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06 April 2006

Can y'all bear with me for a moment while I ask another dumb-ass computer question?[More:]I bother you people because I know you won't laugh at me (to my -virtual- face!) and because you're so patient and all. Let us all recall that I don't know shit about computers.

OK so I asked a while back about buying an external hard drive, and picked up a Maxtor one touch, on the advice of Triode (which if I read correctly translated to: even 3 year olds could operate this set up so you should be ok). So cool. I got it and installed it all and back up my stuff every couple of days. (I also copy all of my files into our work server).

My question is: what is actually happening with the back up (in simple terms?) And if my lappy dies one day... what do I actually do? I've been reading the maxtor website, and...I kind of don't understand it. Also...is there any way I know it's backing up correctly? It feels kind of like magic to me. How do I check?

And as thank yous, it's my round. For a while.
gaspode, I am assuming Maxtor has some sort of backup software that you are using for this purpose? Then, presumably, the software will also contain a "restore" function. Should you lose your data, once you get your system back up and running and install the Maxtor software, you should be able to tell it "restore", choose the date of the backup you want, and click GO.

/doesn't actually use Maxtor backup software, and is speaking theoretically
//finds the image of a Kiwi saying "y'all" very cute and amusing
posted by mike9322 06 April | 11:22
So the software just kind of goes in and gets it from the external hard drive and puts it back on a new one?

*picturing the software like a little elf finding the backed up stuff*

Also: y'all y'all y'all!!
posted by gaspode 06 April | 11:29
Right, basically most backup software works about the same. You give it a set of files you want backed up, and it creates an index to keep track. They vary in how smart they are in backing up up only changed files, or in keeping multiple baselines, etc., but they all have at their core two functions: backup and restore. When your source data is lost, if the backup software is doing its job, it should be able to put everything back the way exactly it found it.
posted by mike9322 06 April | 11:37
See, I didn't even know this. Thank you.
posted by gaspode 06 April | 11:40
While we're talking about backup software, I would like to flog my favourite backup software, Bacula. Replace all those nasty 'dump' scripts today!
posted by cmonkey 06 April | 12:10
Gaspode - I am busy this morning, but I intend to answer you at some length later today.
posted by Triode 06 April | 12:25
Beware - 'bacula' is Latin for 'penis bones.'

One never knows when a homosexual is about.
posted by ikkyu2 06 April | 20:51
'bacula' is Latin for 'penis bones.'
It's supposed to have bones? Ah, now I see what I'm doing wrong.
posted by dg 06 April | 22:26
This thread's fly is down. || Boys Beware.

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