Backups….You tell customers that word over and over again yet you still find people out there that do not backup their data properly.
How many times have you told a customer about backing up their files? Sometimes you go as far as giving them a flash drive and explain how to use it or demonstrate it for them only to have them come back to you about lost data.
I actually think people do not realize that it can happen to them. I can’t count the amount of times I have had customers lose their data due to hardware damage and either they can’t recover it or it’s cost a small fortune to recover it.
For that reason alone you need to get your customers on an online backup program. Yes, I know of the “great concern” about online backups and security/protection and everything else that goes with it. But, seriously do your customers really have to be concerned with online security? These big online companies are all to familiar with security matters and do have procedures in place.
Now what it comes down to is a product to use. I am all for white labeling a product and using that for your customers. Yes there are the big boys out there such as Mo** and Carb***** etc….But, the difference between those companies and your company that might charge a few more dollars is your customer knows “you”….They can not pick up the phone and talk to the person they are accustomed to talking to when calling those other companies. They can’t fee that security they have knowing “their” IT person is not the one they are talking to.
You need to be that all-in-one person for them to use and that inclused online backups.
15 Responses to “Customer Backups”
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March 16th, 2010 at 4:48 am
Hey… thanks a lot for the useful information regarding online backup… I never knew that we cud have taken the backup online also…. thanks much!!!
March 17th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Life without Computers cannot be imagined in present scenario.There are many facts related to computer, BACKUP… which is very important in a computer system. Moreover affordable and reliable Remote Computer Support is hard to find.
May 1st, 2010 at 4:06 pm
The online services I think are really the only reasonable way to go (in spite of the security issues). Local backups just present too much maintenance and/or technical issues for the average user who often let’s the Nor*** Antivirus program that came with the computer expire after 90 days. It’s not our fault, humans have a built-in ability to ignore the inevitability of our own death, this gets extended to our computers and hard drives. Blame it on evolution
May 4th, 2010 at 1:43 am
Heya…Your article really helped me alot…i did not really aware of online data backup…Thanks to provide us such great information..
Really Appreciated..
May 14th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
It’s the first thing I do prior to working on a client’s computer. Fire everything up via FTP, then once the repair is completed, as an add-on, I’ll offer the client access to the online back up for an additional fee.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:42 am
I think part of the problem, is that their is so much diferent advice outtheir about backing up, my cliewnts often ask me about backing up files and yet they forget to clone the hard drive or even crate a recovery disk, to me that is the basic!!
For other back up newbies out their here’s t he basic!!
1. create a recovery disk
2. create a restore point in your OS
3. Create a disk image of your hard drive and burn it to the disk, Paragon or Acronis are great software to use
4. back up all your files
May 17th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
I agree totally. It’s so hard too when people lose all their baby photos for instance with no backup. After I read your article, I decided to make a bigger deal of backups with computer repair clients and encourage it more. Thanks.
May 18th, 2010 at 5:23 am
You’re absolutely right. Most people think that their hard drive will last forever, that their data is etched in stone. Truth is most people don’t think about it at all…until something horrible happens.
I explain to people that a hard drive is basically a time bomb, and you don’t know when it’s gonna go off. It may be in a few years, it may be tomorrow. Sometimes that get’s their attention. Unfortunately, most non-IT people will have to learn the hard way after a bad crash. After a traumatic experience, they’re a little more diligent about backing up.
I haven’t had much experience with automated online backups but I think for relatively small amount of data, and decent security, it can work well.
May 18th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
So what have you found to be some of the best online backup sites?
May 21st, 2010 at 6:51 am
take a look at acronis and paragon, but you have to install themn on your machine.
June 28th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
I agree totally on the issue of asking clients to back up their data, they always conveniently forget to till the system crashes.
For my clients i install a synch software on the sensitive systems and have them copy the data to a central location where i can randomly back it up and take off site whenever I visit. Its not perfect but when a system crashes i can always move a day or two backwards. Worst case scenario a few weeks backwards.
July 17th, 2010 at 8:28 am
I agree that this great post useful for dealing of backups with computer repair clients and encourage it more.
August 25th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I find the easiest way to backup my customers data is to pull the hard drive, install it in a different computer with a larger disk, and copy the files needed to be backed up. If your looking for a daily or weekly backup plan, invest in a backup system. There’s a fire proof system out, not sure of the name. Connects through USB and very simple to use. Ties into Windows software.
April 28th, 2011 at 5:01 am
I like this blogging which makes me more confident with the nice dealings of data recovery of users.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:40 am
We’ve lost count the number of times a conversation starts with “My computer won’t start” which then goes on to find a dead hard drive and no back up. People, back up early, back up often and it’s not really a backup until you’ve resotred from it so check that your “back ups” really are backing up all your computer data and you can get to it.