MANAGEMENTBacking Up and Recovering From a PC Crash
Your IT and practice processes are not complete without a system to automatically and routinely back up your practice data and computer files. The purpose of backing up is to assure the continuity of your practice’s operations should there be a natural disaster, hard drive crash or other equipment failure. The benefit of backing up is peace of mind. Getting Started
Backing up data is a very important process for any business owner. Loss of client files and years of accumulated resources can certainly mean the death of any business. Stats range from 73% to 90% of small business who experience a crash or loss of critical information are out of business within one year. Don't think it can happen to you? Think again! First – computers and electronic devices are just machines and machines have a limited life span. You can meet or exceed the manufacturer’s best before date by being very careful in what you download and install on the machine; by doing regular maintenance to clear out the electronic flotsam and jetsam which invariably gets installed as you surf the web; and by making sure that you are physically caring for the machine. You also have to be vigilant to guard against harmful files and code which can electronically wreak havoc with your computer. However, no matter how well you care for a machine – it still will not last forever. When your computer crashes, you not only have to recreate your "working" files, you also need to reinstall the software and programs you need to open and manipulate those files. This means you need to have all the software and the corresponding licenses for every program you use handy. If you take nothing away from this article, please put all your disks and downloads in one spot – and write the license codes right on the disks. What To Back Up
Since many people store client and business files, documents, and other important media on their hard drive, you'll need to back up any folders which contain these materials. In my world, that would be the "My Documents" folder where I create subfolders for each project. Along with day to day working files, you also need to have a back up of your financial or accounting software data file. Finally, you'll also need a copy of emails and your contact management file - where you store name and contact information. How Often Should You Back Up?
Only you can determine the point at which you are willing to lose or have to recreate work product. For those just starting out, every week is probably sufficient. In many instances, the software can be set to back up on an automatic schedule – such as every night at 2am, allowing you to establish a process. By setting it up automatically and daily, you can rest easy that your work product is safe and secure outside of your computer. There are two options to backing up - on site to a CD, DVD, flash drive or other external storage device or off site to a server owned by the company you contract with to store your files. Since you never know why your PC will fail - could be a crash, could be a natural disaster, such as a fire – you want to have all your bases covered. In case of fire, your back up storage devices will more than likely be rendered useless. Remember, even DVD/CDs in a fireproof safe can melt. The best possible back up plan utilizes both a physical on site copy along with an off site copy of that same data. On Site
Almost all computers come with preinstalled software for backing up your data. Use it! You can back up to different types of media which store different amounts of information. CDs generally hold up to 640 MBs of information, while DVDs hold much more: 4.7 Gigs. USB flash drives of varying size are another option as is my preferred media: my external hard drive (which holds 100 Gigs). Do keep in mind that most removable media require some space for boot and start up utility files, so you should try not to fill in its entirety with your data. Do not leave the external drive attached all the time - any virus or malicious code which installs itself on the computer, might also gain access to the back up drive. There are additional issues to consider regarding storage devices. What if it is lost or stolen? Is the information contained sensitive - email addresses, social security numbers, any personally identifiable information? If so, protect yourself by either encrypting those files which are sensitive, or password protecting the entire storage device. Off Site
There are numerous off site back up storage companies on the web. Do a search for "off site back up" and you'll get 100's if not 1,000's of entries. When it comes to your valuable files, you should not just pick the cheapest - you want to make sure that the service is reliable and the company reputable. The two main players for off site back up are Mozy and Carbonite. They are easy to set up and not expensive (about $5 per month). Once you set up an account, the first back up takes days. However, this initial back up is done in the background so you can work on the computer while it is backing up. Thereafter, the service runs in the back ground, updating and saving any changed files. Do not forego your on site back ups because you’ve signed up for an off site service. The off site service should be considered the last line of defense. Your on site back up is what you will use after a crash to repopulate your files and data. After the inconvenience of a crash and then locating and reinstalling all the software, the last thing you want to hear is that it will take days to get all your data files from the off site server to your computer. However, that is exactly how the off site back up business works. As long as it took to do the first back up is about as long as it will take to do a restore. Therefore, it is much better for you to restore from an on site copy. When all is spelled out, backing up is not a difficult, "techy" or even a time consuming process at all. You just need to start and periodically test to make sure the processes you put in place are working. Certainly, you do not want to be on the other side -- staring at the blue screen of death -- when the realization hits that you should have done something. Backing up isn't like other processes … when the time comes that you need it, if you haven’t taken care of it, it’s too late! Don’t lose your client files and years of accumulated resources because you didn’t take the time to back them up. Don’t bury your head in the sand. A computer crash is going to happen – how quickly you can recover and get back to work after the crash will be directly determined by how well you have prepared for it. Get your software and licenses in one spot and back up your data files today.  Andrea Cannavina is founder of a virtual legal assistant practice, LegalTypist, Inc. Along with helping attorneys and administrators understand their options when it comes to upgrading to a digital workflow, Andrea frequently lectures on technology, security and confidentiality concerns in the digital age and working remotely. She can be reached at andrea@legaltypist.com. | 
