Back Up Those Files – We all remember that one time when we are hammering through files and completing tons of work, you get up for one minute and return. You sit down ready for round two and your stomach drops. It’s gone forever. We all know that familiar panic (usually involving some words I am not able to type) as we desperately try to salvage our missing documents. It’s just disappeared from existence. Cyber space has just swallowed it. You kick yourself as you know all your needed to do was press the ‘save’ icon. A one second job we are all guilty of forgetting.
Why don’t we save our work?
Some of us might like to think living dangerously is a great thrill when it comes to backing up work. Will I lose my work or will it be gone? It’s like Russian roulette, but the consequences of the loss are far more dangerous. Just take a minute to imagine explaining to your boss you lost months of data entry work because you forgot to press save. That is one brave person.
Some of us get stuck in the moment where getting everything out in one hit is the most important thing. There could be a fire happening around you and you’d still be oblivious. You simply forget to save often. But the truth is we lose the information. Maybe it isn’t the first day, maybe it’s not the second day, or the third. It could be weeks without saving and then your computer catches a nasty virus. So is it worth saving the information? In one word, yes. It is a wise choice to save your files regularly.
For the more technical answer – the backing up your data on a regular basis will guarantee there is a paper trail. This is very useful for word documents (maybe you’re writing a book) or a spreadsheet with employee information. If your most recent file does become corrupted, you can carry on from a more recent place. Yes, that might be a day, but rather a day than a month in my person opinion.
How can I save the information?
You have a lot of options available to you including but not limited to: internal memory; the cloud; and external memory sticks. With all these options, one is bound to fit your memory recovery needs. From all this choice, it’s clear the world is offering you chances to save your own back.
With this very quick trick you have eliminated the risk of system crashing and losing your precious hours of productive work. (Or “none productive”, you might have a hobby).
How often should I save the data?
We are not saying you must click ‘Save’ every five words. This is distracting and it will ruin your train of thought. If anything that is as equally annoying to maintain. Instead, we recommend you save every hour and at a stretch every couple of hours. This will offer a strong back up system should anything untoward occur.
Expert note: If you struggle to remember to press save on an hourly basis, try and set an alarm that you can snooze. This might be annoying to start with and may feel like it is ruining your flow, however before long it will be a habit and you won’t have to worry about losing your place.
How much space will I need?
The space you require will depend on various factors; from how many files you typically produce in a day, to the size of the files. For example, if you produce ten files with pictures and graphics, having a bigger memory (one terabyte) might be the best option for your budget to make sure you do not lose your files. However, if you produce one file every month which is very small, using your internal memory system is fine too. It’s not how big it is, it’s how suitable it is for what you need.
Expert note: To ensure your computer is running at maximum speed we suggest you save off-site system for example an external hard drive or the cloud. This will stop the files from clogging up the processing system.
In conclusion, there are many ways to save yourself and your files, from disaster. Set yourself a timer, press save when it goes off and start a habit that will stop that stomach drop.
Don’t forget, if you have important or irreplaceable files or photos on your computer, my advice would be to back them up on a removable drive, (they don’t cost much nowadays), or to a cloud backup system like drop box and keep them in a separate location . If catastrophe should strike and your computer is stolen, damaged, the hard drive fails, (not uncommon), or you get infected with ransomware, then your files and precious photos will be gone forever!
