15 Top Backup Tips 

9th in a series of 10 Tips

1. Never just remove a Memory Stick/Backup Device without first shutting it down

2. Is your data critical for example End of Year? If it is and you are making CD/DVD’s Use CDR or DVDR Discs

3. Do you use Memory Sticks? If you do “NEVER” ever use them as your primary source of data.

4. Is what you are saving important to you? If “YES” never cut and paste to a backup device/memory stick always copy and paste.

5. The biggest cause of CD/DVD failure is dust on the reader lens or finger marks on the CD/DVD.

6. Buy yourself a CD/DVD cleaning disc and use on a regular basis.

7. It is very easy to Drag and Drop in Windows, so easy in fact that you can lose pictures/music files etc without realizing.

8. SD Drives, known as Secure Digital, are the most common Memory used in Digital Cameras and when inserted into a card reader and then the PC they are recognized as a Hard Drive.

9. iPods, iPhones, Windows Phones, etc these are all recognized by your PC as a Hard Drive.

10. External hard drives Laptop (2.5”) or Normal (3.5”). Again these are just large Memory Sticks

11. You could use a Network Attached Storage Device (NAS) for your backups

12. Use an external backup company

13. If using Tape backup clean tape head regularly and check data regularly. (Most prone to failure)

14. Use a combination of the above for peace of mind.

15. Never assume that your backup are always ok.  Carry out random checks on your backups