BY RANDY BROWN
Computers have made it possible for the fire service instructor to create custom training programs to fit almost any need-word processing software, presentation software, spell check, and graphic software, with the ability to burn or copy these programs to share with other fire service professionals. Life is good! Or is it?
Have you ever spent what seemed like countless hours of preparing, only to find all your hard work corrupt, the file could not be found, or you could not execute the software or program? Although forcible entry tools are useful in opening structural windows, they do not work well on computer windows.
If any of these things have happened to you, you are not alone. The fact is that it has happened to all of us at one point or another. That’s why we make or burn copies and back up our data. Right? Wrong. However, most of the time, you can prevent having to face the problem of the backup or copy not working.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
How old is that copy or backup? What does age have to do with it? Everything!
The fact is, if your program, presentation, or data are not from a professional publishing company or manufacturer, the process by which you saved or copied the program is much different from the copy you purchased from the original manufacturer.
Computer software purchased from the manufacturer, vendor, or publisher is usually produced on a CD/DVD in today’s market. The data or the software is placed on the CD/DVD using a process that is much different from the one involved if you burn your own copy to a CD/DVD or install it on your hard drive.
Did you know that the CD/DVD you purchase to do your own CD/DVD copying or burning has an expiration date? It’s true! The average CD/DVD used for copying or burning is good for only about two years. There are, however, CD/DVDs that are good for up to five years. This information is printed on the package but often is not used by the CD/DVD manufacturer to sell or promote the product.
The difference between the CD/DVD you purchase with software programs already on them vs. the CD/DVDs you copied or burned is the process by which the data are applied.
CD/DVDs purchased from the manufacturer, vendor, or publisher are produced using a process that presses the data into the surface of the CD/DVD.
The CD/DVDs you burn on your system using a CD/DVD burner uses a process in which the burning process applies the data to a chemical coating on the CD/DVD or, in simpler terms, rearranges the coating, storing the data.
Factors that will affect the life expectancy of the newly burned CD/DVD are exposure to light, air, and temperatures. Experts recommend storing your data CD/DVDs in a dark, cool, dry environment. Exposure to extreme temperature changes, air, and light accelerate the natural breakdown of the chemical coating, causing it to shift and the data to be lost.
You might be thinking as you read this that you’re safe because you backed up your programs and data to a second hard drive. That is great. Backing up your programs and data to a second hard drive is a great idea, or is it? Are your programs and software really safe?
HARD DRIVES
Let’s take a closer look at hard drives. A small bearing enables the drive to spin. The bearing is positioned in a certain way to allow the drive to spin. Bearing wear is a normal process, as with any bearing device. Depending on the quality of the parts used in the manufacturing, excessive bearing wear can cause a misalignment of the bearing, causing hard drive failure. When this occurs, data recovery is often difficult or impossible.
Experts advise that you use a hard drive with at least 7,200 rpm if you are using the hard drive to back up your data. Such hard drives are usually of better quality than those running at slower rpm.
Some experts recommend using magnetic tapes for storing and backing up data. Depending on the quality, magnetic tapes may last anywhere from 25 to 100 years. You can purchase magnetic tape backup recording devices, which are relatively inexpensive, at most office supply stores. The fact remains that there still is not one standard, foolproof method for preserving and protecting your data indefinitely. This is one area in which the experts agree.
TIPS FOR PRESERVING YOUR DATA
Here are a few tips to assist you in preserving and protecting your data at home or at the office.
• Back up your data often. Regardless of the method you use, it will not do any good if you do not back up your data often.
• When choosing CD/DVD Write or Re-write, choose a top-quality brand. Ask the sales associate which are the better-quality brands.
• Burn multiple copies. Keep one for use and one for backup.
• Reburn or download data CD/DVDs on a set schedule.
• Store CD/DVDs and magnetic tapes in a dark, cool, dry place.
• Keep portable devices, CD/DVDs, and tapes out of direct sunlight; do not expose them to extreme temperature changes.
When a device or data failure occurs, it’s usually at the most inconvenient time. By understanding the simple concepts of how data storage, copying, and data backup work, along with the steps to protect those copies and backups, you can help avoid some of these issues. ■
RANDY BROWN, instructor/firefighter/paramedic, has 19 years of fire service experience with the Angola (IN) Fire Department, 15 years as a paramedic, and one year as a flight paramedic. He is co-chair of the Indiana Firefighter Special Training Task Force and Web master of www.Indianafirefighter.com. He is co-author of the “50 State Legislative Firefighter Training Survey” report.
