File Backup

People are finding that new computers no longer come with floppy disk drives. Floppies, as portable storage, have been replaced by external, electronic USB Flash Memory (RAM) devices. (Also called Thumb drives, Keychain drives, Storage Sticks, etc.)  Anything that will run off of a floppy disk will run from a USB Flash drive.  (programs or data files) 

Follow the steps below to convert/copy old files from floppy disks to portable USB Flash RAM drives, and to archive old documents into safe backups.

• Purchase a new USB Flash RAM drive. Size and prices range for $10 – 128Mb to $200 – 4Gb, so get the size appropriate for the number of files your have.
• Borrow/Buy (~$30) an external USB floppy drive (or find an older computer that still has a floppy drive)
• Create a folder on the hard drive (or your personal network share drive) called “old floppies”
• Create sub-folders with appropriate names inside the “old floppies” folder... These can be just disk01, disk02, disk03 etc. or something more descriptive like Word documents, Research Papers, Jan-Dec2004, etc.
• Insert the floppies and copy the files from the disk into the appropriate sub-folders
• Insert the new USB Flash RAM drive and copy the “old floppies” folder and its contents from the hard disk onto the Flash drive.
• Insert a blank CD-R disc into the computer and burn the “old floppies” folder and its contents onto a CD ROM disk for emergency backup.
• Save the original floppies and the burned CD ROM in two separate locations in case of emergency like fire etc.
  (if your computer does not burn CD’s, take your Flash drive to one that does, and burn the backups from the Flash Drive onto the newer/different computer)

If you make any changes/edits/additions to files from the new USB Flash drive, be sure to periodically burn the contents of the USB drive onto a new CD ROM, label it with time/date, and put it with your other backups for safe keeping.

Other general suggestions for long-term backups of files:

• Programs change over time. Always save your file in the most generic way possible. E.g. convert a Word document to “plain text” or “RTF”, do not leave it in the proprietary Word .DOC format.  A few years from now there may not be an easy way to read them. WordPerfect is a great example. It was the most popular word processor in the world in 1995, but now MS Word has taken over and almost nothing will open an old WordPerfect file. Almost everything will open a “plain text” .TXT word processing file.  The pretty fonts and spacing may be off, but the CONTENT is readable, and the document can easily be prettied up again. This is especially important for long-term research, etc. that may span several years.
• Save files with the shortest, simplest, most descriptive way possible. Try to use only letters and numbers in filenames. Operating systems change over time and some names that were once usable may now be forbidden... E.g. Old Mac’s could use ! \ / % in their file names. New systems, even new Mac’s, do not allow the use of slashes, percents etc. as part of a file name. so name a file like, “myfile10302006.txt” NOT “My File! 10/30/2006.doc”
• Do not try to copy “Programs” to a Flash drive or CD Rom and expect them to still work.  Almost all programs require an installer, so just copying the application file (.exe) or its folder will likely just be a waste of space. Instead, make sure you have a copy of the original Installation program or Disc, and any serial number/registration information required to activate it. These are often just a sticker or piece of paper in the program box, or sent via e-mail after you register the program.  I write mine onto the disc and its wrapper with a sharpie marker so I never lose it.
• If your data is absolutely critical, print off a copy and save it in a lock-box etc. There is no such thing as a “permanent” electronic backup. Even optical CD ROMs degenerate over time as the plastic and foil age. Floppies are notoriously unreliable, and Flash Drives have electronic circuits that can fail from static electricity etc. Always have multiple backups of critical files.
• External Hard drives equal to (or larger) than your internal hard drive only cost about $100. Many people find it easier to buy and use these external drives to make entire duplicates of their computer hard drive every week or so, instead of burning multiple copies of CD ROMS at $0.50 each. As with any backup medium it is best to keep them in separate locations when not being used in case of fire, etc.

If you have any questions or need assistance with file conversion or backups, call our HelpDesk x5169, or e-mail us.