive or flash drive.  

[Scrappile]

My MAC backs up every thing every hour.   I have an external drive it goes to.  Coarse I have no clue how to retrieve anything if I need to, but it is there.

[teachnlearn]

There are quite a few software programs that create automatic backups on a schedule. Install, spend time clicking what you want backed up and to where. Tell it how often and it sends backups automatically. RJF

[JimErn]

13 hours ago, teachnlearn said:

There are quite a few software programs that create automatic backups on a schedule. Install, spend time clicking what you want backed up and to where. Tell it how often and it sends backups automatically. RJF

There is a distinct difference in a back up program, and what I do just copying the files to the cloud.  Backup software is great IMO for the system drive, makes it easy to restore the drive, but for data files back up software can be a pain to extract and restore specific files since back up software uses its own algorithm to make the condensed file.  And the other downside of back up software is that you have to have that program to do any kind of restore/replace.

[teachnlearn]

8 hours ago, JimErn said:

There is a distinct difference in a back up program, and what I do just copying the files to the cloud.  Backup software is great IMO for the system drive, makes it easy to restore the drive, but for data files back up software can be a pain to extract and restore specific files since back up software uses its own algorithm to make the condensed file.  And the other downside of back up software is that you have to have that program to do any kind of restore/replace.

I'm not sure what your thinking of, I used a backup program that backed up my emails from Thunderbird and it did use its own storage format and had to use it to restore email. I've also used software that did schedule backups for critical files. The software let me browse any folders, files and allowed system backup, but its purpose was just scheduled moving of any selected files from one point to another. Depending on the complexity of the software, either home or commercial, it could compress and even then the compression was selectable using popular compression formats.

When I got my MS degree, I had to type massive papers and create a large thesis, along with a lot of work creating typed math formula pages. After losing some on a file error I bought Norton Backup that would back up the system, but constantly backed up my daily work. I was using windows 98, so software has changed, but I think if I looked I would buy similar software for windows 10.

There are many articles that recommend backing up files to clouds, usb, external hard drives, disks. and recommend using backup software. After a day on the computer, few people have the energy or time to constantly backup their work. A software package that does it on a schedule is insurance that all files are backed up constantly. Even back then Nortons backup recognized files that had be modified or not and only backed up the modified or new files to reduce duplication and computer transfer time. I remember Norton even had the option of backing up files in added number increments so there was a history was created allowing the user to go back before work was modified or deleted. When I get my desktop setup with a tablet I'm going to look for software packages to backup the scrollsaw patterns, I already have and the ones in creation. With this thread I may search for the software. RJF

Edited January 13, 2020 by teachnlearn

[JimErn]

You just made my point, if you have the program that created the backup, some will let you cherry pick a file, but not all

You can schedule a batch file to run when desired in windows, my batch file copies the working directories to google drive directory, and google drive in turn automatically uploads to the cloud.  batch files work in win10 as well as all previous versions

 

edit:  and in terms of grandfather, father, son backups, that is a hold over from the IBM360 days of tape.  three generations were kept partly as you say for audit purposes to show changes, but mainly because magnetic data tape degrades.  Today with long term memory being overwritten randomly, as opposed to serially on tape in days gone by, that too has resulted in current copy being all that is needed.

 

YMMV

Edited January 13, 2020 by JimErn

[teachnlearn]

I did a quick search at Amazon and found some very old backup software. Since the creation of the cloud, there is a explosion of online software and online backup. There is too much identity theft ad hacking, so I keep everything on external drives and USB. I did a quick search under 'open source software', which programmers create and ask for donations. One site gives a list of backup software, from backup up windows to backing up files. Some times they slip in 'free', which is a trial version, then paid. I didn't go through and look at all. https://www.lifewire.com/free-backup-software-tools-2617964

While searching, it occurred to me, I use to sync files with a program and looked up one that is open source. The program has tutorials. Syncing is comparing files and deciding to move, update one or both locations. Program is really good on large files and you have no idea if each has the same files. It will compare and adjust all the files according to the click selections. Can also do 'batch' updating on a timed basis, which it has a tutorial.

https://freefilesync.org/

[teachnlearn]

29 minutes ago, JimErn said:

You just made my point, if you have the program that created the backup, some will let you cherry pick a file, but not all

You can schedule a batch file to run when desired in windows, my batch file copies the working directories to google drive directory, and google drive in turn automatically uploads to the cloud.  batch files work in win10 as well as all previous versions

 

edit:  and in terms of grandfather, father, son backups, that is a hold over from the IBM360 days of tape.  three generations were kept partly as you say for audit purposes to show changes, but mainly because magnetic data tape degrades.  Today with long term memory being overwritten randomly, as opposed to serially on tape in days gone by, that too has resulted in current copy being all that is needed.

 

YMMV

You and I would have quite a conversation over coffee. My first computer classes were punching computer cards and carrying boxes over to the computer lab to batch feed. Then check all night for the program to run, print out, repunch cards and rerun again.

Incremental copies are used in accounting software and in industries. There is accounting software that encrypts the backups for audit, in case someone is taking money and trying to delete the transaction. When I did electronic design on CAD, we had incremental copies, which saved us many many times. One engineer gets on and modifies anothers, work and the circuit fails, we just backed up by increment. Rare, but it saved us tremendous time. We frequently used it for industries asking us to change their requirements and change and change and go back. The incremental copies saved us. Decided to use hydraulics and needed a controller, decided to go with electric motor, decided the motor wouldn't work as well, go back to the hydraulics, I kept a paper log of what I did on what day and what increment saved.

I think the backup software works for many of the folks that just want the computer to keep important duplicates, like bought patterns. There are probably a handful of people here, that can write a batch file. Most ignore the initial setup and don't make a recover disk and have no idea what to do with a system file. The backup software gives people the opportunity to select folders, files and have them monitored and transferred when changed or put on new. A half hour, hour of selecting files, folders, even shorter probably and the software will backup everything every day, week, month.

If you love the cloud and can afford it, there are plenty of services out there to take care of backing up. If there are some like me, that don't want to buy Gigs, or TBs of space monthly and wonder if the service is going to be hacked, then there are plenty of bought backup memory that can be owned and run at home. The backup software can move business files, bank files, home inventory files, bought pattern files from one computer or a home network to a secure at home backup. * Added a post with some software available to those that want to use it*.

Edited January 13, 2020 by teachnlearn

[teachnlearn]

By the way. If your looking for software and can't afford it. Search for 'open source software' and add what your looking for. If you put 'FREE' you will get a mix of open source and trial software that will be crippled with a day limit, than pay. Open source software is created by programmers that believe software shouldn't be a monopoly like Windows. They design the software and put it online as is. They usually ask for a donation. RJF

[teachnlearn]

51 minutes ago, JimErn said:

You just made my point, if you have the program that created the backup, some will let you cherry pick a file, but not all

You can schedule a batch file to run when desired in windows, my batch file copies the working directories to google drive directory, and google drive in turn automatically uploads to the cloud.  batch files work in win10 as well as all previous versions

 

edit:  and in terms of grandfather, father, son backups, that is a hold over from the IBM360 days of tape.  three generations were kept partly as you say for audit purposes to show changes, but mainly because magnetic data tape degrades.  Today with long term memory being overwritten randomly, as opposed to serially on tape in days gone by, that too has resulted in current copy being all that is needed.

 

YMMV

Your example fits well and I wouldn't want to use punch cards, or tape backup.

Back in the day can mean simpler solution. I started in electronics with vacuum tubes, then learned transistors, then IC's and on to programmable boards. Some of the 'newer' engineers solution was always a programmable board and code. I'll simplify it, but a guy would get a programmable board and start coding to flash a led at a timed rate. Some of us old guys would put a couple of transistors and components together and be done while the new guy spent time coding. Problem was solved with old electronics.

I see this with cleaning products. A lot of it is getting people sick and people are going back to basics cause its nontoxic. You can use a high fume toxic cleaner to get minerals off of a bathtub, or put cloth or paper towels on the tub and soak them with vinegar. Over night and the mineral are dissolved. Using vinegar to clean goes back to the 'old days'. I think some of the guys on this board, like me come from there too. RJF

[JimErn]

 I used to do the patch board wiring for the EAM card machines, that rats nest got interesting.  Then I moved up to the RPG language, and from there was just plain fun.  

I drew, masked, and etched my first circuit board in the late 70's, went to double sided circuit boards, but at some point I just could not keep the layout in my brain.  Built my first computer on a breadboard using a 4004 chip and mini DIP switches for input, a nixie tube for output.  Took an ungodly time to enter the program in binary, and get the result on the tube, really just a simple calculator.  Then I moved up to the 8086, 80286, etc etc. Learned a few programming languages too, as well as dbase programming.

I taught basic electronics too, up through digital, and on to RF microwave generation (klystron & Magnetron based),  and the hetrodyning circuits to pull doppler return data, as well as trouble shooting those systems.  I remember messing with a tech, the system was using a 64 bit computer (long before 32 bit computers were common, R&D was always ahead of the times) using punched paper tape to load the program or diagnostic program, I punched in few extra holes, man you should have seen the panel lights start ping ponging

I think I still have some 10" & 5" hard sectored disks in box somewhere, it was so nice when they went to soft sectored disks, then the 3.5 disc, then .....

[Scrappile]

EAM machines and wiring boards, IBM cards.  Brings back memories.  We have come a long ways, cell phones have more power than the big mainframe computers, that took up rooms, that I use to operate...

[teachnlearn]

Our high school had a 'computer', can't think of the name. It was hooked to a teletype that used the paper strips and used basic. To turn it on, there was pages on a manual to manually flip addresses on the computer box, step by step. When the 'computer' was turned off or lost power, the whole keying process had to be done again. We were given 2 hours after school to use it. One hour to key in the addresses for an hour of basic programing. When I started, mainframe computers sat on false floors with a nest of wires. The entire room had to be air conditioned to keep the computer from burning up.

In college the students had to use punch cards and some privileged professors got a terminal. When a professor entered a project every student program was kicked to the bottom of the list until the professors program was done.Spent long semesters walking to the computer lab in the middle of the night to see if my assignment had run yet. Many times, it finally was run minutes before class. Had to run to turn it in.

I started with electronics as a hobby and etched circuit boards. Over the years I continued college courses between mechanics, electronics, computer science and studying hydrophilic to specialize in automation. I always had a test bench and have been amazed, meeting electrical engineers that could barely identify a physical component, less troubleshoot the circuit.  They have great knowledge of the physics and math, but had no hands on. So much for this thread.