So, who out there after reading my recent article about backing up still doesn’t back up their data files? I emphasize it in discussions with clients, friends and colleagues - and yet many people still do not back up their data files or, if they do, it is not often enough.
Their excuses range from: they have no important files, they'll get to it, they don't want to spend the money. The big reason to back up your data is this: In the event of a hard drive failure, you have a backup copy of your data. Important documents, sentimental pictures of children, grandchildren and other loved ones will not be lost in the event your hard drive fails. If you are one of those who still do not back up your files, this is a must read.
Let's address each of these excuses one by one:
1. I have a good friend of mine who never backed up his files. His excuse was that he had no important files. Recently, he had an issue where he thought his hard drive had crashed. Suddenly, he had important files (including pictures from a recent trip) on his hard drive that he needed to save. Fortunately, the issue was not with his hard drive. His data was saved.
2. "I'll get to it" is another excuse I have heard a few times. This is a variation of “I don’t have the time.” Hopefully, when you get to it will be before your hard drive fails. If you have a hard drive failure, it is too late. If you are a heavy computer user, you should back up your data once a day. I know someone who had their tax return on their hard drive. He was going eventually do a backup. Unfortunately, the hard drive crashed and he lost his tax return and the worksheets he used to prepare it.
3. "I don't want to spend money on it." To paraphrase John Wooden, “If you don’t want to spend the money to back up your data, how about spending a whole lot more to get back the data should you have a hard drive failure?” That is if the data can be recovered. I checked with a national chain. If they can do the job in-house, the cost would be between $100 to $160 with it being ready in two to four days. If it needs to be sent to a data retrieval service, the cost can run as high as a few thousand dollars. It will not be ready in two to four days but two to three weeks. How long can you wait for your data? Your costs to backup your data may even be free. Backing up will greatly lessen the anxiety of a hard drive failure.
4. "I can get my files." A hard drive failure can occur without any previous warning. How will you get your data? See above paragraph for how long it would take and the cost.
The bottom line is you must have a backup in the event your hard drive fails. In the event of a failure, you will be glad you had that backup. What would be the cost to you of losing a resume, pictures of children and grandchildren, tax returns saved on your computer with worksheets, schedules, etc? Backing up will save you money, time and aggravation. If you know someone who does not back up their computer, please for their sake make them read this.
If you have additional questions about backing up your files, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com
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