After my recent computer crash, I put some serious thought into how I wanted to handle future backups.
This is not the first time I’ve found myself in this situation - in true panic mode over major data loss, and without a current data backup on hand.
When I sit and think about what I stand to lose, it’s a lot. Every file and program I use to manage my online business, my accounting for the year, all of my contacts and emails, several years worth of photos - pictures of my family even!, products and downloads I’ve invested thousands of dollars in, my own products I have tons of time invested in… The list goes on and on.
I would be absolutely heartbroken over a true data loss, not to mention left scrambling for months trying to recover and get things back up and running 
There is no good excuse for not having current data backups. That said, its the rare person that actually has them 100% of the time. And of those people, an even smaller percentage that has a foolproof backup system.
I didnt. And according to the comments left after my recent computer crash, most of you dont either. Seriously - when’s the last time you did a thorough backup of your computer. And just how safe is that backup?
Dont feel bad. You’re not alone. Everyone else who is reading this is in the same boat. We know we should. We say we will. We plan to do it. But when it boils down it, you’ll procrastinate until its too late, because you wont realize the importance of it until you’re staring at a blank screen or a fried hard drive.
Its one of the most sickening feelings you will ever experience.
When this happened to me (again!) recently, I decided to finally do something about it. To find a real solution.
I know me - putting it on the calendar isnt going to work. Taking the time to create CD’s isnt going to work. For starters, I’ll never get around to it. And honestly, every backup solution I can think of has its pitfalls.
What good are CDs if the house burns down? Even if you ran a cron job every night to transfer files to an external hard drive, you’d have to store it off-site or in a fireproof safe. And let’s be honest - who’s going to go to all that trouble?
Besides, that stuff can get expensive.
I looked around, did my research, and decided to test one of those online backup services. Mozy (Mozy Unlimited Backup - $4.95/Month) was recommended to me by two of my forum members, as a very affordable and reliable solution - so I signed up.
Before you knock the idea, check out Mozy’s ideas for alternative backup solutions…
Alternative Backup Solutions…
- Burn a new CD or DVD every Sunday night and store it at your brother-in-law’s office.
- Pay $200/year for an online backup service that uses old, mediocre software.
- Buy a $200 external hard drive and hope your office doesn’t burn down.
- Do nothing and don’t worry about backup. (We suggest closing your eyes, plugging your ears and repeating “I’m in my happy place, I’m in my happy place.”)
- Run a cron job of rsync, gzip and mcrypt piped over ssh to your friend’s server over his DSL line.
Seriously, for less than $5/month you never have to worry about it again!
I was skeptical, I admit. But I read over the website and decided to give it a shot. Its certainly well worth the price - I cant compete with $4.95/month for a true and reliable backup solution.
They also offer a free online backup service for up to 2 Gigs. I looked at both options, and decided I’d just go ahead and sign up for the unlimited package ($4.95/mo). I know full well that I have more than 2 gigs of data, and the price is incredibly reasonable. That said, if you dont need a lot of backup space or just want to backup photos or other personal data, check out their free offer:
2GB Totally Free Online Backup! Compliments of Mozy
So here’s what happened when I signed up: I walked through the signup process in a matter of minutes and was installing the Mozy software. I had no idea how complicated it was going to be, or what to expect, and in the back of my mind I was noting which programs or which folders I would want to tell it to back up for me.
It turned out to be much easier than I thought. In fact, I was incredibly impressed. Once Mozy was installed, it walked me through a few quick screens and I was done. Mozy actually scanned my hard drive and made a list of all of the program files and folders I should back up, so I didnt even have to do that!
Within minutes - literally, less than 10 - the backup was running in the background and I was completely free from all future backup responsibility. Wow. WOW… 
Who knew that 5 minutes and 5 dollars could buy such a HUGE sense of relief. I dont know about you, but my data is invaluable - and that was a seriously small investment to have ongoing protection and backup security.
I got lucky with my last “crash” and was able to restore my data. It took me days, and I’m still not completely done - and I wont even tell you the panic and stress I went through in the midst of it all.
Others are not so lucky. You never know when that fatal crash might happen to you. What do you stand to lose if your computer crashes, catches fire, or completely locks up… while you are sitting here reading this blog post and debating whether its worth 5 bucks, or even just 5 minutes of your time to sign up for the free 2 Gigs?
Think about it. But dont think too long. Decide whether you want to sign up for a free account for 2 gigs of data backup space, or whether you want unlimited data storage. Those are the only 2 real options. Pick one and go for it - and never worry about your data again.
Pick One:
Best,
P.S. Yes, they are Mac-compatible too 
Tags: data backup, remote backup, free backup software, backup softare, online backup, online backup service, computer crash, blue screen, data loss, data recovery
34 responses so far ↓
Rick Wilson // Nov 6, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Hi Lynn!
Yep. Like I had mentioned over at the forum, I’ve been using Mozy for a bit over a year now and it’s worked fine for me.
I tried a couple of online backup services before that and I wasn’t impressed. Mozy is alot easier to setup and use for ALOT less money.
I still use two external backup drives (they’re really reasonably priced these days) that I rotate each one out weekly. That one goes offsite into safety deposit box. heh heh
NICE not to have to rely on CDs anymore except for quick copies of something.
Glad ya got it under control now!
Rick Wilson
Lynn Terry // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Thanks again for the recommendation, Rick - Mozy rocks!
I’m curious why you still use the 2 external hard drives in addition to Mozy - is that just for “peace of mind” or another reason?
Angela Wills // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I love Mozy. Have been using it for about 4 or 5 months now and it’s great. Before I started using it I bought an external hard drive for backups but really I barely ever remembered to back things up even though I have it here.
Another thing I’ve been meaning to do is back up my websites! This is something people absolutely should be doing too and I keep thinking I have to do it now. I’m planning to use another automatic backup service called CP Site Saver, recommended by Lynette Chandler. It logs into your control panel on a regular basis and backs your site up.
For me, the only way is automated with this kind of stuff.
Rick Wilson // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Lynn,
Nothing is foolproof but you might say it’s partly “peace of mind” also!
The only files I don’t back up online (to Mozy) are files that contains “sensitive” info. Personal data, passwords etc. Most other files there’s no problem uploading them.
I also do daytrading during the week mornings and have stuff that I would rather have personal control over the backups.
But … I’m REALLY not paranoid! LOLOL
Rick Wilson aka CorpRebel
Lynn Terry // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:35 pm
That makes perfect sense
Thanks for taking the time to share that, as I was curious. And thanks again for the recommendation - I am SO relieved!
Internet Marketing Blog // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:45 pm
This sounds great Lynn.
Do you know if Mozy can be used to backup my remotely hosted servers too? Or is it just for home PCs?
Lynn Terry // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I’m not sure… The solution Angela mentioned sounds good for that though.
Rick Wilson // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:53 pm
IMB,
Mozy has a business version called MozyPro for office backups.
Full info at their site.
Rick Wilson
Aurelius Tjin // Nov 6, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Yah, I must agree with you Lynn. You must be extra careful at times and keep a back up, you’ll never know what will happen!
Good move Lynn.
Jenny // Nov 7, 2007 at 1:59 am
Hi Lynn,
I have been reading about the online backup industry for a while now. Online backup is maturing and slowly getting the attention of the general consumer. One website worth mentioning is the backup review site:
http://www.BackupReview.info
This very informative site, not only posts up to date news and articles from the industry, but also lists about 400 online backup companies and ranks the top 25 on a monthly basis and features a CEO Spotlight page, where senior management people from the industry are interviewed.
Lynn Terry // Nov 7, 2007 at 7:48 am
Thank you, Jenny - I look forward to checking it out!
Duncan Stott // Nov 7, 2007 at 9:55 am
Hi Lynn,
Relieved to see that you got your backup sorted out.
Mozy sounds like a great Idea!
During the early days, I too suffered several HD crashes.
Those were the days of dos/win 3.1/win 95 and un-reliable floopy disks.
We were then forced to up grade our pcs to include backup tape drives.
These days, I simple use an external HD for my internet connected
PC & WiFi connected Notebook.
I back up new & updated data between both units plus transfer total
data to my office pc at a different location just to be extra safe.
Data loss can be a terrible disaster….as the old saying goes….its not a question of “IF” but a question “WHEN”.
Have a nice day all.
Duncan.
Charlie // Nov 7, 2007 at 10:16 am
Thats a good find Lynne. Following your last post, I ordered a 160GB back up drive (should be arriving tomorrow!), so I guess I will see how dedicated I am at backing up to it.
I have also got 2 others for collegues and the plan is to swap drives weekly, so we each have a ful set of data off site, that is never more than a week old.
Still have to remember to do the backups though!
Lynn Terry // Nov 7, 2007 at 10:44 am
Good luck with that, Charlie - I’m very happy not to have to worry with it, and to have a fresh backup off-site every night.
Duncan - I remember those days well
I was a Unix Sys Admin back in the mid 90’s, and my first home pc had Win 3.1, 9600 baud modem, 4 megs of ram LOL…
Duncan Stott // Nov 7, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Hi Lynn,
Reading your last post got me remembering the early days of
IBM & ms dos once again.
Those early days were full of trials & tribulations.
All you had to do was download
some new software to your PC & all hell broke loose.
I can tell you a lot of patience was the order of the day back then…the
newbies today with MS XP haven’t a clue. LOL
It wasn’t all bad news though as I have a story I’ll love to share.
Back in those early years, I remember receiving an amazing PC related catalogue.
It was slim but nevertheless full coloured and carried a ton of amazing stuff.
Do you know…….I still find myself making purchases from them.
They have an beautiful website, plus they literally over deliver on products specifications & pics.
Perhaps you are all familiar with them, but if not go, take a quick look at:
http://www.tigerdirect.com
I guess my hidden story inside this story is simply that we
all need to take note and act on delivering great value to our customers,
just like I found tigerdirect has done year after year.
Duncan.
Lynn Terry // Nov 7, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Ahh yes, I am very familiar with them and on their mailing list (still!) myself
Carrie // Nov 7, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I’m also a Mozy lover. I love how hands off it all is.
Chris Jacobson // Nov 7, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I may have to look into this service. Up until now I’ve always uploaded backups to my web server which is located elsewhere.
Chris B // Nov 7, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Man, I like this post. You made me feel much better about my latest programmer venture. I devloped not just 10 days ago, a script custom 100% written that will do this exact function with local and ip-ip and subnet access to file share or upload contents from one ftp to another or email files to whomever and how often as you choose.
All this running by itself, set it and forget it.
I read this post and must say it made me smile, I might get into doing something like this for public use, can’t beat their price thoe for JUST Space not including the script to runs it all.
The spacing is fine, but when you have dedicated servers all over the place, and tons of local and remote emails, I can have backups all I want.
Not to self promote, here at all. Just mentioning this post opened my eyes to bigger things.
what do you think, should I do public!
Chris B // Nov 7, 2007 at 9:44 pm
A note to my reply, I didn’t read into their service in more detail, my backup solutions works from the web or server to server only.
This solution is a software in which you download and it runs set with the computer time clocks to schedule harddrive backups.
But I do have a killer solution for server backups, or personal ftp or site backups, even sql or databases’.
Thanks, in advance!
Lynn Terry // Nov 7, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I’d say theres definitely a market for it
There are similar services out there, but I dont know how many people are actually using them - or educated about why they should.
Chris B // Nov 7, 2007 at 10:33 pm
I believe my best bet would be develop this into something server to server, or example: a cpanel plugin of some sort (other contorl panels also), so hosts or personal dedicated servers acting as hosts, can offer their clients automative backups.
Most custom built server, do this on the backend, for the client most of the time and you can set crons as a hosting client to making daily or whenever backups of your entier directory or certain files or folders.
I will see what I can come up with, hmmm. Interesting. might be my next project.
John Yeng // Nov 7, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Thanks for the great recommendation, Lynn. Previously I already knew the importance of using back up resources for my online business, but the sheer cost of setting up one was just something I couldn’t afford at the moment. But since you’ve recommended Mozy & they offer backups at such a super-low price, I’ll definitely check them out….thanks !
P.S. (Oh….and btw Lynn, I previously sent you a private message at the forum on a particular biz matter, but I haven’t received any reply yet….hope to hear from you soon with regards to that matter, thanks ! )
John
Makingyouricher.com-internet marketing training // Nov 8, 2007 at 5:28 am
Hi, yes you are right most of us, especially ME are guilty of not backing up our files.
And I’d paid severely for this slip. Thanks for this one. I will bookmark it right away
Lynn Terry // Nov 8, 2007 at 6:56 am
Thanks, John - I’m on it!
Chris - keep us posted. Sounds interesting
Herman // Nov 8, 2007 at 10:03 am
Hi Lynn,
I use carbonite (no 1 on BackupReview.info) for automatic online backups at $50/year for unlimited space.
Works great.
Tuppy Glossop // Nov 8, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Lynn, you’ve mentioned that you’re slowly moving many of your sites over to Wordpress.
Given that, you might find this plugin helpful:
http://www.ilfilosofo.com/blog/wp-db-backup/
I use it for several of my blogs. It allows you to schedule backups, and/or to do them manually. Additionally you can choose to download the backup, have it save to the server, or have it sent to an email address.
I simply created a new Gmail account solely for this purpose, and each day a backup of my site is emailed there automatically.
I also use Mozy, and agree with you that it’s a great service. The initial upload took a while, but since then it’s been almost invisible, and very effective.
Thanks for the great blog.
Lynn Terry // Nov 8, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Excellent - thank you for the link!
Duane // Nov 9, 2007 at 6:44 am
Thanky thanky thanky!
Lynn. I’ve been concerned about not having my computer backed up for some time now and have been considering an external hard drive. My concerns with that were as you stated, where to keep it primarily.
This is a great relief to me and at a great price. It’s doing the initial back-up as I write this (5 days?) and I guess it will be for awhile.
What a relief. Now I can spend the next free money I get on more RAM.
Thanks again.
Duane
Lynn Terry // Nov 9, 2007 at 8:04 am
I know how you feel, Duane - I was really happy to find this and find it to be so easy at such a low price. No more stressing over data backups!
Tammy // Nov 10, 2007 at 5:57 pm
I have been also using Mozy for about 4 months. Love it, love it, love it. It is very easy to set up - something important to this non-techy!
Dennis Edell // Nov 13, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I have the same question that I have for ALL backup services. How do you really know it’s safe?
I’m talking theft here. Seeing as they can essentially copy/download anything they please, how do you really know?
There’s a lot more I’d like to keep private, then just passwords and moms maiden name
Lynn Terry // Nov 13, 2007 at 5:11 pm
I dont know Dennis, but you could ask that of just about anything - even being piped into the internet alone…
I dont usually keep sensitive information on my computer anyway, but you can always put it in a password protected directory and remove it from the backup option too.
Rick Wilson // Nov 13, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Dennis said:
“I’m talking theft here. Seeing as they can essentially copy/download anything they please, how do you really know?”
The software loaded onto your PC is specific to that PC. That software encrypts the data and then uploads these files to their servers for storage. They use the same encryption technology that banks here in the U.S. use.
They can only access the files themselves NOT the data in them as the data is encrypted.
I mentioned in an earlier comment here that I upload everything to mozy that I deem “non sensitive”, which is most stuff. The remainder is backed up on external drives that I rotate and keep offsite. But then again … I’m not normal! LOL
Personally, I am VERY comfortable with Mozy as I’ve been using them for a little over a year now. A great convenience AND peace of mind.
As for “how safe is it?” … Lynn sums it up in her last comment.
Have A GREAT Week!
Rick Wilson aka CorpRebel
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