Good Boot Backup Nag - Part 2.

My Rule of thumb is: Your Backup regimen should never be so intrusive it encourages procrastination.

Although I’ll discuss disc imaging in a future backup nag, as far as I’m concerned all a novice or even a bit beyond a novice really needs to be concerned about is backing up their ‘Irreplaceable Stuff’ on a timely bases.

So.... if you’re willing to reinstall your Windows system and all your programs should you experience a Windows Blue Screen of Death and tend to be shall we say, a wee bit lazy - do I have a backup solution for you!

Carbonite! A secure set it and forget it automatic backup via the Internet of all your ‘Irreplaceable Stuff”.

Carbonite Home costs $59 a year per computer for ‘unlimited’ storage of all the irreplaceable files on your computer’s internal hard drive. Your files are encrypted before they leave your computer and then sent to one of Carbonite’s data centers using the same security technology used in online banking and e-commerce transactions. And they’ll remain encrypted on their servers ready 24\7 to be downloaded individually or entirely to any computer of your choice.

When you’re ready to download a file or all your files Carbonite provides an automated Restore Manager feature that walks you through the process. The files will be placed back exactly where they were copied from or where you want them copied back to. And should the restore be interrupted for any reason, when you’re ready the Restore Manager will continue the restore where it left off.

Once Carbonite begins its backup a Carbonite Backup Drive will be added to your Windows Explorer. It will contain two Folders. One contains a Windows Explorer type view of all your backed up files and the other a Windows Explorer view of all the files pending backup.

To download files to an alternative computer all you have to do is access your Carbonite account online and initiate the download from there.

Carbonite has two additional valuable feature. It keeps old versions of all your files for up to three months and if for whatever reason there has been no recent backup received by Carbonite, you’ll be alerted.

The initial backup of your files will take a bit of time, but once completed the ongoing continuos backup of new and changed files takes no time at all.

Hope you’ll take advantage of my Super Nag Backup seminar August 11th at 6 p.m. at LMH Auditorium, Cleveland Ave.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.