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BACKUPS
Nearly all experienced computer users know that "How recent is my backup" feeling when their computer fails to respond as expected, but new users and many who should know better are often complacent.
The importance of frequent backups cannot be over emphasised.
The data held on computer by many businesses is vital to their survival. Generally speaking computer hardware and software can be replaced, but lost data is a significant cause of business failure.
It is important to keep backup files at a different location to the computer. A fire or theft could deprive you of your computers and the backup data unless you remove the backup media on a regular basis.
Always keep at least a Grandfather, Father, Son series of backups, so that there is backup media outside the computer at all times. We have known computers to fail while writing to the only backup media!
It is best to create a backup policy. We use a tape for each day of the week, and another for the end of each month of the year. Important files which are only occasionally used can be deleted in error in well managed firms, and having "old" tapes means they can be recovered.
It is important to recover files occasionally. It is not use going through a regular procedure to perform a backup unless you are confident you can successfully recover the data.
If your computer backup device becomes faulty, how will you recover the data? It can be helpful to identify another user of the same equipment, or to know if you can still buy compatible equipment.
EMERGENCY DISKS
Have you created an emergency disk for each computer that you own? You should, and if you are reading this it is probably not too late. From Start, click Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk. Check that the disk includes your CDROM drivers (typically OAKCDROM.SYS).
SAFE MODE
If your computer fails to start normally, you can press the (Windows 98) Ctrl key or the (Windows 95) F8 key. Once in safe mode you may be able to delete or reinstall the software which is causing a problem.
If you need to access the BIOS setup screen, you may need a password. You can find information about BIOS password protection at http://www.ElfQrin.com/docs/biospw.html
REGISTRY
Windows 98 automatically creates a backup of its registry every time it starts. To restore an earlier Windows 98 registry, hold down the Ctrl key as Windows starts and choose "Command Prompt Only". At the C:\> prompt type "scanreg". You will be presented with a list of backups to choose, the select Restore.
Y2K (computer speak for YEAR 2000)
The millennium bug was not the problem that it might have been, mainly because larger organisations took effective action in advance of 1 January 2000, but please be aware that even recent software can misinterpret dates, for example in calculating repayments on 35 year mortgages.
MANUAL METHODS
If, despite your very best efforts, you are unable to access your computer data for some time, how will your business be affected?
See also Contingency Plans, Crisis Management, Risk Assessment
Reminder - disclaimer applies. Please feedback your comments. This page was last modified 18 May 2002.