Online Backup - Stop Putting it Off!

Online backup. You know you need it. But you keep putting it off - until one day it's too late. How many people have this sad tale to tell?

There's no need to list all the events that could cause you to lose your data - you know these well enough. You just think it won't happen to you. But you almost certainly know someone it has happened to. It doesn't need to be something as drastic as a house fire - just a simple thing like knocking over your cup of coffee on to your computer can destroy your hard drive. So move that coffee cup away NOW!

OK, I need it. But does it have to be online backup? Aren't there other ways?

Yes, there are.

• You can back up regularly on CDs or DVDs, using a CD burning program. Most people have one of these on their computer. And this is certainly better than nothing. But you have to keep remembering to do it. And how long do you wait before doing it again? Something could happen a couple of days after your last backup, just when you had downloaded a vital file, or written half a dozen chapters of your new novel. You would lose all this. Most essential of all, you would have to find somewhere safe to keep the backup disks, where they wouldn't get destroyed in the fire or flood that destroyed your computer.
• You can get hold of an additional hard drive on which to duplicate all your data. Again, this is a whole lot better than not backing up at all. It's easier to keep the backup going on a continuous basis. But of course, the problem is that it's just another hard drive. It is subject to all the same hazards that might affect your own hard drive - it can crash, get corrupted, or get infected with viruses. And as with disks, where do you keep it to make sure it's protected from a fire or flood that might destroy your computer?
• Some computer operating systems have their own backup devices. For example, Microsoft provides a backup program for some versions of Windows. These can be useful. But of course, by definition the program is part of your operating system. So if your system has gone down, you had better be sure you have your original start-up disk available, or you won't be able to retrieve your data.

So why are you scared of online backup? Perhaps it sounds too technical and complicated? Well, believe me, it isn't. It's not nearly as technical as having a second hard drive. And it's not nearly as time-consuming as backing up on disks. All you do is sign up and obtain your unique ID, then they do all the work and you don't even notice it.

So if you have been putting off getting online backup, now's the time to think again - preferably before a disaster happens!

Find out more about online backup and sleep more soundly at night! Article from Elaine Berry, the owner of Bizwrite.