Back Up Your Data – Before Your Computer Crashes!

We’ve all heard about someone whose computer has crashed. It’s a terrible mess. That person probably thought that it couldn’t happen to them until it did. Be proactive and back up your data.

A computer’s hard drive can crash for any number of reasons. You don’t want to be happily finishing up a 30 page project when it happens. Where does the information go? It is lost in the abyss that has become home to many a kilobyte.

It’s more frightening than a bad hair day but you can keep it from happening to you. Back up your computer files so that you don’t lose all of your work to the great beyond. It is a good practice for anyone who has a computer.

It is not hard to put a backup system in place. When you buy most laptops these days, the system comes with free backup for one or two years. Every file is stored elsewhere for easy retrieval should you lose it. There are two ways of backing up computer files: online or software programs.

Backup Software Programs

Heard of Norton? You probably know about their antivirus software. They also make backup software for your computer. One is Norton Ghost 14.0. You can back up your entire hard drive or specific folders. With this software, schedule regular backups just like any other maintenance operation to protect your computer. The software setup is instructive and easy to follow.

Another Norton offering is Norton Save & Restore 2.0. It is similar to Norton Ghost 14.0 but without the extra features. You can schedule your backup operations and forget about it. In the event of a crash, you won’t lose what you have worked so hard to create.

Online Backup Programs

With an online backup, your data is sent to a secure server online. They offer both free and paid services. Depending on the amount of data you are backing up, the free plan may work for you. For a business, the paid service offers unlimited data backup for a low monthly fee.

Examples of online backup programs include:

• Mozy – free up to 2GB; $4.95 per month for unlimited data
• Carbonite – yearly subscription of $49.95 for unlimited data
• SOS Online Backup – $39.95 per year

Each program offers something different. The advantage of an online backup over more traditional programs is the theft-proof aspect. In cyberspace, your files can’t be stolen.

Use online or software options for backing up the vital information on your computer. It gives you peace of mind in the event of a system crash.