Uh, Oh Disaster
What would happen if you lost all of your photos? What about your financial and tax records? Most of us have these and many other important records and memories stored on our computers. If our hard drive was to fail, many of us would lose it all. Not a pretty picture and definitely not a way to add more “life to our years”.
What The Experts Say
Many computer experts recommend that we keep at least two backups of our vital files,just in case. That means we should have at least 1 external hard drive to backup the drive in our computer along with using the computer’s DVD or CD drive to make another copy. That’s all great, but what if your house burns down. If you have both backups of your files in the same house as your computer you will lose it all. The solution is to have one of your backups off site, away from your house. That’s where an online backup service can be helpful.
Lots Of Choices
I started investigating these services in September when one of my external backup drives just stopped working out of the blue. That got me thinking. So, I googled “online backup services”. What I found is that there are a number of companies offering online backup services. Most all of them offer some storage for free then charge for additional storage. One of the better reviews of the different options is ConsumerSearch.com. They have a fairly comprehensive list of reviews that are well written and discuss both the pros and cons of the different options.
A Worthy Contender
After my research I decided to go with Mozy for several reasons.
- Their software is easy to get installed on the computer.
- The control panel is intuitive and offers a lot of options.
- They offer 2 Gigabytes free and unlimited backup for $4.95/month
- They don’t ask for your credit card info, etc. if you use the free account
- The service has received excellent reviews.
Right now I am using the free account and have uploaded about 1.5 gigs of files to them. The next step is to upgrade to their “Home” account for $4.95/month and backup all of my photos and music.
I now feel a lot better about the security of my important files if something should happen. The software automatically backups the files or folders I request every day with out me needing to do anything. If you are considering using an online backup service you really need to have a broadband internet connection. If you have that, the process is fairly quick and straightforward. If you decide to try Mozy click on the “Home Users” tab on the upper right of the page then look for the “Mozy Home Free” button to sign up for their free service. If you need more space you can always get it.
Don’t Delay, Backup Today
Making backups of your important electronic files is very important. A lot of time, frustration, and money can be saved by making sure you can recover from a potential digital disaster. There are many different options, pick what works best for you, backup regularly, and sleep better at night.