Archive for May, 2015

Backup your computer!

By on May 14th, 2015 in Backup

Do you use a computer? Do you save files to it?  Your pictures, videos, documents… do you only have one copy of them? If so, you need to be backing them up! It’s not a question of “IF” you will lose files, it is “WHEN” will you lose files. Backing up will greatly reduce the odds of you losing your files and thus put your mind at ease.

There are many ways you can lose your files:

  1. Accidental deletion
  2. Overwriting a file
  3. Crashes, corruption, errors
  4. Physical accidents/damage to equipment
  5. Fire, water damage
  6. Theft

The easiest way to avoid losing your computer files to any and all of these situations is to use an online backup service.  An online backup service will keep versions of your files to allow you easily restore to a previous state plus if you lose all of your files either by an accident or theft, you will have all of your files safely stored offsite.

We have used and recommend two online backup services: CrashPlan and BackBlaze.  Both of these services offer online backup at a very inexpensive monthly fee.  CrashPlan is even better that it allows you to backup locally to a hard drive connected to your computer for free as well as backup to a friend’s computer.  CrashPlan and BackBlaze are set it and forget it.  Backing up needs to just happen in the background and be there when you need it.

crashplanbackblaze

My dentist would always say, “Only floss the teeth you want to keep”.  So…

Only backup the files you want to keep!