Jan's Computer Basics:6-7 Caring for Data

Computer Basics

6 - Storage: Caring for Data

Besides protecting the physical medium you are using to store data, you must also consider what you can do to safeguard the data itself. If the disk is kept from physical harm, but the data gets erased, you still have a major problem.

So what can you do to safeguard the data on which you rely??

Write protect	This keeps your files from being overwritten with new ones.
Floppy disks: For floppies and many other kinds of removable media, you can do this *physically*.
5Ľ" = cover the Write Protect notch with tape
3˝" = open the Write Protect slide
Other removable media including USB drives: Look for a small write-protect switch on the device. Hard disks and devices without a switch: Make files Read-Only and/or Hidden to keep them from being overwritten. This is done by changing the file attributes using whatever system you have for managing files. Or assign a password to each file, which can be done with some programs and some USB drives. Or go all the way and encrypt the files. This will require special software and remembering the decryption key.

Where you are: JegsWorks > Lessons > Computer Basics
	1. Computer Types
	2. Applications
	3. Input
	4. Processing
	5. Output
	6. Storage Intro Magnetic Disks Disk Format Disk Capacity Accessing Data Caring for Disks Caring for Data Magnetic Tape Optical Disks Other Devices Quiz
	7. Computer to Computer
	8. System Software
	9. Programming

	10. What You See
	11. Hands On!
	12. On Your Own

	Search Glossary Appendix

Backup

Make multiple copies of important data often.

The more important the files are, the more copies in more places you need.

Antivirus

Use an antivirus program continuously.

Computer viruses are sneaky computer programs that can erase your data and even your whole system. Many viruses are merely annoying and are created as practical jokes. But there are a number of very damaging viruses out there, plus others that are out to steal your passwords or use your computer to damage or annoy others.

Your computer gets a virus by downloading an infected file from the internet or your office network, or by first using a removable disk in an infected computer and then accessing a file on that removable disk with your own computer. This makes it difficult to keep a virus from spreading.

Once you have disinfected your computer, it can get re-infected from a removable disk that was used between the time you were infected with the virus and when you disinfected it. A number of nasty viruses hide for quite a while before doing their nasty things. So you can infect a lot of your own backups and other disks and spread the infection, all unknowingly, to others. So run an antivirus program that actively looks for viruses all the time. Don't wait until you have symptoms. A lot of damage can be done before you figure out that you have a virus.

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~~ 1 Cor. 10:31 ...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ~~

Last updated: 18 Jun 2009

Write protect

Backup

Antivirus