You must regularly copy your data files to external media or site (CDs, USB thumb drives, tape cartridge, off-site storage centers, etc). This will protect you from:
a) Hardware failure (disk crash)
b) Operational problems
c) Natural disaster (fire, flood, tornadoes)

If backing up to CDs or USB thumb drives, you should have a rotation of media so there would be several possible backups that could be reloaded - not just a single one. For example if you are backing up to USB thumb drives you would want to have several and each time you back up you would use the oldest one. In case of natural disaster, the media must be kept in a secure place (off-site or in a fire-proof safe).

Having a rotation of multiple CDs or USB thumb drives is a good method but sometimes we get calls from auditors wanting info from several months or years back (info that is no longer in the system).
A variation of a rotation of media would be to add a month-end backup and keep it. For example an auditor wants a report from the end of June 2019. If you made a backup at the end of June of that year and kept it would be easy to give the auditor the info needed. This would mean (in addition to your rotation of daily or weekly backups) that you would use an additional CD at the end of each month and it would be kept and not re-used. CD-Rs are best for this since they are inexpensive, one-use CDs.

Some users have systems which are automatically backed up at night to external drives or to off-site storage sites. They therefore feel additional backups are not needed. However unless you have the ability to get the data needed off the backup in a timely manner you should take responsibility and make your own backups of your Utility Billing, Budget, Payroll, Court folders to a type of media you have control over.

Always remember "you can not have too many backups". They are easy and inexpensive to make. If you don't know how to make a backup please look at the below examples using "This PC". If you are not making backups or have questions please call GFC Data ASAP!!

If you want to use a USB thumb (flash) drive for a backup perform these steps:

MAKE SURE APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED AT ALL PCs

a) Insert USB thumb drive.

b) If the drive opens close it.

c) Open "This PC" program by typing the phrase "This PC" in the bottom search box. Then click on "This PC App" icon.

d) Open the "OS (C:) or Local disk (C:) drive" or the server drive if on a network.

e) Click once on the folder to be backed up just to highlight it. Then right-click on the folder to be copied. A list of tasks should display.

f) Move mouse to "Send to". A list of devices should display.

g) Click on the USB drive option (usually identified in the range of drive E thru G).

h) The folder will begin copying to the USB immediately. However if there is already a folder on the thumb drive with the same name a screen will display prompting user to take action. Click on "Replace the files in the destination". The files should then finish copying.

i) If another folder needs to be copied go to step "e".

j) When finished, exit out of "This PC". If you would like to preserve old backups on the USB drive you can re-open "This PC" and re-open the USB drive and right-click and "rename" the folder(s) placing the backup date after it. For example the UTIL folder could be renamed to UTIL-09-30-2022 while the Court.win folder could be renamed to Court.win-09-30-2022 or something similar (do not use slashes or spaces). Then the next time you use this drive you will not get the "replace" message and old backups are preserved.

USING “THIS PC" TO COPY FOLDERS TO A CD...
The easiest way to back up to CDs is to use CD burning software (ex: Roxio, Nero, RecordNow) and set up a "project" that defines all the folders you want to back up. However if you don’t have CD Burning software an alternative way to backup (copy) files and folders to a CD would be to use the Windows program “This PC”. To do this type "This PC" in the bottom search box and click on the "This PC App" icon. Perform the following steps:

MAKE SURE APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED
a) Insert CD you are going to use. If the CD opens automatically close it. If using CD-RWs you should have a rotation of several CDs - use the oldest CD in your rotation. If using CD-Rs use a blank CD.

b) Open "This PC" .

c) If using the CD-RW type of CDs and the CD has the same files and folders as you are about to write to the CD, first erase the CD by right-clicking on the CD drive (D or E drive) and selecting “Erase this CD-RW”. If using CD-R type CDs use a blank CD.

d) With a blank CD in the drive, open (double-click) “OS (C:) or Local Disk (C:)” or a "Server" drive.

e) Left click once on the folder you want to backup just to highlight it and then right-click on the folder (ex: UTIL or BUDGET or Court.win)

f) Move mouse to “Send to”. A list of devices should display.

g) Click on CD drive (usually the D or E drive).

h) After the first folder is selected a screen will display asking if the CD should be used like a USB drive or will it like as a CD/DVD player. If user clicks on the USB option the CD will be formatted so it is faster to click on the CD/DVD option.

i) Files should begin copying to a temporary storage area but are not yet being copied to the CD. After a few seconds a message in a balloon should display that there are files waiting to be written to CD. If all folders have been selected go to step k. If another folder needs to be copied go to step “e”.

k) When all folders have been selected click on the “balloon” that may appear at the bottom of the screen. If the balloon is no longer visible then close all screens and re-open "This PC" and open the CD/DVD drive. Look for phrases that read "Burn to disc" or "Write these files to CD" and click on it.

l) Once the program has been told to begin writing files to the CD, a screen should display asking for the name of the CD. The current date or a random serial# should display as the CD name. You may change the name or leave the name as is.

m) Click on “Next”. The copy should begin.

n) When the copy is finished, click on “Finish”.

o) Remove CD. Close all screens. Record the date of the backup.

Whether using a CD or USB drive you don't have to just assume the backup worked. You can open the media to view the folders and double-click on any folder to view the files.

If you have questions please call or email: Send an email

Contact: Jack C. Brown