article from Gazette regarding "paperless office" thru ZIP (below)
The rules have changed for backing up your data as well. While you certainly
can perform full and incremental tape backups of your hard disk just like in
the good old days, it's not always the best approach. Your paperless office
contains a lot of stuff that you may need instant access to in the event of a
system failure, and tape is hardly the fastest way to get to archived data. In
addition to a complete backup of your hard disks (see the April 27 issue of
Inside Business for a discussion of data backup schemes) I suggest you put
select data on an easy-to-read medium like **Zip disks**. Since Zip drives are
so inexpensive and easy to move among PCs, you can transfer recent backups of
important data to a working computer as needed.
What should you put on Zip? Start with the obvious: the "My Documents"
folder, or whatever set of Windows folders has your word processor files,
spreadsheets and databases. Make sure you keep all this stuff in one place so
it's easy to back up and recover, and the My Documents folder Microsoft
provides in Windows 95 is as good a place as any.
Next in importance are your mail files. Figure out where your mail program
archives its mail (such as in the C:exchange folder) and back it up regularly.
Don't forget about the address book, which may be stored separately. Also back
up your faxes and other digital documents, such as those stored in PaperPort or
whatever document management software you use.
Lastly, your Zip disk should have your QuickBooks (or other accounting
software) data and your electronic tax files.
The paperless office is arriving faster than you may think. And while you
can certainly forestall disaster by printing out a copy of everything on your
PC, that's hardly the best or most effective way to preserve your documents. Be
smart about how you store and back it all up, and you'll never be caught with
your guard down.
Speaking of paperless offices, how tree-friendly is your office? Tell me how
you made your paperless office happen, and how it's working out for you.
Contact Dave Johnson:
e-mail djohns@rmii.com
- Dave Johnson of Colorado Springs is the author of eight computer books,
including Osborne McGraw-Hill's "Upgrading and Repairing Your PC Answers." |
