In
Linda said:
Is it necessary to backup my documents and files before
downloading
and installing SP2?
No, it's not strictly necessary. But installing any Service Pack
is a big step, and when you take a big step, no matter how
unlikely, it's always possible for something to go wrong
For that reason it's prudent to be sure you have a backup of
anything you can't afford to lose before beginning.
I'm even sure of what I should back up if I knew
how to do it. How can I get help with this problem?
I infer from the above that you don't presently backup your data
on a regular basis. If that's right, you're playing with fire.
You should be backing up regularly, not just now when you are
about install SP2. It is always possible that a hard drive crash,
user error, nearby lightning strike, virus attack, even theft of
the computer, can cause the loss of everything on your drive. As
has often been said, it's not a matter of whether you will have
such a problem, but when.
Essentially you should back up what you can't afford to
lose--what you can't readily recreate. What that is depends on
how you use your computer and what you use it for.
It takes time and effort to backup, but it also takes time and
effort to recreate lost data. If you back up daily, you should
never have to recreate more than one day's worth of last data. If
weekly, there's potentially a lot more to recreate. You should
assess how much pain and trouble you would have if you lost x
days of data, and then choose a backup frequency that doesn't
involve more pain and trouble than that you would have if you had
to recreate what was lost.
At one extreme is the professional user who would likely go out
of business if his data was lost. He probably needs to back up at
least daily. At the other extreme is the kid who doesn't use his
game except to play games. He probably needs no backup at all,
since worst case he can easily reinstall his games.
Most of us fall somewhere between those extremes, but nobody can
tell you where you fall; you need to determine that for yourself.
Should you back up Windows? Should you back up your applications?
Most people will tell you no, since you can always reinstall
these easily from the original media. But I don't think the
answer is so clear-cut. Many people have substantial time and
effort invested in customizing Windows and configuring their apps
to work the way they want to. Putting all of that back the way it
was can be a difficult, time-consuming effort. Whether you should
backup up Windows and apps depends, once again, on you.
How to backup? What software to use? There are many choices,
including the Windows-supplied backup program. Which choice is
best for you depends at least in part on the answers to some of
the questions above.
Finally what backup media should you choose, and how should it be
stored? There are many choices, including CDs, tape, zip drives,
and second hard drives.
I don't recommend backup to a second non-removable hard drive
because it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss of the
original and backup to many of the most common dangers: severe
power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even
theft of the computer.
In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and not
kept in the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for
example, if the life of your business depends on your data) you
should have multiple generations of backup, and at least one of
those generations should be stored off-site.
My computer isn't used for business, but my personal backup
scheme uses two identical removable hard drives, which fit into a
sleeve installed in the computer. I alternate between the two,
and use Drive Image to make a complete copy of the primary drive.
I understand I should download and install the latest updates
provided but I'm chicken as I've heard so many horror stories
from
people who have updated.
Yes, there's always some risk when you install an upgrade. But
prepare for it properly, and the risk is very small. Read
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45. If you've heard those
horror stories here in the newsgroups, note that whenever a new
version of *anything* comes out, you always hear "horror
stories." But realize two things:
1. This where people come with their problems, not with their
successes. You get a very distorted view of what's going on in
the real world here; as someone once said, "hang around a
transmission shop and you will think that all cars have
transmission problems."
2. Most problems, by far, that people report here--whether or not
they are SP2-related--have nothing to do with defects in the
software. They result from people's ignorance, from bad or
inadequate hardware, from old drivers, from viruses, from
spyware, and so on. And except for very rare situations, they
always get a fix for their problems, and in most cases, that fix
is a very simple one to implement.
