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TECH TALK

Welcome to Tech Talk 2023.
That time of the month again. This month we will be discussing imaging versus backup.
Most have heard one or both of these terms but may not be sure on the function of either. One is used to make a mirror
image of your computer while the other is for backing up your data.
Imaging (cloning, ghosting) is software used to make a mirror image of your hard drive, this includes operating system,
programs and data on your computer in its entirety. One word of caution for this process. An image is meant for your
computer or computers identical to your system when using that image. Why image your computer, well several reasons you
may want to look at this.
If you only backup your data and you have a hardware failure you will have to reinstall all of your software. For some this will
not be a big deal, for others it leads to a total nightmare, you may have to repurchase software. Then there is the matter of
reconfiguring that software. Backing up your data on the other hand is just as important. Having a copy of the following
folders (Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, Videos) externally is vital in case of viruses and hardware failure. It is very
important the external drive is not left hooked up to your computer when not copying your data. If left plugged in and your
computer is infected with a virus or worse a crypto locker virus, that drive may also be infected.
There are many different applications that will cover both imaging and backing up your computer. Do your homework before
deciding which will work best for you.
Until next time.
Jim