Backup solutions and setup.

It's not a question of if, but a question of when you will lose your data. Trust me, IT WILL HAPPEN. It's happened to me, and it's happened to my customers. Here's my advice:-

Backup your data away from your computer to an external hard disk, and also off-site if there is a risk of fire or theft. If you have family photos and videos, then you never EVER want to lose them right? I say external hard disk, because at the present time, this is the safest way to store your data. Hard disks have a life expectancy (when in constant use) of 3 to 7 years (it's on the spec). After that, you are on borrowed time. If you backup your data to an external hard disk, it's not in constant use and is unlikeley to fail. Contrary to what you may think, CD's and DVD's are not the safest method (see http://www.manifest-tech.com/media_dvd/dvd_compatibility.htm). They are prone to failure through time and also exposure to the sun. USB sticks often fail too.

I can visit you and set everything up for you, and also provide advise and assistance in using the software.

Backup Devices

There are a number of backup devices available on the market. My personal recomendation is the Netgears range of ReadyNas devices (type ReadyNas into google). Why they are good is due to the fact that you can install dual hard disks (RAID) in them so that if one disk fails, then the other continues to keep you data safe. You can even upgrade the hard disks one at a time simply be removing one of the existing disks and inserting another. No hassle. Brilliant!

Online Backup

There are some very good and very cheap backup services available. For a monthly fee of around £5 (search the net as some are really expensive) and up, your data can be automatically backed up while you are away from your computer. The data gets encrypted before it leaves your PC, so it's pretty safe while off-site.

Price

The price is fixed at £100 (£150 within M25) per visit.