Cheap and Free Online Backup Services Store Data
Backing Up Computers is Simple with Services Operating via the Web
Oct 5, 2008
One of the things that many computer owners dread, is the silence of a computer not starting. It is not just the inconvenience of being without a computer while it is being repaired or the cost of a new hard drive that concerns people, it is the loss of often irreplaceable information.
Ensuring that a computer is regularly backed up is essential for business and personal computer users alike. Arguably, it could be more important for the home user, as many business will have back up and recovery procedures in place.
Why Backup Home Computers?
A computer hard drive could be packed full of music, photographs, videos and other items that are precious to the owner. A computer crash or failure could result in the loss of many items of sentimental value. This would be as big a personal tragedy as the loss or 'real' personal items compounded by the fact that information and items on a computer are often uninsured.
Online Backup Services
A useful way to back up computers is to use an online backup service. These are secure servers which hold information from a computer. They perform regular backups ensuring that the information is always up to date.
How Online Backup Services Work
Unlike traditional back up methods, whereby information is copied onto discs, tapes or external hard drives for secure storage, online backups involve no additional hardware. A small application is downloaded from the service provider and this handles the back up routine.
The initial back up will take many hours, maybe days. Subsequent back ups take a fraction of the time. This is because there is a lot of information that only needs to uploaded once. The backup process happens in the background. This means that the computer can be used while the back up is taking place.
Cost of Online Backup Services
One of the key attractions of online backup services is their relative low cost. Some online backup service providers even offer a free service, allowing up to 2 gbs of data to be stored for free. While this might not sound like a lot of space when compared with the huge hard drives of many computers, it is plenty to store essential data. Annual fees from reputable companies start at around $40.
Online Backup Service Providers
There are several companies that offer services that are suitable for the home user. These include:
- Mozy (mozy.com) - from $4.95 a month with a free service for smaller users
- Carbonite (carbonite.com) - an annual fee of $49.95 plus a free trial option
- Idrive (idrive.com) - from $4.95 a month with a free service
Online backup services could be an ideal solution for the home computer user looking to protect their data with a cost effective, yet simple to operate, service.
Further Reading:
Pros and Cons of Online Backup Services
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