Smart Home Lifestyle
July 15, 2006
When it comes to keeping your computer safe -
what's the backup plan?
You’ve got you’re jump drive, your disc drive and your
flash drive, but whatever happened to your backup drive? Data
loss is all to common these days, especially when the “faith factor” overrules
the “precaution factor.” When it comes to protecting your
system, it’s all about your backup plan.
“You want to alleviate a singe point of failure,” said
Jerry Seltzer, Owner, JSA- Jerry Seltzer & Associates. “If
your hard drive dies, it’s history since you’re only keeping
your data in one place.”
Save and resave
It’s best to backup data to at least one other medium besides
your hard drive. One option is by CD or DVD. Just about
every new computer system comes with a CD burner these days. This
is probably the simplest way to copy your files or folders to disc. And
for simplicity’s sake, copy your entire “my documents” directory
to save on back and forth clicking.
Another option is a jump drive or flash drive. These portable
devices offer “plug and play” storage in a tiny package
small enough to fit in your pocket. Some even hold up to 2 GB
of data. Jump drives range in price from as low as $25 to $100
and up. Jump drives easily plug into your computer’s USB
port and have a connector cover to keep data safe while transporting.
Block it, Baby
Power fluctuations are perhaps the biggest threat to your computer,
whether from power surges or power strikes. Lightening strikes
increase the voltage so high they can fry your hard drive, while brown
outs result in low voltage that’s not enough to sustain the unit. So,
what’s the solution? Surge protection- the ultimate barrier
between electrical outlets and your electronics.
“Everywhere I go, I see PC’s plugged directly into the wall,
or into a $2 surge protector,” said Seltzer. “And
then the power blips one time and they’ve lost everything. If
the client would have spent the
$500 initially to protect their equipment, they could have saved the
$6000 they needed to spend to replace now damaged equipment.”
Which is which?
There are a few things to look for
when you’re ready to buy a surge protector. First check
out the UL (Underwriter Laboratory) ratings. Units are rated
by an independent agency to ensure they pass set standards. Response
time, or how quickly the unit kicks off, is key. Look for a surge
protector that responds in less than one nanosecond (1000th of a second). Next,
check out the energy absorption, which means how much of a hit the
unit will take, measured in Joules. Remember, a direct lightening
bolt hit can transfer 10 billion Joules. Since you’re looking
for interior protection, purchase a unit that absorbs 1,100 Joules
minimum. Finally, look for a unit that has an indicator light. Surge
protectors diminish in quality
over time and through usage, as with brownouts.
So, how do I prevent a brownout?
You can’t, since brownouts are dependent on the entire power
grid and occur when there's too much demand on the energy supply. Brownouts,
as apposed to blackouts, result only in a partial reduction in the amount
of electrical power available to customers. For instance, if 10
houses on the block all turned on their air conditioning at once, there'd
be a huge change in electrical flow, which could lead to a brownout. Brownouts
can create inconveniences such as having to reprogram the time on your
television, or can have far greater consequences like with damaged computer
hard drives.
Author: Diana Kostigen, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Comtec
