How to Save and Store Digital Files Before You Lose Them
Once your computer crashes or meets another destructive fate, it's too late to back up your photos and files. If you have family photos, documents, music, art work, or any other irreplaceable data on your computer, you need to back it up. Even losing an entire library of bookmarks can be devastating when your computer crashes. Prepare for the worst case scenario and back up your data before you lose it.
- Passwords - If you print out your passwords from a file or an address book keep the list in lock box with a key, along with your other financial documents.
- Photos - You may email photos to yourself or upload your digital camera regularly to your computer, for future printing. Back up your photos once a month, or once a week you tend to take a lot of photos. Store photos on an external hard drive. Also store them on disks.
- Everyday Files - Store copies of documents, spreadsheets and presentations using an online service. You can keep copies of many files types at Google Docs or Zoho for free. Keep copies on a flash drive as well, to save yourself from missing school or work deadlines if your computer goes down.
CD-RW Discs for Photos
Use Memorex SimpleSave Photo & Back-Up Discs to back up photos. You can save to these DVD-R discs only once, so make sure you have all the files you want before burning. You will need a DVD burner that can burn DVD-R/W. You also need to have Windows.
CD-R
Use the CD-R to back up music, photos or files. Burn once a month and then save. If you plan to remove the digital files from your computer, make two copies.
CD-RW
Use a CD-RW if you want to be able to add more files to the same disc later on. This is a useful way to back up files. Do not use this method if you tend to remove old files or photos from your computer after burning, as you may end up losing data that only exists on the disc. If you would rather just back up files to a new disc each time, use CD-R. They are cheaper and you won't have to worry about accidentally overwriting existing data.
SanDisk
Use a SanDisk Cruzer USB Flash Drive to back up the files you use every day. You can take files with you from home to the office, or to school. Use it the library or other public computers. Having access to your important files keeps you from being tied to one computer should something happen to it.
Apple Time Capsule
Back up everything on your Apple Time Capsule. This one is for Macs, but there is one for PCs, too. The best part of this product is that it will back up your files automatically. If you tend to forget about backing up your data, or simply don't have the time, you need a smart back up system like the Apple Time Capsule.
Seagate BlackArmor External Hard Drive
This top-rated external hard drive from Seagate is fast and furious. It carries a comforting 5-year warranty, is secure and it's easy to use.
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