Automated External Hard Drive Backups
Fri, 02/08/2008 - 02:50 — StarShadow
I've begun using an external hard drive {MyBook} to provide me with a data backup in the event that such should ever be needed. The device is fully automated -- it powers on and off with the computer, while immediately saving all changes that occur on my PC's hard drive. I foresee two situations where something like this could prove quite useful.
1) A catostrophic failure in my PC that causes the loss of all data.
2) A nasty virus, which can only be eradicated by reformatting the entire hard drive.
My question involves situation #2 ...
Suppose that one fine day, in spite of all my usual security precautions, I somehow manage to pick up a virus that the boys down at Geek Squad just can't eliminate ... except by reformatting the whole drive. Will my data on the backup disk remain unaffected?
I mean, the gizmo automatically saves everything that's being saved on my computer, right? So if and when a virus gets aborad ... let us say, for example, that one was hidden in a game file I uploaded from somewhere ... will that virus be saved on the external drive as well, thereby corrupting all its data? Or are viruses unable to "jump" between drives in that manner, even though the file in which it hid is itself being saved on the external drive?
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Virus...
The virus might be copied to the external hard drive. However, if nobody runs the infected file, the virus will be inactive. So, if you discover a virus on your PC & disinfect it, then run an antivirus scan on the external hard drive. The virus will be easily removed since it won't be active.
It will be just a matter of deleting the infected file(s).
You said that -- "If nobody
You said that -- "If nobody runs the infected file, the virus will be inactive." -- but that's the part where I have a problem in comprehending this situation.
Suppose a virus has been hidden inside a jpg file somewhere, which I decide to copy. I'm very careful about such things, regarding the acquisition of such material. I only use big-name, well-trusted sources whenever looking for images or sounds. Yet hackers have been known to sneak their wares inside well-known, trusted websites ... just waiting for someone to come along and copy that particular file.
Many of the updates I constantly receive, for everything from videogame patches to modifications for my store-bought software, comes in the form of a .exe file ... with the only means of using said file being to run the thing. What happens if a virus is hidden inside? How would my anti-virus setup even know that something was there, until the program was run? Or in the previously mentioned case, where I'm uploading an infected image or sound file?
That's why I need to know if a virus which has been inadvertantly activated can corrupt data on my backup disk as well. If yes, then it seems as though the whole backup is also at theoretical risk. If that's the case, then one solution would seem to be keeping it physically disconnected from my computer, except when I'm actually backing-up everything ... briefly hooking it up at such times, like maybe once per week, for example?
I never used external hard
I never used external hard drives although I admit I am tempted to because as I see now there are plenty benefits that internal hard drives don't have. They are a real necessity, as for handling viruses I am curious as well.
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