File and Memory Management

Hi Class 

           Computers store and organize files into two concepts, files, and folders. This allows us to store documents and files logically. We can opt to store our data on the local storage that comes with all computers or a portable storage device, commonly used are USB storage devices. USB storage devices allow you to copy your data and take it with you.

 Backing up files is an essential process because it will enable you to back up your files and folders if something happens to your data that may cause data loss. Performing frequent backups ensures you always have access to your most recent documents in case of data loss. One scenario where backing up your files is essential is, in the event, your computer suffers from a hardware failure where your hard drive becomes damaged. If you keep frequent backups of your documents, you can always get a new hard drive and restore your files, but by not having a backup of your data, it will be almost impossible to recover.

          My current backup plan consists of two 8TB external USB drives. One drive is used to back up my operating system, where I can recover my entire system in case of a complete system failure. This backup plan is performed every Sunday at 9 PM and is handled by my operating system’s automatic system backup feature which I configured. The second USB storage drive I use it to store all my media; this is separate from my operating system backups. I like to have a dedicated place to store all my media, given that my collection is quite big, thus requiring its own dedicated backup storage location. I also use google drive to store any files or documents which I need to make sure I do not lose. Google Drive allows me to keep sensitive documents and data backed up externally in the vent; something happens to my physical media where I keep my backups. One challenge I faced once while performing a restore of my data was with an encrypted backup I made. I made a mistake to store the encryption key within the data I backed up and loss access to the recovery key. Suffice it to say, I was never able to recover that data, and now I make sure I print and store my encryption keys where I know I will have access to them.  

           RAM or Random Access Memory is a type of storage used to store temporary files and data by the operating system. The operating system uses RAM to access data quickly; it needs to read and write to actively. Data stored in RAM is there only temporarily and can be lost if the computer is rebooted or power is lost, unlike hard drive storage which can permanently save your data surviving a system reboot or power failure. 

There are several ways to determine how much RAM is on your computer, and it depends on which operating system you use. For example, for a Windows operating system running Windows 10, you can easily find out how much RAM you have by clicking on the Start Menu > Type task manager on the search bar and click on the Performance tab of the Task Manager window. Task Manager will show you your system’s performance and will display the total system RAM, how much is used, and how much is available to the system.