In recent years, I’ve had two computer crashes.  Both of them could have been disastrous had I not backed up my files. Having experienced the loss of an occasional document because of a power outage, I became extra cautious about backing up.  Now I use Carbonite, a backup external hard drive, and a flash drive.  

So what should you back up? Anything and everything that is important to you, particularly all the files related to your writing.  Here is what I back up:

• My writing files.
• My photos, including photos of my house.
• My financial information and business files.
• My client files (I own a writing, coaching, and translation business).
• My address book.
• My calendar.
• My important personal and household documents.

While what you back up is important, when you back up is also important. Set aside a time each day–preferably at the end of your workday–when you back up your info.  Also, the more backups you have, the better.  Today, with iCloud, you can even set up a place in Cyberspace to backup.  After one of my computer crashes, were it not for Carbonite I would have lost all of my files, including my entire contact list. 

As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  Prevent the loss of your important documents by backing them up before a computer crash. 

Have you experienced a computer crash with the loss of important documents? 

_______________________________________

Copyright 2012 by MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.