LESSON 10 DATA AND HARDWARE PROTECTION

Backup a duplicate copy of a file that you use if the original file is
lost, damaged, or destroyed
Restore to copy the file to its original location on your computer
Before you back up files, you need to make two major decisions:
The type of backup to create.
Which backup method to use. (Depending in which backup method
you choose, you might also need to determine where to create and
store the backup, and how often to back up)
TYPES OF BACKUP
Full System Backup an exact duplication of the hard drive,
including data files, system files and settings, application files, and
the operating system
Differential Backup contains copies of the files that have changed
since the last full system backup
Incremental Backup contains copies of the files that have changed
since the last full system backup or the last incremental backup
Selective Backup selecting the folders and files you want to back
up
You can perform incremental backups to keep a selective backup
current.
Creating a full system backup and updating it with incremental
backups means you need the full system backup and all the
incremental backups to restore a computer.
To restore the computer, you would need the most recent full
system backup and only six incremental backups.
For Windows computers, the terms system recovery disk, system
repair disk and system image are often confused.
System Recovery Disk to restore the computer to its factory
settings (the state I was in when you purchased it)
System Image produces a similar result, except that you can
use it to restore the computer to the state it was in when you
created the system image
System Repair Disk used to load the essential files Windows
needs to start when the computer doesnt start
Advantages and Disadvantages of Backup Types
Backup Type
Advantages
Disadvantages
Full System
Creates a complete
Can take a long time
backup you can use
to back up a
to restore a
complete system
computer
Each backup requires
a lost of storage
space

Differential

Incremental

Selective

Can restore a
computer with a full
system backup and
the latest differential
backup
Requires less storage
space than multiple
full system backups
Takes less time than
a differential backup
Requires less storage
space than full
system and
differential backups
Can back up and
restore files and
folders quickly
Backs up only data
files, not software,
which you can
reinstall

Takes longer than an

incremental backup
Requires more
storage space than
an incremental
backup
Requires multiple
steps to restore a
computer; you first
must restore the full
system backup and
then restore each
incremental backup
in order
Depending on the
data selected for
backup, you might
not be able to restore
a full system

BACKUP METHODS
Backup Software a set of system utilities for creating and updating
backups and for restoring files from a backup
Operating systems, third-party software developers, and
manufacturers of backup media such as external hard drives provide
backup software.
Backup software compresses all the files selected for a backup into
a single large file. Along with the compressed files, backup software
stores an index of file details, including their original locations, to
restore the files when necessary.
Windows 8 provides the following backup and restore software:
File History makes incremental backups of files that have been
changed in specified folders
File History does not create full system backups.
System Image Backup creates full system backup
Recovery restores files from a system image backup
Mac OS X computers have File History and Time Machine that makes
incremental backups of files that have changed on a Mac, and keeps
copies of each saved version of a file.
Unlike File History, Time Machines does create full system backups.
Popular Third Party Backup Software

Operating System
Windows

Backup Software
Acronis True Image
Backup Maker
Cobian Backup

Mac OS X

Genie Backup
Manager
Carbon Copy Cloner

SuperDuper
iOS

CopyTrans

Android

Carbon
Super Backup

Notes
Creates all types of
backups
Freeware; designed
for the average home
user
Freeware; designed
for experienced
computer users
Creates all types of
backups
Similar to Time
Machine, but lets you
start the computer
from a backup
Free version does not
create incremental
backups
Shareware; backs up
to a PC
Free version backs up
to an SD card or a PC
Backs up all of your
data, including
contacts and call logs

Locations for Back-Up:

External Hard Drive. Because of its portability, capacity and
ease of use, an external hard drive is where most experienced
computer users create backups. Small external hard drives
have a few hundred gigabytes of storage capacity, making
them suitable for selective backups, while larger external hard
drives with at least 1 TB of storage space are ideal for
maintaining full system backups.
USB Flash Drive. If your creating a selective backup of a
limited amount of data, you can use a USB flash drive, which
is inexpensive and convenient for backing up documents and
other personal files. However, a single USB flash drive does
not have enough capacity to store a full system backup and its
updates.
Optical Disc. You can use recordable CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray
discs as backup media. The disadvantage of optical discs is
that they are slow to save and access data, so backing up and
restoring large files from optical discs takes longer than using
an external hard drive.
Network Folder. If your computer is on a network, you can
create backups to a network folder. You need to have
permission to save files in the folder and set sharing options
so that unauthorized users cannot access the backup.

Local Backup storing the medium close to the computer

Creating and storing a backup on a network folder is also
considered a local backup if you are using a local area network,
which is a network that links computers within a building or group of
adjacent building.
Options allowed by Backup Software:
Backup Type You can choose whether to perform a full system,
differential, or incremental backup. If you want to create a selective
backup, you can select the folders and files to store in a new backup
file.
Encryption Encryption is a security method that encodes data so
that only authorized people can access it. Some backup software
can encrypt the files in a backup, and then decrypt, or reverse the
encryption when it restores the files.
Media Spanning If the backup file grows very large, this feature
allows you to use more than one drive to store the backup file. The
backup software keeps track of the files stored on each drive and
requests the correct drive when you restore selected folders.
Verification After backing up the files, backup software compares
every file in the backup location to the corresponding file on your
hard drive to make sure it did not skip a file.
Online Backup aka remote backup; creating a backup on a server
To use an online backup service, you typically pay a fee to the
service provider. The subscription fee varies depending on how
often you want the service to create backups, how long you want to
retain them, and how much storage space you want to reserve.
The service let you set the same types of options you can set with
backup software installed on your computer.
To access the backup file, you must enter the correct username and
password.
Most online backup service provides validate the backups
periodically, which means they check the backup files to make sure
you can recover the data they contain.
Popular Online Backup Service Providers
Online Backup
Service
Backblaze

Web Address

Notes

www.backblaze.com

Carbonite

www,carbonite.com

Backs up files on
external drives as
well as those on a
hard drive
In incremental
backups, updates
only modified pars of
files to save time

CrashPlan

www,crashplan.com

Mozy

www.mozy.com

SpiderOak

www.spideroak.com

Lets you create local

and online backups
Backs up open files
as well as closed
ones
Provides cloud
storage and
synchronizing as well
as backup services

Synchronize synching the files stored in the cloud with the version
of those files stored on your computers hard drive by comparing
files on the two drives, and then updating files as necessary so the
drives contain the same versions of the files
Although synchronizing is a convenient way to keep copies of files in
various locations up to date, it is not the same as backing up files,
and is not recommended as an altrnativve to creating backups.
Online Backup Service automatically backs up data to
compressed and encrypted backup files on a secure server and
provides tools for restoring the data to your computer (Carbonite
and Mozy)
Cloud Storage Service provides a certain amount of space on
a secure server where you can keep files (SkyDrive and Google
Drive)
Backup Plan follows a regular schedule for creating different types
of backups The ideal plan uses more than one backup method to
take advantage of their benefits.
Redundancy creating more than one copy of a backup, so that at
least one backup survives a destructive event
BACKUP 3-2-1 RULE:
3 Backups Maintain two full system backups, one labeled Backup A
and the other labeled Backup B. Each week, create an incremental
or differential backup, the first week using Backup A and the next
week using Backup B. The third backup to create is a selective
backup of important files you modify, either at the end of the day or
more frequently.
2 Types of Media In case a drive or port fails, create the full system
backups on two types of media, such as an external hard drive and
DVDs or a cloud folder.
1 Off-Site Backup Store one of the full system backups off-site and
store the other in a safe place in your home or office. When you
create an incremental or differential backup each week, swap the
on-site copy with the off-site copy.
Disaster Recovery Plan a set of written guidelines that specifies
how to restore a computer in case a disaster such as hurricane or

flood, a technical problem, such as a computr failure, or a

catastrophe created by a person, such as a virus or theft
It should indicate how to return to normal operations, such as
where to acquire replacement computers, where backup files are
stored, and how to restore them.
Protection Againts Environmental Damage
Temperature Computer components work best in a temperature
range of 68 to 75 degress (F). If the temperature in a room exceeds
85 degrees, internal computer components can overheat, which can
make a computer unstable.
Humidity High humidity can damage internal computer
components. Extreme dryness can also cause problems, especially
those related to static electricity. A static charge to an open system
unit can zap an entire motherboard. Take precautions to keep the
humidity between 30 and 50 percent.
Water and Other Liquids - If water vapor penetrates a system unit, it
can collect and eventually cause short circuits, which could destroy
electronic components.
Physical Damage Current mobile computer are designed to
withstand shock from moderate drops and bumps. But a desktop
computer has less shock-absorbing materials. The most likely
component to be affected by physical jarring is the hard drive, and
recovering a hard drive is time consuming even if you have a full
system backup.
Power Fluctuations To protect against fluctuations in power, you
can plug a computer into a surge protector when the computer is
running on power from a wall outlet.
Surge Suppressor traps short, fast bursts of power before it
can harm a computer
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) contains a battery that
provides power if the normal current is interrupted
Computer Tracking Software:
Alarm An Alarm feature repeatedly plays an urgent sound to help
you locate a device or to alert others that an unauthorized person
has your device.
Data Removal Besides locking the device, this feature lets you
erase your data remotely. This option is the most useful if you have
backed up your data first.
Unauthorized User Notification If your computer includes a
camera, this feature lets you set the camera to take a photo of
anyone who enters an incorrect password three times. You can also
have the computer send you an e-mail message displaying the
photo and location of the unauthorized user.
Battery Control After using GPS to find a lost mobile device, you
can use the battery control feature to turn off GPS to conserve
battery power.