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| Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1160562 |
In February 2008, during the month of love and romance, my heart was broken. One of the most beloved in my life contracted a terrible virus and died. With tears in my eyes, I said goodbye and mourned the loss of my beloved Sid—my Dell laptop.
Hubby bought Sid after I completed my first NaNoWriMo manuscript, and he realized I was serious about this writing business. I think the rest of the family wanted a turn with the family computer. After Sid, I crossed to the dark side and bought a MacBook that I named Belle.
Computer crashes can cause the users to grieve the loss of their files, including documents, music, and once-in-a-lifetime photos.
A few months prior to Sid’s virus, Camy Tang posted about Mozy online backup service on the ACFW e-mail loop. I checked it out, and then signed up for a monthly subscription. I’m so glad I did. When my Dell crashed, I would’ve been distraught if I had lost my files.
Backing up my computer is vital for my career. My in-home business files are on it, plus my music, ebooks, and 13,000+ (no exaggeration) photos.
Just as you should scan your computer daily for viruses, backing up your system on a daily basis is vital because you don’t know what could happen. If your computer is stolen, damaged, or crashes, your files are gone unless you have saved them in an alternate format.
Writers should consider an online storage system for backup because imagine losing finished manuscripts during a power surge or computer crash? Flash drives, CDs, and external hard drives are fine for short-term, but I would recommend something off-site like an online back up service in case of a fire, theft or other tragedy.
I use Mozy, but there are other online backup services. Check them out and see which one works best for you. And don’t forget to back up on a daily basis. After all, aren’t your time and career worth the investment?
The MBT Ponderers have put together a Thankful Basket. If you’d like to have a chance to win our basket of goodies, head over to share a thought about a blog post or tell us what you’re thankful for!
Okay, I SO SO need to do this. I signed up for Mozy a long time ago, but it's just there on my computer. For whatever reason, I couldn't figure out how to use it. I should try again.
I've been battling with various viruses lately. So far, I've been successful at catching and quarantining them. But it makes me wonder why there's been such an onslaught. I use Firefox and have never had a problem until now. So frustrating and irritating.