Sheffield Computer Services

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Caution: These folders are important system folders, so please only play with them if you are sure you know what you are doing.

When backing up, as well as your typical user create files in Pictures, Documents, Music, Desktop etc, it’s also a good idea to backup some other places (AppData and ProgramData folders). By default Windows hides these folders and it’s necessary to enable viewing it before you can view and back them up. To show these folders:

1. Open Windows Explorer (open any folder on the computer)
2. On the menu bar at the top find the View tab and then click Options; or if you have no View tab click on the Organize button on the top left and then Folder and Search Options.
3. In the box that pops up click on the View tab and then in the list box find the Hidden files and folders section and select the option to ‘Show hidden files, folders and drives’ and click OK.

Now it will be possible to view and backup the AppData and ProgramData folders. their locations are:

• AppData – Can be found in your user area.
• ProgramData – Can be found in the system drive (usually C: drive).

To backup both of these folders, simply right-click on each and select copy, and then in your backup location, right-click > paste.

How to: Windows PC Backup Plan

Our best advice is to backup your files to a local backup to an external drive (but don’t leave backup drives permanently connected to the computer) AND a remote backup to the internet/cloud. This is a guide to back up your files to a local hard drive or USB stick.

In this guide we assuming you keep all your data in your user area (such as in My Documents, My Pictures, Desktop etc.) which is the usual place to keep your files. It’s good practice keep all your data in these areas. To check you keep everything in that area, you can an:

Enable a desktop icon for your personal user area on your desktop (which is inconveniently hidden by default in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10):

1. To show your user area in Windows 10:
2. Right-click on the desktop
3. Left-click on ‘Personalise’
4. Left-click on ‘Themes’
5. Look to the right and scroll down to find and left-click on ‘Desktop icon settings’
6. Left-click on the tick box new to ‘User’s Files’. While you’re there might as well tick next to ‘Computer’ and ‘Control Panel’ (and ‘Network if you have a networked PC)
7. Left-click on ‘OK’ button.

To show your user area in Windows 7 or Windows Vista

1. Right-click on the desktop
2. Left-click on ‘Personalise’
3. Left-click on ‘Desktop icon settings’ on the left side of the window
4. Left-click on the tick box new to ‘User’s Files’. While you’re there might as well tick next to ‘Computer’ and ‘Control Panel’ (and ‘Network if you have a networked PC)
5. Left-click on ‘OK’ button.

Check your files:

Now that’s done, double click on the user area icon on your desktop, which will show ‘Documents’, ‘Pictures’, ‘Music’ etc. ‘Desktop’ will also be there which contains any files you have saved to the desktop. Enter each folder and check all your files are there.

Backup your files to a local drive:

To do manual backup to a USB stick or USB hard drive, you need to copy all the folders in your user area (Documents, Photo, Music, Desktop etc.) to a USB drive:

1. Open your user area and press select all (CTRL + A) and then copy (CTRL + C)
2. Plug in your USB stick or hard drive and if it pops up with a window you can open the drive directly, or if not go to My Computer / This PC and open the drive (May be D: for E: or some other letter).
3. When you are viewing the drive, make a new folder (right-click on some white space and go to New > Folder and give it a name, e.g. Backup October 2018). Enter the folder by double clicking on it.
4. Now paste the files you previously copied (CTRL + V). All the files will now copy across which will take varying times depending on how much data there is and the speed of the drive you are copying to. When done the file transfer box will disappear.
5. Now check that all the data you copied is on the USB device.

Advanced Info: It can also be a good idea to backup some other folders as some user/program data is also stored in some hidden folders in the user area and elsewhere on the computer – read this guide to find out how to view and backup hidden AppData and ProgramData folder.

We’ve had so many data recovery jobs in Sheffield, many of which as requests about data lost from USB memory sticks. Please read this advice if you use USB sticks (and the same applies to hard drives).

• Use USB sticks for storing and transferring data only…
• Don’t use the drive as live – don’t read and write to it constantly. I.e. don’t open a file from the USB stick and save the file to it > best to make a document and save it to the computer, and when finished copy it to the USB stick (leave the original on the computer too),
• Or if the file is on the USB stick copy it to the computer and work from the file there, and when finished copy it back to the USB stick.
• A good way to do a load of text is to write it using Google docs through a web browser. The file is autosaved extremely often and it is possible to go back to previous versions. I use this method for the initial text writing and then copy it all to a program such as Microsoft Word to finish the document off with better formatting tools.
• USB sticks can often survive a washing machine and drop, but they are not indestructible. They can get corrupted (especially poor-quality drives) and if they aren’t used for long periods they can lose charge and all the data.
• Avoid leaving USB sticks attached to a computer (with important data on) because a crypto virus can encrypt data on the computer as well as on an USB or network drive visible on the computer.

Our general best advice is, backup backup, backup!

Don’t leave your USB stick/HD (with data on it) permanently connected to the computer!

Why? Because you can get an encryption virus that encrypts all your personal files, and any files on disks readable and connected to the computer (USB drives and network mapped devices included). You won’t be able to unencrypt them unless you pay the ransom which is often £500-£1500, complex to do and not guaranteed to work (you’re dealing with nasty people).

We believe the best practice is to have two USB hard drives, costing about £45 each, and one connected permanently backup up continuously, and one that backs up once a week, or month, and stays removed to avoid getting infected with an encryption virus – only connected when doing a backup. So worst case scenario, you have only lost data from your last back to the drive you keep disconnected.

A good cloud backup solution is also a good idea. Some will keep ‘previous versions’ of your files, but some just mirror what is on the computer…and could overwrite your good files if they were to get encrypted.

If you want some advice, just ask.