.BAK files

I can see the importance of backing up! I've experienced losing a lot of work before when computers break down or information gets corrupted!

Although its not just my work thats all on 1 network drive at work, there's the work of all the other employees all on 1 drive! I can't quite see the use of CD's myself but i suppose you always have a "hard copy" then! I just thought i could put the idea to my boss about using a redundant PC we have that's connected to the network as a backup device!

My personal backup plan incorporates the use of DVDs.

One network drive seems to be just asking for trouble. A RAID system of some sort would probably be advisable.

Just a quickie,

I seem to have a lot of .bak files being generated (probably from opening and closing files a lot)

Just wondered if i'll ever need them once ive saved my work and whether they're safe to delete or if they're required by AutoCAD next time i use the file?

 

Thanks in advance

Just to provide the contrarian viewpoint; I haven't created .bak files for over 12 years and I don't miss them a bit. I save so often that the .bak would simply be an exact copy of the .dwg.

IT does twice daily server backups.

My personal backup plan incorporates the use of DVDs.

 

One network drive seems to be just asking for trouble. A RAID system of some sort would probably be advisable.

I've only been at this place just over a month, but there is only 1 drive to access all the files! The boss' bother set it up, now whether he has a remote backup from his house it may be possible, but there isn't any where else here work is saved!

If I were you I'd consider a "back up" plan (the pun was intended). At least you won't be left high and dry if the one and only network drive goes down.

I've only been at this place just over a month, but there is only 1 drive to access all the files! The boss' bother set it up, now whether he has a remote backup from his house it may be possible, but there isn't any where else here work is saved!

Before we set-up a formal back-up system at my job, I made my own daily backups of the server data.. Every Monday I put the whole thing into a zipfile that I stored on my system and simply "updated" throughout the week. Long before I ran out of room, I burned them to CDs (later onto DVD).. filling up the disks and clearing out my system.

I'd asked my boss if we could set-up some sort of backup system, he didn't feel there was a need for it. So I was just doing it myself without telling anyone.

We had our first big crash while I was sick one day. They were pleased when I happened to call up my supervisor around lunchtime, and was able to walk him through restoring the data they'd thought they'd lost. Now we've got more backup systems than you can shake a stick at.

Since then we've had three major server crashes, but still managed to only lose anything saved after 5:30 the previous day, and we close at 5:00.. Once everyone got into the habit of closing their Outlook mail programs prior to leaving, we get a 100% recovery rate.

All it takes is one good crash and suddenly everyone realizes how important that lost data really was.

Just to provide the contrarian viewpoint; I haven't created .bak files for over 12 years and I don't miss them a bit. I save so often that the .bak would simply be an exact copy of the .dwg.

 

IT does twice daily server backups.

One thing the people who rely on "going back a few steps" forget is that the .bak file is only ever ONE save back. And most of those in my case would be because I printed or zoomed the file. No material difference to the one it would have replaced.

Not everyone is as organized as you Dave.