Back Ups?

[Jayne]

Hi,

As you all know, not too good with computer stuff. When my new site is ready, do I have to back it up on a disk and if so, how do you back it up? I don't want to loose any info, i've never backed anything up before.

Thank You

Jayne

[TechFox]

If you use a good host they will backup your web site, but you may wish to keep a copy of your web site files on disk.

[Jayne]

But how do I get it on to a disk?

Jayne

[Rob Holmes]

Jayne - a good host will keep at least 1 backup for you (we back up nightly by default) and offer further levels of custom backups.

You or your web designer should always keep an up to date backup too.

Rob

[Jayne]

Thanks Rob,

I'd still would like to know how to back up files though, thinking of doing my accounts on the computer and will need to save those too.

Note, as a none techy, I would like to know, which buttons to click, press and open. Basic A B C Please. :D

Thanks

Jayne

[TWD-Tony]

The abillity to backup your website will be in your hosting control panel (the bit where you setup email addresses etc). It SHOULD be self-explanitory on how to use it - I can't really give you A B C instructions as there are quite a few different control panels (cPanel is the most popular but there is also Ensim, Plesk, directadmin plus a few more....).
Our servers run either cPanel or Ensim so if you have one of those 2 installed on your server then I can walk you through it :wink:

[Enigma121]

If it's just a HTML based website, why not just keep a copy of the files that you upload? Burn these off onto a CDR or DVD.

That way in the unlikely event of your host losing your files, you will be in a position to put them right back on again.

We apply a version control system to the sites that we design. That way, we can revert changes that we don't like and trace who applied which change. Again this provides a form of backup in the event of the main site being lost.

[Jayne]

Thanks Tony,

Some of that went into the grey matter :lol: I ment, how do I do back ups from files to keep a copy on a CD, nothing to do with the internet stuff, eg. My Microsoft Word files or excel files onto disk :D

Thanks

Jayne

[annethedonn]

Hi Jayne

If you right click on 'start', 'explore'. Highlight the files you wish to back up (you can select each folder and/or each file. To highlight more than one at a time hold down control or shift key). Then whilst highlighted, right click and 'send to' floppy/CD whichever you want to do.

Let me know if you get stuck.

[Jayne]

Thanks Anne, you're a star :D Going to practice now :D

Jayne

[annethedonn]

You're welcome Jayne! Just pop some shortbread in the post lol!!

[Jayne]

Hi Anne,

Just tried it, thought it was going to be hard, it wasn't and it worked. Brilliant, Thank You again :D

Jayne

[Rob Holmes]

Jayne - if you've got reall important stuff on your PC use something like Norton Ghost to do a nightly backup to a USB harddrive.

Rob

[Jayne]

Thanks Rob,

Never heard of that, but in the future if I need daily backups, i'll find out about it.

Thanks :D

Jayne

[TechFox]

I don't keep any files on my computer in case of theft

[Jayne]

They can have a look on my computer, nothing worth pinching, unless they want some pics of my dog :lol:

Jayne

[webit]

Web sites and database:

daily backup to second disk.
Weekly off site to seperate datacentre over private network.
Weekly SFTP backup to my second datacentre totally seperate from the hosting company for my own peace of mind (all data encrypted as well just in case)

Too many years in IT to take any risks.

[Asteeleleith]

hi Jayne
if you are using windows Xp pro or home editions you can use the backup facility on that.
This has the ability of allowing you to choose wha to backup and of course will perform the operation on a daily basis for you.
You can choose to backup the relevant files relevant files into any location of ur choosing.
Then i recommend using something like Nero express to back them up. Course if you do not have this then XP also has its own CD burning software built in. But i do not think it is compatible with DVD :-(

The media you choose to backup to depends on the size of your site, a CD ROM will take typically 700MB of date whereas a DVd will be able to hold up to 4.7GB of data. In laymans terms over four times the CD ROM capacity.
You can also choose to backup the files onto CD or DVD RWs this will allow the same media to be over written.
If the files are as i imagine really important (and of course they are they are your business) then why not invest in an external harddrive as well.
These will plug into your pc via usb and allow you to also make external backups.
In industry of course they use DAT tapes that can hold anything up to 40GB or more. This is likely too much for your needs however.
As personal choice i backup my files once a week onto DVD RW while the backup takes place every night.. I just leave my
pc on to do the job over night :-)

it is also good policy to test the backup, especially that from a CD or DVD media as i have often been disapointed to see they are faulty and am at a lost. Yes this has happened to me before

and as Webit said keep some of the backups off site. Its no use if you have a fire and lose the lot is it? :-)

If i have bamboozled you, and i probably have :-) by all means drop me an email for further clarification.

Good luck

Al

[Jayne]

hi Jayne
if you are using windows Xp pro or home editions you can use the backup facility on that.
This has the ability of allowing you to choose wha to backup and of course will perform the operation on a daily basis for you.
You can choose to backup the relevant files relevant files into any location of ur choosing.
Then i recommend using something like Nero express to back them up. Course if you do not have this then XP also has its own CD burning software built in. But i do not think it is compatible with DVD :-(

The media you choose to backup to depends on the size of your site, a CD ROM will take typically 700MB of date whereas a DVd will be able to hold up to 4.7GB of data. In laymans terms over four times the CD ROM capacity.
You can also choose to backup the files onto CD or DVD RWs this will allow the same media to be over written.
If the files are as i imagine really important (and of course they are they are your business) then why not invest in an external harddrive as well.
These will plug into your pc via usb and allow you to also make external backups.
In industry of course they use DAT tapes that can hold anything up to 40GB or more. This is likely too much for your needs however.
As personal choice i backup my files once a week onto DVD RW while the backup takes place every night.. I just leave my
pc on to do the job over night :-)

it is also good policy to test the backup, especially that from a CD or DVD media as i have often been disapointed to see they are faulty and am at a lost. Yes this has happened to me before

and as Webit said keep some of the backups off site. Its no use if you have a fire and lose the lot is it? :-)

If i have bamboozled you, and i probably have :-) by all means drop me an email for further clarification.

Good luck

Al


Thanks for that, didn't understand a word of it :lol: Anne has told me how to do it in Jayne language :lol:

Thanks anyway, when i've learned more I can use this for reference :D

Jayne

[Asteeleleith]

Strooth, i typed a lot lol

Well good luck with it Jayne, as i say its a strategy that works for me.

If you or anyone else have any queries on it drop me a pm :-)

Al

[Jayne]

PM's are ok..but the answers are best for everyone to see on the forum, there could be another 20 or more like me out their, who dare not ask....I don't care if I look stupid, so I ask, it's the only way to learn :D

Thanks

Jayne

[Asteeleleith]

Hi Jayne

that is a very thoughtful response, totally agree. :-)

Al