How important are computers in your business - Pressure Washing and Contractor Cleaning Forums

PressurePros · **How important are computers in your business -** Dec 16th, 04, 07:56 PM

How vital is a computer to your business?

***Beth n Rod*** · Dec 16th, 04, 08:03 PM

Very~ Very~ Very~

Aplus · Dec 17th, 04, 01:31 AM

Some tasks I still do by hand, but most are done on the computer.

In the event my main computer sustained serious damage, I could be back up and running on another box within 30 minutes.

If your computer really is critical to business, the most important thing you can do is to backup your computer regularly.

I speak from personal experience. Prior to p/w full time, I spent 17 years with EDS. I supported thousands of users as a sys admin. Too many times, I have had to tell customers that the data on their hard drive was unrecoverable. To see the looks on their faces when they realize they have no backups. Some of them nearly freak out. Seen it dozens of times, so I know it happens.

Don't let it happen to you!

I make backup images and burn to DVD's and/or CD's, on a weekly basis.

***Beth n Rod*** · Dec 17th, 04, 09:10 AM

Listen to Uncle Tony. Da 'man is right!
Got a CD burner? Use it.
Also keep your virus definitions up to date. Failure to do so, and not back up your data may result in freaking out, premature greying or hair loss, shortening of finger nails, and increased stress in general.
Beth

**Mike Williamson** · Dec 17th, 04, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aplus

If your computer really is critical to business, the most important thing you can do is to backup your computer regularly.

Don't let it happen to you!

I make backup images and burn to DVD's and/or CD's, on a weekly basis.

As an alternative to DVDs and CDs, I'd suggest an external hard drive. I use a Kanguru 80GB external drive to back everything up. There's enough room to back up everything that can't be replaced quickly several times. That way I keep at least two old backups at any given time. I don't backup any operating system files or other software that I can reinstall, but I do back up any configuration files and data files for those programs that are specific to me.

No swapping disks, or having to spend much time at all backing up. Just set everything to copy to to the drive and go find something else to do while everything is copying.

The drive cost me around $140.00 from www.tigerdirect.com

Aplus · Dec 17th, 04, 10:26 PM

Yep, that's a great idea. In fact, I have a redundant drive that I store copies of files, like you mentioned.

The reason I mentioned burning to CD is I figure more people have them than external hard drives.

Thanks for pointing that out Mike.

Mike · Dec 19th, 04, 08:23 PM

Not only is it important to business, its important to home life as well. The PC has become as common of a household item as a toaster. You'd be surprised how many things in your home use some kind of pc technology.

What I'm waiting for is a car that drives itself for you. We see it in the movies all the time, I need to move to hollywood.

View Poll Results: To what degree do you utilize a PC?
I do everything from brochure design to proposals	16	88.89%
I only use it for business and customer tracking	3	16.67%
I use it for research mostly	5	27.78%
It gets me to The Grime Scene, everything else I do by hand	2	11.11%
Other	2	11.11%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll

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