Backup and Recovery

Best backup practices and recovering lost data.

Can I Restore a Backup Onto a New Computer?


Episode 1813

Stacy from Camden, NJ

Stacy needs a laptop that can run a certain GPS program. Can he restore his backup data from iDrive onto a new computer and will it work? Leo says yes. It'll restore the data and all he will have to do is install the software. Then it'll be ready to go. But remember that if he's planning on uploading the backup, it may take a while to do. But it may be a good idea to make sure the GPS program will still work. If the company doesn't offer the GPS as a download, it may not be using the servers anymore. Can he back up the programs with iDrive too? Leo says no.

How Can I Move My Data From One Drive to Google Drive?

Google Drive

Episode 1809

Edward from Northridge, CA

Edward has been trying to use two different computers to access the same data. But he thinks that Microsoft One Drive has taken the data off Google Drive and put it in his one drive account. And now it's missing. Leo says that's not really possible as One Drive can't really access Google Drive and take data off it. So there has to be something else going on.


Why Do Companies Pay Ransomware?


Episode 1809

Hugo from West Los Angeles, CA

Hugo wants to know why companies pay ransomware when they should normally have a backup to their data and network. Leo says that's a good question. Oftentimes, though, the ransomware isn't triggered right away. It lies in wait. Meanwhile, hackers browse around, looking for valuable data to steal and other weaknesses. The hackers will also look for where the backups are stored and seek to disable the backups or lock them up as well. Then, once the recon is done, the malware is triggered, bringing the network down.

Reminder: Western Digital Hacked

Western Digital NAS

Episode 1809

Western Digital's My Book Live Network Attached Storage has been hacked due to an exploit discovered in 2018 and was never patched. Hackers can run a program of their own making taking advantage of it. A hacker has searched for numerous My Book Lives and executed a script to erase them, leaving many without the backups they were relying on. Western Digital's solution is to have users unplug their MBL from the Internet while they research the hack. Will WD issue a fix?

What's the Best Way to Back Up My Hard Drive?


Episode 1808

Dave from Redlands, CA

Dave uses iDrive as his main backup option, but he wants to be sure he has a good backup to his backup. This is mostly for his media collection, which amounts to 1000s of songs and DVDs. He has an 8TB hard drive. Leo says there are three kinds of backup ... image backup for quick restore, a standard data backup, and then an incremental backup, which is used for when people update a file and the backup only archives those changes. This could also include versioning. Then once people restore from the full backup, they can then restore the incremental changes as needed.

How Can I Get Data Off My Computer With a Password?

Windows 10

Episode 1805

John from Moorpark, CA

John's friend has a Windows computer from her deceased husband that she can't log into. It's used though. Leo says the best thing to do is start over if she doesn't want the data off it. Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, save it to a thumb drive, and then plug it into the computer. Then boot to it, and reinstall Windows. It'll wipe the drive and give her a pristine version of Windows.

How Can I Get Data Off Old Zip Disks?

IEEE 1284

Episode 1805

Joe from Burlington, NJ

Joe is putting his family history together. This includes all the photos and videos as well. But the problem is, he has a few hundred zip disks and doesn't know how to access them. He has a zip drive, but he needs a parallel to USB converter. Leo says he can get them on Amazon for a pretty decent price. But he will need to get one that has the right connector. It's the iEEE 1284. He also wants to be sure he doesn't get one that's for printers. It has to be bidirectional.