Secure pc setup. Raid maybe ?

[tips]

I have just inherited a pc that we use to run our business and want to make the data as secure as possible.

It contains all the company Sage accounts, Artwork, Stationary, origination etc etc. There is apporx 80 gb of data on there that would cause mayhem if it was all lost.

I don't really want to build a new machine, and would like it if at all possible to create some kind of backup system (raid????) from the pc I have inherited and a spare 250gb external usb hdd that we have.

Is this possible and if so could you point me in the direction of a little more info.

Thanks

[DJAd]

If it's only 80gb that would fit on most external hard drives. RAID is good as you can have it to mirror, so the data is on both drives, if one fails your data is still there. Both the drives have to be the same spec however. The price of an external HD these day's is next to nothing, so I would opt for that if it's only 80gb.

More basic info on basic RAID here:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAID.html

[blacksheep]

drives can be different but you will only be able to use the size of the smaller one.

[bob_g]

What OS? XP has built in backup software that lets you back up an entire hard disk to a folder on another hard disk. It's OK... There are a lot of 3rd party backup solutions with more bells and whistles. Remember that you need to protect against at least three sorts of things:
1/. PC and/or internal disk blows up. RAID or Yesterdays backup will save you.
2/. You have a fire, or burglars nick everything shiny overnight. RAID is no help, and yesterdays backup only saves you if the backup was not kept in the office.
3/. Some bit of software goes titsup and nadgers some or all of the files. RAID helpfully copies the nadgering and is of no help. You may not notice this sort of thing for a while if the corruption is subtle, and if you've been overwriting your backups daily, you may be nadgered even if you have yesterdays backups.

I'd say, in addition to a full backup, you should copy really vital stuff to a CD-R or DVD every now and then (manually, or write a script/batch file to automate it), and also make *absolutely* sure you test you can read it back at least once a month or so.

Bob.

[Mr.James]

don't bother with raid it's not really suitable for your situation. use windows backup to backup your hard drive to the external disk. do a full backup on friday nights and differentials mon/tue/wed/thur nights. this will backup all the files that have changed since the friday night backup each night.

[danthescan]

If this is critical Data ,you really should back up to an offsite storage system.If the PC breaks, you have a backup and if someone steals it, or god forbid the office goes on fire, you still have the Data."2 Removable Drives and an alternating system of backup or, if you have it on a broadband connection back it up to an offsite server,Offsite server is the most secure as you are not in any danger of forgeting the disk or leaving it on the bus.