Nowadays there really is no excuse for not having at least some of your data backed up on some form of removable or external media. Backing up is not something that is only done by the network administrator at your office every afternoon, it is something you should (read: MUST) all partake in at home as well.

            Right, let me start by saying I have been in the PC industry for 8 years (not bad when you’re only 25) and I have dealt with a lot of faulty parts being returned for warranty. And it never ceases to amaze me when someone brings a faulty hard drive in, and asks “Are you able to get my data off there? It’s REALLY important!” As though their very life depended on it.

Although it depends on the fault the drive has, my answer is unfortunately almost always “No, you’ll have to restore it from your backup” which is always responded to with “I don’t have a backup” - *sigh* There are data recovery services available in the market, but they are extremely expensive, and cannot guarantee results.

Nowadays there really is no excuse for not having at least some of your data backed up on some form of removable or external media. Backing up is not something that is only done by the network administrator at your office every afternoon, it is something you should (read: MUST) all partake in at home as well.

In this article I’ll take you through a basic rundown of the different types of backup devices available as well as the pros and cons of each to help you make the best choice for your situation.

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