Poll: Do you have a backup system in place if your computer suddenly fails? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you have a backup system in place if your computer suddenly fails?".
This poll was originally submitted by tilak raj. View the poll results »
| | | | | Other: I thought I did! | Dec 10, 2015 |
I recently discovered that my backups aren't being saved. Even though I have another smaller computer, I wouldn't have my data. Fixing this is high on my to-do list.
| | | | 564354352 (X) 
Denmark
Local time: 11:12
Danish to English
+ ...
Two years ago, I thought I would just fix some minor problem on my computer by myself, despite the fact that my IT skills are basically limited to what I need to know to translate and communicate via the Internet. The result was that my computer went black and uncooperative! I had to send it off to my IT dudes (who could have fixed the minor issue by remote support). They did everything they could to rescue data from the computer, but failed. This process took a couple of days, and I needed a co... See more Two years ago, I thought I would just fix some minor problem on my computer by myself, despite the fact that my IT skills are basically limited to what I need to know to translate and communicate via the Internet. The result was that my computer went black and uncooperative! I had to send it off to my IT dudes (who could have fixed the minor issue by remote support). They did everything they could to rescue data from the computer, but failed. This process took a couple of days, and I needed a computer in the meantime, so I ended up buying a new computer. If memory serves me right, I was actually without a computer for about 10 days as this coincided with the Christmas holidays! It was a nightmare!
I eventually got the old computer back with nothing but the control system installed, but at least it was in working order. However, I didn't need it then, so I just stuck it in a cupboard.
I set up a remote backup system via my IT supporters, and I recovered most of my data via a memory stick onto which I had backed up three weeks before 'the incident', but everything else had to be re-installed on both the new and the old computer, only I didn't bother installing things on the old computer, as I didn't need it at the time.
Until just a few weeks ago, I was quite happy to have an extra computer just sitting in a cupboard, but then disaster struck again, and my new computer suddenly misbehaved (just a few days after I'd upgraded to Windows 10, so guess who I blamed this time!).
I dug out the old computer from its retirement and quickly got the Internet connection working, but then had to go through the entire installation process again. Only now I remembered that the old computer was running Windows XP, which looks horribly dated now, and of course, some of the software I use is not compatible with that. Arrrghhh...
Fortunately, I managed to get the new computer working again (sheer luck, nothing to do with newly discovered brain powers or IT skills, I assure you) and promised myself to upgrade the old computer... But... you guessed it: The old computer is back in the cupboard, only semi-functional. Not much of a backup plan, is it?
Children, don't try this at home... it is plain stupid.  ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:12
Spanish to English
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I have one older PC, still fully functional with W7 and Office 2010, which I use every day to listen to the BBC online and as potential backup if my main PC fails. I also have 2 laptops primed and good-to-go (one for Spanish and one for English).
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It happened quite recently. The motherboard in my PC died suddenly with a bang! Fortunately, it was after I had delivered a big job and a quiet spell followed. Anyway, I have two laptops (my daughter uses one to watch movies) ready to go and at the end of the day all files are stored in my Dropbox and in an external memory.
| | | | | Yes, of course | Dec 10, 2015 |
2 back up computers and 2 back up printers - as I said before, I learned the hard way!
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In theory I can just go down the library and run the files through Google Translate again
| | | | | It depends on WHAT fails | Dec 10, 2015 |
My computer's case is permanently open, there is a power screwdriver within reach, and I have countless replacement parts available. One day the power supply blew up, in less than 10 minutes, maybe 5, I had another one working in its place. As I assembled it, I know exactly what's inside.
Disk failure? I take enough preventative measures on my three hard drives, so that I know when a disk will fail a couple of months in advance. This happened recently, I had plenty of time to backup... See more My computer's case is permanently open, there is a power screwdriver within reach, and I have countless replacement parts available. One day the power supply blew up, in less than 10 minutes, maybe 5, I had another one working in its place. As I assembled it, I know exactly what's inside.
Disk failure? I take enough preventative measures on my three hard drives, so that I know when a disk will fail a couple of months in advance. This happened recently, I had plenty of time to backup everything, buy a replacement hard disk, and do the shift. The first one I got was defective, so I had time to get it replaced before decomissioning the potentially ailing drive.
One of my three DVD-RW drives got old from excessive use, so it no longer had the strength to burn a full disk. For the time being, I'm operating with only two of them, have a third to install in a few minutes, if needed.
I have a whole computer stashed away, but it's an older, slower machine, wouldn't like to use it. I have a brand new mouse and keyboard, in their boxes. However last time I bought a Dell keyboard and a Kensington mouse, which I didn't know then that they would last like 'forever'.
I took the model from a single-prop luxury aircraft, where everything is duplicated. ▲ Collapse
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564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 11:12
Danish to English
+ ...
| So you do have a backup system? | Dec 10, 2015 |
Chris S wrote:
In theory I can just go down the library and run the files through Google Translate again
Surely, that only works if you have already backed up your source files on an external hard drive or a memory stick?
You surprise me, Chris, are you really that well organised?
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 06:12
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Ah, system... | Dec 10, 2015 |
I just realized, after Mario's post, that we're not talking about backups here, yet of a backup system as he defined it.
So my comments were all wrong (therefore erased).
[Edited at 2015-12-10 19:36 GMT]
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 05:12
English to Spanish
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| A backup system = a secondary computer ready to go | Dec 10, 2015 |
I run two computers simultaneously on a four-monitor array: 3 monitors for my Windows 7 Pro and 1 monitor for my MacBook (2009) laptop.
10-15 years ago, most Windows technicians would recommend that you reinstall your Windows operating system once a year because the registry would get bloated, among other reasons. Nowadays, that recommendation does not hold water. I've only had to reinstall Windows 7 once since I bought my desktop Lenovo IdeaCentre. I did replace the 1 TB main hard... See more I run two computers simultaneously on a four-monitor array: 3 monitors for my Windows 7 Pro and 1 monitor for my MacBook (2009) laptop.
10-15 years ago, most Windows technicians would recommend that you reinstall your Windows operating system once a year because the registry would get bloated, among other reasons. Nowadays, that recommendation does not hold water. I've only had to reinstall Windows 7 once since I bought my desktop Lenovo IdeaCentre. I did replace the 1 TB main hard drive with a fast 2 TB HDD (a SATA 6 hard drive). I have an extra (brand new) SATA 6 HDD with 2 TB ready to go in the closet.
I still have the original 1 TB hard drive, though, but I changed its designation on my BIOS so that the computer boots from the new 2 TB hard drive.
My work files reside on an external 3 TB hard drive. On top of that, I keep two USB hard drives for Acronis backups. I haven't had a catastrophic incident since 1994 (with another computer, that is).
On top of this, I have a netbook with Windows 7 and 4 GB of RAM, plus a sizable hard drive, ready to go with all my work software. For work files, I would use Dropbox to sync everything just dandy. ▲ Collapse
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 11:12
Danish to English
+ ...
| Sounds like overkill, Mario | Dec 11, 2015 |
Why do you have such an extensive system?
Do you work with other things beside translation that make this necessary?
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