Wherein the Grouse surveys his life and finds some serious problems with committing one's data
Posted 10.09.2008 at 2:06 pm
7 Comments
So, what happens when my laptop runs away from home and I need to restore my data onto a new machine? Am I supposed to wait by my computer for the better part of a month while my files come dripping back in? Mozy is able mail you your data on DVDs, unfortunately the price of impatience is $29.95 + 50 cents per GB. For me, that would amount to $80 on top of the five I already pay each month, which kind of feels like being kicked while I’m down.
Then, of course, there’s the issue of whether or not my data is ultimately safer on Mozy’s watch. Is it in a fire- and flood-proof facility? Is the server my data resides on flanked by armed guards and vicious attack dogs? Does Mozy claim any ownership over my data once it’s on the company’s servers? And, what happens to my sensitive personal data if Mozy becomes another victim of this end-of-days economic pickle we’re currently in? Having been around during the OG dot-com bust, I can’t say I have a lot of faith in what happens to company computers and servers once said company fires its employees. At the time of this writing, Mozy had not yet responded to these questions.
The Decision
Ultimately, I found the weaknesses of one backup option to be nicely complimented by the strengths of the other. A local backup is fast and easily accessible, but subject to the dangers of the environment it is in. A remote backup is painfully slow, but at a safer distance from harm’s way. I’m going to stick with Mozy for now, and just think of it as a kind of insurance policy should the unthinkable ever happen to my USB hard drive.
How do you back up – remote, local or both? Got a hard drive stowed away in a safety deposit box? Share your tips! And, seriously, if anyone has a fix for my Time Machine problem, I’m begging for your help.
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I really like your column, Tom.
But if you are worried about loosing your music collection in case your house is destroyed, you need to reconsider your priorities.
Easy solution though, throw your external HD into a waterproof/fire resistant safe, along with important documents and emergency cash stash. That way your data will be secure from burglars and most natural disasters... except maybe a supermassive black hole. A safe like that is about $60, or a year subscription of online storage, but comes with the safety of keeping your info away from a hackable internet company.
Sounds Like a new DIY project:
The Indestructable USB Backup Safe
Sentry, the safe and fire security company has combined with Seagate/Maxtor to market a fire-proof, water proof external hard drive. Starting at about $200, you get a 80 Gb drive in a box that is nothing less than a safe. It is tested to survive 1550F temps for half an hour and complete submersion in water. Short of a tornato displacing your drive, it will pretty much cover most of the threats covered in this article. I have been a technician for 17 years now, Maxtor is not my first choice for a manufacturer, but since they have teamed up (bought by) Seagate, they are getting better. Anyone interested should look at Sentrysafe.com under the data solutions.
Great article! I have to say I've used the Time Machine method many times and works amazing! I once had to upgrade an old HD from my old Powerbook and using Time Machine I was able to restore all my settings to the new HD. So if your still wondering Tom it works great for full restores and transferring old data to a new HD.
Great article, I too have the same problem with a LaCie 250gb hard drive which say's that the data is not available? Time Machine was set to backup every hour then it provided this message. The hard drive contains 1000's of music tracks and photo's...
Any idea's folks?
Hey Tom, I don't have a Mac but if it's any help for those who use windows I use 2 internal hard drives connected by USB & back each of them up once a week using Casper. It copies the whole disc with Windows. First initial backup can take awhile depending on how fast a proccessor you have. After first backup each one thereafter takes maybe a tenth of the time as the first. After each is backed up I remove them from use.If my internal hard drive fails I remove it and replace it with one of the backed up drives. I believe if it's not continuously on it may last longer.So those 2 drives are strictly connected for backup. After, if you have real important data and want to protect it from fire Hurricanes etc. put the drive in a waterproof safe & when all are sleeping find a secret place to bury it 2 feet underground.
I use time machine. It's extremely easy to set up, and it's included on every mac for free. I wirelessly back up my laptop and my main computer to the same hard drive. It's easy as pie, every hour on the hour. It also works with mail, so i can take a glimpse at what my mailbox looked like two months ago if need be.