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Creating a Backup Plan (Yawn!) � by Walt Graham

This month�s presentation is about how to create a computer backup plan. Yes, it�s a subject that makes people�s eyes glaze over but, as with other easy-to-postpone tasks such as making a will, you�ll feel better once it�s done.

There are plenty of reasons for not creating a backup plan, the first being an innate sense of faith that nothing will ever go wrong with your computer. That�s the argument as, �I�m healthy, I don�t need a will � at least not for awhile.� Then there�s the complexity and cost of a backup plan, the fear that the plan won�t be perfect, and simple inertia � too many other things to do that take priority. Fair enough. While it takes a little effort, and no single plan is perfect you can, in less than an hour, set up a pretty good free or low-cost backup solution that will protect your irreplaceable files from a catastrophic computer failure.

The main solution we�ll look at in this presentation is Mozy, an online (or �cloud,� if you will) backup service that uses a method known as �mirroring.� In a nutshell, it stores a set of files and folders that are identical to those on your hard drive. Once installed and configured, Mozy runs in the background. Every time you create or change a file, Mozy automatically sends a copy to your designated storage space on its server. When you change a file, Mozy saves not only the new file but also the older version. All versions of the file remain available for 30 days. When you delete a file from your computer�s hard drive, it is removed from your Mozy �mirror� but the older versions are still available for 30 days. You can get 2GB of storage space free � that�s enough for many computer users. Unlimited backup space costs $60 a year.

Here�s a side benefit: if you are away from home and suddenly need to access a file that�s on your home computer, you can log in to Mozy with any Web browser and grab it from your backup. While Mozy is designed as a backup service and not intended for online storage, it�s great in a pinch because all your files are automatically backed up and available.

This presentation, however, will not be a commercial for Mozy! It happens to be one of the several backup methods I currently use and I�m pleased with it, but a Google search will turn up plenty of blogs from disgruntled users, so we�ll discuss the pros and cons. Comments about your experiences with Mozy or other backup strategies will of course be welcome.

After the formal meeting we�ll move adjourn to Post Corner Pizza in Darien for refreshments.

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