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What happens when your computer crashes? Will you lose valuable photos and documents forever? And it's not a matter of if, but of when, as it will happen - new machine or old, often with no warning.
I'm interested in what others are doing that may sound better, but here are what I've tried and rejected - followed by what's working well for me:
>> CDs: I've had trouble with those, and besides, you can only store a little less than 700 Mb on one. Even then, very fragmented filing;
>> Jumpdives & Media cards like used in digital cameras: I once knew a physician's office manager who was trying to back up all of their files on one. Does everyone over 30 try to bluff thru computers...?!
>> Aol, Yahoo, etc Picture albums. I use those, as they're free, easy, and fun to forward as albums, but - again, fragmented.
>> Back-up file services. Hahaha...! Not Aol's anyway. I dont know about the good ones.
Here's the solution I do like: EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE...!!
I live in the wilds of West Texas and don't have a lot of choices for in-hand shopping, therefore end up all too often at the threat to the American Way: Wal-mart. :11: Yeah, I'm ashamed at how much of my money ends up there, but when I need something, I don't want to drive 100 miles round-trip to pay more at a computer store, so I go to Wallyworld. :blush:
Anyway, I got this 80 Gigabyte storage machine for $90. Since it does not contained any of my programs, it'll actually hold more than my 100 Gb laptop hard drive, but - I wonder if I should have gone ahead and bought the 250 Gb for $135? Anyway, if you like this idea, maybe get one at least as big as you Personal Computer's hard drive.
And this is what I do. I don't mean to talk down to anyone, but some of my friends actually know less about PCs than I do.
Especially people who remember President Johnson and never had a computer course nor read a computer book. I actually know 6 or 8 like that, thousand that is. :lol2: So, I'll give it step by step as if someone may not follow me otherwise.
(1) Plug the ExtHD into the wall, into the PC, and turn it on. Duh.
(2) Find the ExtHD. It may pop up and it may not. I went to My Computer, found it, then Right clicked to set up a Desktop shortcut. Could Pin to Start Menu but mine is kinda full.
(3) Enter the ExtHD, click Make a New Folder and give it the current date for a name.
(4) Last thing I do before going to bed - I go to My Documents:
>> Use the mouse pad to highlight all of them at once;
>> Click Copy the Selected Items;
>> Go down the pop up menu to my ExtHD, find today's folder, select it;
>> And click Copy. This may take a few hours, but who cares...?
(5) A week later, or less, next day if I've added anything big and/or important, repeat the process with the current date;
(6) A week or less later, repeat again.
(7) Delete the third oldest file from ExtHD.
This way I always have the last two collections on my ExtHD. If I delete something from my computer, it crashes, burns, gets stolen, whatever, I can always go there to find last week' copy, or the one before.
Hope this helps someone, sorry if I've bored anyone...
I'm interested in what others are doing that may sound better, but here are what I've tried and rejected - followed by what's working well for me:
>> CDs: I've had trouble with those, and besides, you can only store a little less than 700 Mb on one. Even then, very fragmented filing;
>> Jumpdives & Media cards like used in digital cameras: I once knew a physician's office manager who was trying to back up all of their files on one. Does everyone over 30 try to bluff thru computers...?!
>> Aol, Yahoo, etc Picture albums. I use those, as they're free, easy, and fun to forward as albums, but - again, fragmented.
>> Back-up file services. Hahaha...! Not Aol's anyway. I dont know about the good ones.
Here's the solution I do like: EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE...!!
I live in the wilds of West Texas and don't have a lot of choices for in-hand shopping, therefore end up all too often at the threat to the American Way: Wal-mart. :11: Yeah, I'm ashamed at how much of my money ends up there, but when I need something, I don't want to drive 100 miles round-trip to pay more at a computer store, so I go to Wallyworld. :blush:
Anyway, I got this 80 Gigabyte storage machine for $90. Since it does not contained any of my programs, it'll actually hold more than my 100 Gb laptop hard drive, but - I wonder if I should have gone ahead and bought the 250 Gb for $135? Anyway, if you like this idea, maybe get one at least as big as you Personal Computer's hard drive.
And this is what I do. I don't mean to talk down to anyone, but some of my friends actually know less about PCs than I do.
Especially people who remember President Johnson and never had a computer course nor read a computer book. I actually know 6 or 8 like that, thousand that is. :lol2: So, I'll give it step by step as if someone may not follow me otherwise. (1) Plug the ExtHD into the wall, into the PC, and turn it on. Duh.
(2) Find the ExtHD. It may pop up and it may not. I went to My Computer, found it, then Right clicked to set up a Desktop shortcut. Could Pin to Start Menu but mine is kinda full.
(3) Enter the ExtHD, click Make a New Folder and give it the current date for a name.
(4) Last thing I do before going to bed - I go to My Documents:
>> Use the mouse pad to highlight all of them at once;
>> Click Copy the Selected Items;
>> Go down the pop up menu to my ExtHD, find today's folder, select it;
>> And click Copy. This may take a few hours, but who cares...?
(5) A week later, or less, next day if I've added anything big and/or important, repeat the process with the current date;
(6) A week or less later, repeat again.
(7) Delete the third oldest file from ExtHD.
This way I always have the last two collections on my ExtHD. If I delete something from my computer, it crashes, burns, gets stolen, whatever, I can always go there to find last week' copy, or the one before.
Hope this helps someone, sorry if I've bored anyone...
