Computer Help

[Dove]

I downloaded Norton Anti-Virus 360 and once a week it tells me to put in a CD and do a back up...If I have to do that I think I will buy stock in the company!! Can I use the same one over and over?? It isn't a RW I don't think...or was it a DVD???
Why do I have to keep backing up?
Marge

 

[Maverick2272]

You can turn that off, but then if your system crashes you can't restore it. CD/DVD whichever one it calls for you are probably using a +R or -R, which can be written to once and thats that.
Depending on the size of the ISO file Norton is creating(backup), and its options, and what kind of optical drive you have(DVD or CD), you should have your choice of using CD's or DVD's. If Norton wants a CD, then it is probably because your backup is fitting onto one CD.
What you want to use is a CD+RW or CD-RW (check your drive to see which if not both it can take, it should say right on the side of the drive, if you see +- then it takes both). If Norton has you backing up every week, then just get yourself 5 CD-RW/CD+RW disks and use them one after the other, this rotates a months work of backups.
Or, if you just don't have that much to back up or that many changes being made week to week, just use one over and over again. They usually go for around 1000 burns unless they get damaged.

 

[Barbara L]

You could do what we did. We dumped Norton and got McAfee. Way fewer headaches now.

Barbara

 

[texasgirl]

I have mcafee too.
It is still good to back up your personal things, pictures, music, things you can't replace if a crash occurs. Get some rewritables, they are not expensive. If you don't add a lot of things on a weekly basis, do it once a month or even longer.

 

[Barbara L]

I have mcafee too.
It is still good to back up your personal things, pictures, music, things you can't replace if a crash occurs. Get some rewritables, they are not expensive. If you don't add a lot of things on a weekly basis, do it once a month or even longer.

Of course you are right about doing a back-up. I was in a hurry and didn't mention that.

Barbara

 

[amber]

Not sure why you would have to back up your computer so often Marge. I have used Norton's and McAfee, but now use Avast which updates daily for viruses, sometimes more than once a day. In other words, it tends to catch a lot more viruses than the other two programs I mentioned, IMO.

 

[miniman]

It may be cheaper to get an external back up system such as a external hard disc which you can rewrite over.

There should also be an option somewhere in the Norton system which give you an option for how often to do a backup reminder.

The number of backups you do depends on how much you use your computer for files & pictures you want to keep. I would have thought a once a month back up was fine for home use.

 

[pacanis]

I don't use Norton anymore. Someone I trust with computer advice suggested I use a free version of AVG AVG Anti-Virus and Internet Security - Welcome and run Ad-Aware and Spybot weekly, also free on the internet to download. That's what he runs on his system and he owns a software design co., so I figure he knows a little something..... I also run XP-Pro for my OS. That has additional firewalls that the home version doesn't have. That may have something to do with his advice to me. He said Norton takes up to many resources and I have to agree with him.

Just thought I'd throw this in.

 

[amber]

Just to add to pacanis, I also run Ad-ware and Spybot once a month or so.

 

[Maverick2272]

I have McAfee simply because my ISP provides the complete suite free, so I don't have to pay yearly subscriptions for it. It comes with everything listed above and is completely integrated so I don't have to do anything, it just works in the background. The only thing I didn't install from it is the backup utility. Most backup utilites just back up your personal files and info. If the computer crashes it is up to you to re-install everything then transfer your personal files and info back.
Think of all the web programs and Java you downloaded and installed so you could view videos and all the other neat stuff online. You have to re-install all that after a computer crash.
And all the Windows updates and Explorer updates and any other updates for programs you installed? All to be re-downloaded.
I chose ChiliSync for backing up. It installed easily and integrated itself into all the folders in the system. When it set up it just asked three questions: What do you want to back up, how often, and where do you want to back it up to? I chose everything, weekly, and to my Network drive.
Now if I crash I just re-install Windows, then ChiliSync, then run the recovery program and my computer looks exactly as it was as of the last weekly backup. At the worst, if it crashes just before a scheduled backup, I loose a weeks worth of emails, files, and updates. Not the end of the world for me.
My wife runs her business from her laptop; invoices, pictures, business software, etc. I back her up daily. When she is done working on it for the day, she just clicks on 'backup now' and sets the computer aside for an hour while it does its work. When it is done, she just shuts the computer off. Although most times I end up doing that part myself
Windows also comes with its own Repair and Restore system as well, but if it crashes and your Windows can't be repaired (like you have a drive failure or a virus takes out the System file), then you can't use restore and all is lost. Not secure enough in my opinion to be worth using it for backing up. It does come in handy in those cases where you installed a program and it messed things up. Uninstall the bad program, use the last Restore Point, and all is well.

 

[Dove]

I told Norton to do it once a month..
I did use a CD since i have a stack of those but next time I'll use a CD-RW and just use it every time..nothing really gets added so I don't think there will be a prob.
I paid for two years for the Norton 360 so I guess I will stay with it for awhile.
Thanks for all the help.
M