Users that have a UPS but no data backup

I wonder how many users are sold an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) but don't have a backup of important files from their hard
drive.

They need a UPS to save a tiny amount of data at risk from a rare
prolonged power outage, but risk losing everything on their hard
drive due to simple hardware failure without keeping a backup.

Hopefully it's a very small percentage, but IMO would be cool to
know.

Next time somebody comes in here crying about losing data, hopefully
I can remember to ask.

John Doe wrote:

I wonder how many users are sold an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) but don't have a backup of important files from their hard
drive.

They need a UPS to save a tiny amount of data at risk from a rare
prolonged power outage, but risk losing everything on their hard
drive due to simple hardware failure without keeping a backup.

Cargo cult data protection?

And many people who have a UPS assume its battery is OK because the
automatic self test says so, but that test applies only a light load
and will usually pass a battery even if it can provide only 60 seconds
of backup power.

In message om someone
claiming to be John Doe typed:

I wonder how many users are sold an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) but don't have a backup of important files from their hard
drive.

They need a UPS to save a tiny amount of data at risk from a rare
prolonged power outage, but risk losing everything on their hard
drive due to simple hardware failure without keeping a backup.

Hopefully it's a very small percentage, but IMO would be cool to
know.

A UPS is useful for a lot more than rare prolonged power outages. I'm a
lot more concerned about a UPS covering me through short outages and
blown breakers.

--
It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to
steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

DevilsPGD Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage crazyhat.net wrote:

someone claiming to be John Doe jdoe usenetlove.invalid typed:

I wonder how many users are sold an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) but don't have a backup of important files from their hard
drive.

They need a UPS to save a tiny amount of data at risk from a
rare prolonged power outage, but risk losing everything on their
hard drive due to simple hardware failure without keeping a
backup.

Hopefully it's a very small percentage, but IMO would be cool to
know.

A UPS is useful for a lot more than rare prolonged power
outages. I'm a lot more concerned about a UPS covering me
through short outages and blown breakers.

By "prolonged", of course I don't mean "days" or "weeks". I mean
anything that a voltage regulator won't handle, anything that does
more than make your lights blink, your speakers pop, and/or or
causes your computer to reboot.

People who have regular power outages that a UPS is good for
should consult an electrician, and use smoke alarms and have fire
extinguishers handy.

Anyway... If low-tech users know what a UPS is good for, they
should definitely know enough to back up important files from
their hard drive. The question is, what percentage of UPS owners
do not even know that much.

In message m someone
claiming to be John Doe typed:

DevilsPGD Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage crazyhat.net wrote:

A UPS is useful for a lot more than rare prolonged power
outages. I'm a lot more concerned about a UPS covering me
through short outages and blown breakers.

By "prolonged", of course I don't mean "days" or "weeks". I mean
anything that a voltage regulator won't handle, anything that does
more than make your lights blink, your speakers pop, and/or or
causes your computer to reboot.

I wouldn't call a 3 second outage a "prolonged power outage"

People who have regular power outages that a UPS is good for
should consult an electrician, and use smoke alarms and have fire
extinguishers handy.

In an ideal world, yes. In practice, all it takes here is someone to
plug in the vacuum into the wrong plug while the water cooler kicks in.

We've already had an electrician out to certify the place after an
unrelated electrical fault.


--
It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to
steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

On 16 Nov 2011 05:59:32 GMT, John Doe wrote:

DevilsPGD Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage crazyhat.net wrote:

someone claiming to be John Doe jdoe usenetlove.invalid typed:

I wonder how many users are sold an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) but don't have a backup of important files from their hard
drive.

They need a UPS to save a tiny amount of data at risk from a
rare prolonged power outage, but risk losing everything on their
hard drive due to simple hardware failure without keeping a
backup.

Hopefully it's a very small percentage, but IMO would be cool to
know.

A UPS is useful for a lot more than rare prolonged power
outages. I'm a lot more concerned about a UPS covering me
through short outages and blown breakers.

By "prolonged", of course I don't mean "days" or "weeks". I mean
anything that a voltage regulator won't handle, anything that does
more than make your lights blink, your speakers pop, and/or or
causes your computer to reboot.

People who have regular power outages that a UPS is good for
should consult an electrician, and use smoke alarms and have fire
extinguishers handy.

Anyway... If low-tech users know what a UPS is good for, they
should definitely know enough to back up important files from
their hard drive. The question is, what percentage of UPS owners
do not even know that much.

And don't forget to rotate your hard drives.

Maybe I'm a little jaded but I see more than my share that are clueless
w/r/t backup. Some with UPS, some without. But setting up a backup
procedure and following it seems to be beyond the ability of most
computer users I deal with.
One today who has an automatic backup to CD on Saturday mornings hasn't
burned a CD since April. Tried last week but the CD burner has a
problem burning DVD+Rs. At least his automatic to a internal data hard
drive is still working.
Another from this week hasn't done a DVD for about a year. But since
the external USB drive is working he isn't interested in taking his POS
system down long enough to fix the problem.

edfair edfair.53efr7 no.email.invalid wrote:

Maybe I'm a little jaded but I see more than my share that are
clueless w/r/t backup. Some with UPS, some without.

Some of those people come here to cry about having lost all of
their data. That happens periodically. It's a great reminder.

But setting up a backup procedure and following it seems to be
beyond the ability of most computer users I deal with. One today
who has an automatic backup to CD on Saturday mornings hasn't
burned a CD since April. Tried last week but the CD burner has
a problem burning DVD+Rs. At least his automatic to a internal
data hard drive is still working. Another from this week hasn't
done a DVD for about a year. But since the external USB drive
is working he isn't interested in taking his POS system down
long enough to fix the problem.

And then there is the backup of data from the hard drive that
somehow gets changed to sending files to some other place on the
same hard drive instead of a CD/whatever.

On Nov 15, 7:39*pm, John Doe wrote:
I wonder how many users are sold an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) but don't have a backup of important files from their hard
drive.

They need a UPS to save a tiny amount of data at risk from a rare
prolonged power outage, but risk losing everything on their hard
drive due to simple hardware failure without keeping a backup.

Hopefully it's a very small percentage, but IMO would be cool to
know.

It's not just to keep the computer running. But it protects the
equipment with a steady power source. I've always had UPS over the
years and I don't have problems with my computers. The oldest hard
drive that I had die on me was almost 8 years old.