How can I ensure my computer is properly backed up and the back-up files are unaffected by the sun? Would putting everything on CDs and DVDs work? Which would be better; an external hard disk drive or an external optical hard drive or jusr DVDs/CDs?
NASA is _not_ predicting a once in a generation solar storm. Individual solar storms can't be predicted in advance. They are predicting that the next solar _maximum_ will be _less_ than average. Our computers got through the last solar maximum without any problems. The only danger is to large electrical grids and to certain satellites in orbitnothing can happen to individual electronic devices on Earth, because our magnetic field protects us.
No, they estimated image voltaic maximum, which takes place each 11 years, so it somewhat is not annoying to do. it is going to top in 2013 and reason a sprint radio static, and worse-case knock out some satellites that are no longer hardened sufficient against it. Mass chaos? i do no longer think of so. We survived the final one, it variety of feels.
Thanks to our atmosphere which can ward off the strongest such storms in a working combination with Earth's magnetic field (though mild), much of the electric equipment is safe, albeit generation and transmission of elctricity might suffer. Commuications (electronic) equipment and processes go haywire as the propagation conditions get drastically altered when an electric field (traditionally called 'E', expressed in Volts per meter) gets created as Earth's sheath. The MOSFET technology and the 'chips' used are particularly sensitive to Electric fields unlike the first generation of 'bipolar' junction transistors which were the backbone for almost half a century. There are technologies that render FETs proof to even Nuclear explosions and the very strong fields created by them, which are exorbitantly costly (not eeded for commercial components). In any case, mercifully such phenomena are 'transient' and we are back to normal in a short while. Heavens are not going to fall (by Belenos) if we go back to a couple of centuries when such things were not used by us, the humans. However it is imperative that some system of universally 'Alerting' globally all users of Electronic equipment (Computers forming the largest chunk and many other devices also use some computing in their hardware like cell-phones) for that period is very essential. It will enable us all to save files on 'discs' hard or otherwise; CD, DVD or Optical would do. Now even non-professionals like a domestic user of TVchannels need to 'point' his dish to a certain satellite. These satellites are all located on Earth's Equatorial plane. There are times (mostly on Equinoxes) that the Sun comes in line behind one of them that 'blacks out' reception for a fraction of a day. What we do is, shut off the TV and 'take a (long) break'. The same way can be adapted to the 'storms' you refer to. No need to lead cast or something as you are not under a prolonged Nuclear attack and the phenomena is transient.
NASA aren't predicting any 'once in a generation solar storm'. They are merely saying that warning and protection systems should be in place - a perfectly reasonable precaution. In fact NASA are predicting the next maximum of solar activity in 2013 to be less intense than the last in 2001: solarscience.msfc.nasa /images Solar activity can produce induced currents in transmission lines, very occasionally leading to problems in electricity supply and distribution, so the worst that might happen is a power cut. The Sun does not directly affect your computer or any other electrical equipment. You certainly don't need any lead casing. Having said that, backing up your computer files is never a bad idea. No medium is completely immune to damage, whether heat, damp, power surges or physical damage so maybe you should put your more important files on both DVD and an external drive.
