>In the case below where you make a copy of your hard drive and store it
>somewhere else, this will protect you against hardware failure, but it's
>going to help if the files are already corrupted.  Having two copies of
>a corrupted file is just a useful as have 10 copies. ;-]

I think this is the crucial question. I have a double-sided method of back-up. I
run on Windows XP and all documents created are placed in the My Documents
folder. If older applications do not place their documents there by default, I
change them so that they do. I use McAfee QuickBackup to automatically back up
all files in this folder (and its sub-folders) every morning at 4 am. (Even I am
usually asleep by then - trying to keep my melatonin levels high!)

However, I have found from past experience that this is not enough. If you back
up files created and have a hardware failure (e.g., your hard disk carks it), a
lot of time goes into re-installing applications and then getting the updates
for those applications. From past experience, this can lead to about a week's
downtime, maybe more. This is very incapacitating.

Therefore, I also duplicate my entire hard disk to a second hard disk using
"Drive Image". Actually, I don't use the image option, but a simple copy, and
then "hide" the duplicate hard disk. If the first hard disk goes down, I simply
"unhide" the second, swap it to the right position on the HDD cable and I am up
and running in about half an hour. I duplicate the main HDD about once a week.

The problem, of course, is that corruption may already have been duplicated
through either method.

- Greg


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