Need some back up!

atro1

I would like to back up my emails on a pen drive/flash drive/key drive??? Not that I know the difference between these drives.

Two fold.
Would like to know which usb drive to get?
And where from.

I have made a back up folder in 'my docs'. but it will not burn onto DVD/CD?

So I thought a USB drive would be easier.

Chippy_Minton

USB pen drive/flash drive/key drive all mean the same thing - a little USB device which uses memory to store data. The alternative is an external USB hard drive which is a conventional hard drive which connects to a USB port. These have much higher storage capacity 250GB+ and are better for regular backups.

Check the 'Grabbit while you can' board for current best deals.

What program are using to burn to DVD/CD? CD burning is built into Windows, however burning a DVD requires a program like Nero or a free program like http://cdburnerxp.se/home, if we are talking about Windows XP.

atro1

I have Sonic which is Sony and Roxio which again is Sony. I am told that dla does not match or some such thing.
I will go onto mine and try again that way I will be able to tell you the message that comes up.
Many thanks!

markchadwick

If you simply want a backup of your emails as security, rather than portable access, a free online backup solution may be simpler and cheaper. I use a service called MozyHome which runs a little backup utility in the background of my PC whilst I work. I can select file groups (e.g. *.doc, *.pdf, etc) or folders/files to backup on a periodic basis, after that it's a simple "set-and-forget" option that takes care of everything. All my data is backed up on their servers online and retrievable whenever I submit a request to them on their website. They offer 2GB free of charge and if you use a referral, you can get an extra 256MB which I find is sufficient for my email.

Since it is an off-site solution this covers you against theft/fire/natural disasters also. If you're concerned about the privacy of your data, you can use your own encryption pass-key to prevent unwanted access; although they do state that they don't view your data - not that I would trust anyone with my sensitive information.

If you still prefer the USB pen drive approach, this could still be useful for additional peace of mind as you'd have double backup. The website is http://www.mozy.com. :: Referral link removed - FM ::

Another alternative may be to set up a gmail account as they offer around 5GB of space now. This should be enough space for all your email and you can leave the backup to them. If you have downloaded your email to your PC via POP mail, you should be able to add a new gmail account to your Outlook/Thunderbird email client and copy all your mail to the gmail servers and manage it there. You can now even use gmail as a POP mail account manager meaning you only need to work with gmail from now on!

If you're really anal (like me) you can merge the gmail approach with mozy creating a very secure mail repository. This way only something like an asteroid hitting the earth would cause you to lose all your mail :rotfl:
I think then, your email would be the last thing on your mind anyway!

Mark

superscaper

markchadwick, probably best removing your referral (see forum rules).

Personally I think flash drives aren't a good idea to use as back up. They should only really be used as a tranferring method or an addition to other backup methods, they certainly can't beat other methods for long term storage.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=597170