EVERYONE should do it regularly. But few do. Until it is too late. Then, in a heartbeat, years of work and memories are lost forever.

That's right. Back up your data.

Data recovery services are available. But these take time and, at a few hundred bucks per attempt, do not come cheap. Also, there is no guarantee that what is recovered may not be merely gigabytes of useless stuff while crucial files are not retrievable.

Backup will be particularly important if your PC is ancient and ailing. Also, if defragmentation is a foreign word to you.

Firstly, which hardware should you park your archives on?

If your files are mostly text, spreadsheets and databases, a DVD is the cheapest solution at 4.7GB per disc. Get a small spindle of rewritable DVDs. You can recycle them when you get to the bottom of the pile.

A thumb drive would be faster and handier. An 8GB thumb drive costs less than a hundred dollars.

The best hardware in my book would be an external hard disk. They cost more but when you store all your life's photographs and videos on your PC, you will need the capacity.

Get a 2.5 inch model. A 120GB model costs less than $100. The bigger 3.5inch ones would cost less per gigabyte but they are clunkier.

Also, no matter how sleek or sexy the design, don't forget that these drives need a power supply, which is usually a large and heavy black lump.

A 2.5 inch drive is small enough to slip into your briefcase. The USB connection supplies all the power it needs.
Next, organisation. An easy way would be to save all your files in sub-folders in the My Documents folder. This way, all your files are contained in a single location.

If you need files or folders to be quickly accessible, you can easily pull them as short-cuts onto your PC desktop.
Also, back up your e-mail database. It is hidden in a nest of folders. For example, for Outlook Express, click Tools >Options >Maintenance >Store Folder >Store Location to find out where the data is stored.

Next, check your software. In Windows XP, under All Programs >Accessories >System Tools, you will find the Backup program. By default, it will back up your My Documents folder, Favourites, cookies and your desktop.

The Backup utility archives to a single file that you use to restore your data from. You cannot view the files inside.
I find SyncToy a better alternative. It a freeware gem. Get it from the Microsoft Download Centre.

SyncToy creates an exact copy of your folder and files and then allows you to update changes later. So instead of a single monolithic file, all your files are there in their familiar locations.

If your files are already tucked into the My Documents folder, then you will just need to create a Folder Pair to Echo, which forces changes made on your PC to your backup device. If you also work on your backup files, use the Synchronize option instead and the two sets will be synchronised.

Maintain at least two copies of data in two physically different locations. Say, one at home and one in the office. In case a break-in or disaster happens at one place, you can breathe easy knowing that the data at the other location is safe.

By Tan Chong Yaw

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on 3 June 2008.