windows vista support stories - backup

sunday i'm going to be assisting someone with computer problems (which have been diagnosed as hardware - we'll see) and at a minimum computer data backup.  this is a natural part of my life whether with family or friends, work related or otherwise - i'll help.  and it's got me thinking that sharing some of the good, bad and down right ugly of these various situations could prove useful to others.  so this first (or second - if you count the post about my mom) support story is going to be entitled - backup.  i've become fairly paranoid about making sure i have as many types of backups as possible - especially as you get closer to data that i truly care about (personal data first - data i've paid for second - and all the stuff i've accumulated over the years third).  i use windows home server and am extremely happy with it.  i don't sit and manage it - it just works - backing up my computers at night and centralizing my storage.  i also use windows live mesh and am extremely happy with that since it's not only syncronizing my multiple computers, but also making the information available from the internet (in case i'm on another computer which happens at least once a day).  i've still got a collection of external drives which mean my data sits on multiple computers, portions are replicated with windows live mesh, the entire computers are backed up to windows home server and i've still got the good old external drives and well over 100 dvds of archived data.  i'm also now using an aircard which has dramatically improved (or worsened) the amount of time i'm connected to the web for these various methods of sharing and syncronization to take place.

so i'm covered - sunday we'll add one more well protected person and computer to my list of friends and family.  if there was one purchase i think everyone who hasn't should make it's an external storage device because windows has backup software.  if you care about making it easy, you should buy a windows home server.