ccSolutions: Backup, backup, backup

Its an age old (well, computer age anyway) story. A computer crashes and the owner is struck with the realization that all their files, photos, tax information --- all of it, is gone. I really can't count the number of times I've had to tell a customer that we're in 'data recovery mode' with no guarantee of any success.

Even as reliable as computers generally are, they won't last forever. A single power-surge can scramble your hard drive in a flash, and power strips, even with "surge protection" will never prevent this. Laptops are especially susceptible to data loss. The reasons and possibilities for disaster are enormous!

So your only defense is to be diligent about backing up, making copies, of your most important data. This concept might seem daunting, but there are so many easy ways to protect yourself than nobody has an excuse for not backing up except perhaps laziness. Sorry, but that is the most common excuse.

There are two common ways to perform a backup. The first is a comprehensive method that makes an entire 'image' of your whole computer. If anything goes wrong, you fix the problem then restore the image backup and your computer is exactly as it was at the moment of the last backup. This method is probably the best since it saves a lot of time and heartache after the disaster, but it also requires the most investment in time and money. The other option is to copy just those files that are important to you. This can usually be done quickly with very little cost.