Do you really need to backup your computer?

Well, the simple answer is YES! Have you ever had a hard drive go bad on you? If you have, you will understand the need to backup your computer. If you haven't then you need to protect yourself before you do have one go bad.

About ten years ago I had my first hard drive go bad on me. I cried! My life was on that computer! Or so I thought! Since I work online and depend on my computer everyday I had all my files, bookmarks, passwords, websites, research I had done on niches, all my business stuff on that one computer. AND I lost it all! I mean all! the last time I had backed up my computer had been six or nine months before I lost my hard drive.

I didn't get in the habit of backing up my computer and so I lost everything. I had to hunt, beg, and borrow every bit of information I could find. It was miserable, right? Yes, absolutely miserable. I said that would NEVER happen to me again. I went out and got me an external hard drive along with a new computer hard drive, and I set everything up to make sure I did my backups regularly.

I got most of my information into my new computer and was ready to go.

I set up a schedule to do my backups and every time I did extensive work I would back that baby up! Oh, yeah, I wasn't going to be caught like that again. No way! I went along and as time went on I go "slack" on it. After all, I had a new hard drive in my computer it would be at least three or five years before that happened again! Right?, I was now backing up about once a month...then it was probably every six weeks or so, then uh, when did I do the last backup? Let's see. Check. Oh my, it's been six months. Get it done now!

Then as time went on I would remember, then forget, then be too lazy, or whatever and just didn't do it. My life was busy. My son was playing sports, growing fast, I would take pictures and of course, put them on my computer. We had a digital camera now so that was fun and I could email them to my family! YAY.

Yes, you guessed it, a few years later my hard drive died! Just plain ol' died! I was devastated! What in the world was I going to do? I had my backup, yes. I would get that and restore onto a new computer! Oh, yeah. I was going to be okay.

New Computer and Old Backup!

Okay, I have my old backup. I have my new computer! Ready to go! What? I haven't backed up for ten months? No way! I know there is a newer one on there. Nope...last time backed up, blah, blah, blah. Good grief! Well, I might as well take what I have. I restore what I have. Sad, but true, I lost some very valuable pictures. Because you know after I put them on my computer I delete them off the camera so I can take more.

This Time IS Going to Be Different!

The year is 2011. The month is May. Never again will this happen! Never, never, never! So I start the search for online backup services! I am going to get one and make sure it will automatically backup. I tried several for free. Most have free trials and some have benefits that others don't. You have to search out what is best for you and your applications. What you need, how much you need, etc.

Once you find the one you want then you may want to get a paid subscription because most of the free ones will only backup certain files and not all files. These subscriptions are cheap when you think of protecting all your files, pictures, software that you have installed on your computer, and everything you have been building if you are using your computer for business. You will get more storage space with a paid subscription too. If free is all you need then you can just use a free service.

Set it and forget it!

Question: Do you think you need to backup your computer?

Answer: YES!