How to Evade Data Disaster

Now that I'm prepared, how do I actually go about creating my backup?

Most backup programs allow you to create jobs--sets of rules that define what should get backed up and how. The programs generally use a Windows Explorer-like interface to enable you to specify the folders and files to be copied.

>>TIP Define two jobs. The first should be a complete data backup that copies the files in essential data folders and overwrites everything already on the CD-RW you're using for the backup. The second job is an incremental data backup that's stored on the free space left on a CD and doesn't overwrite existing data.

You can't reliably back up a file if it's open in another program that may be writing data to it. >>TIP Close all apps that open or save data before backing up.

>>TIP Set aside three CD-RW discs for backups. The first time you use one, do a complete backup. Then, once a day, perform an incremental backup. Every couple of weeks--or when the first CD starts to get full--switch to another disc, starting once again with a complete backup on that day and incremental ones after that. After a couple of weeks with the third disc, go back to the first one. With this system, you'll always have a copy of your most recent work as well as copies of versions as much as six weeks old --just in case the PowerPoint slides you killed last week suddenly become vital again.