3 Windows 7 Data Protection Options

Windows 7 has a number of different backup and file recovery options as well as ways to ensure that your data is secure. Using the tools together, you can ensure that your files are safe from both prying eyes as well as system failures. The best part is that you can automate these options to guarantee that backups and security are not forgotten. The built in tools that you can choose from include:

• Backups

• Shadow copies

• Bit locker

Windows products have included a backup program, but many people have not used it over the years due to the limitations of the applications. The backup application included in Windows 7 is much more powerful and is what I think a true backup solution. The new solution allows even open files to be backed up; this was a limitation of the previous versions. The new version also allows you more options of where you store your backup. Now you can store that backup file to another internal hard drive, an external hard drive, DVD-Rom, USB flash Drive, a network location or even a virtual hard drive. You can now do a full system image of your computer to ensure that you can recover everything if needed.

With the new shadow copies, one can easily restore files and folders. Once you setup a restore point, Windows automatically creates shadow copies of all files that have been modified since the last restore point was created. You can access previous versions of a file or folder by right clicking on the file or folder in Windows Explorer and clicking on Restore Previous Versions. You are then presented with a list of all the previous versions. Therefore, you are in a folder and you delete a few files, but then later realize that you needed those files. No worries, you go to the folder, right click, choose a restore point that was before you deleted the files... say you deleted the files at 10AM, and you have a restore point from 9:30am, you choose this restore point and click restore. The files that you deleted by mistake are now there for you to use. It is that simple.

Bit Locker is a great program to ensure that drives and data remain secure. The main advantage of Bit Locker, whether being used on a hard drive or a USB flash drive is that if you lose or have your laptop or USB drive stolen, no one can access your data. Someone cannot just plug your hard drive into another computer and access the data, nor can they do the same with a USB flash drive.

With the use of the three tools, mention in this article one can be secure knowing they can recover their system and that their data is safe. Backing up ones data and using shadow copies is easy as well as using Bit Locker to protect your data. Finally solutions for the average computer user to be proactive in backing up and encrypting data

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