Backup! Backup! Backup!

Backup! Backup! Backup!

Keep Your Files Safe For The Future

When did you last do a backup? Last week? Last month? Last year?
Do you know where all your digital files are if something happens to your devices? Are you able to find, use, or access your files from 15 years ago? From 20 years ago? – have you checked they still work?
In 20 years time will you know where to find your important digital document XYZ? Or those funny photos of Uncle Fred?
It’s never too early to do a backup!

IT HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND...
Recently a friend bought his first smartphone. He had a wonderful month learning how to use it and taking photos at several special family events and gatherings. He thought he'd got the hang of it. He didn't backup any photos - why rush... Then: Sunday evening he was having a look at his phone and clicked a button that said something about wipe phone (he wasn't sure what it meant). Next thing - the phone was deleting all his contacts, phone messages, photos etc. He visited professionals in town - no-one could help and they all confirmed everything had been deleted. Luckily he'd only lost a month of photos and contacts. Only the shock and embarrassment remains - he would like to remain anonymous.

MY STORY
I’ve been caught out a couple of times when my computer has died unexpectedly. The first time was about ten years ago, and back then all my emails were downloaded to my computer. Well, I hadn’t backed up in several months and hadn’t printed out many emails – nor kept a record of email addresses. I lost loads of important stuff! Plus access to all my old software (Apps). After that I was more careful to backup and got myself my first external hard-drive (I now have 3!).
That worked well until my second computer started struggling. I knew it was on the way out, but I was so busy with my new job and a dying relative that I just didn’t have time to do a full backup - so, I just backed up the essentials. A week later – huge regrets! Again I lost loads of stuff I’d not backed up in about a month or more. I didn’t lose as much as the first time, because I had been doing some backups – just not as often as I should have.
Warning! Don’t be like me! Backup today!

It’s never too early to do a backup!

There are several ways to Back-up your files for the future.
Spread the risk and use a variety of methods.
And, don't forget to backup your phone photos and contact details.

QUICKIE BACKUP
For a quickie on the run and not for long-term storage use data-sticks. They can hold loads of stuff and can be easily stored away. They are also easy to lose and can go corrupt (and lose your files) - avoid relying on data-sticks for important stuff.
  
PORTABLE HARD-DRIVE BACKUP
An easy effective way to backup is with a Portable Hard-drive (also called external hard-drive). They are easy to access and you can add to it whenever it suits you.

• Buy a small portable hard-drive. They’re about $100 and are so huge they will probably last you for years.
  
• Make a folder on the hard-drive labelled ‘Backup2017’ and set all files from your computer to copy into it.
• Go and make a cup of tea or coffee while the copies are copying...
• Also copy any data-stick files and phone photos into the Backup folder.
  
• When all copying is complete, put the portable harddrive somewhere safe or leave it at a friend’s place. Done!

  
PRINTS AND DVDS
A fun form of DIY backup is to print photos and documents and give copies to family and friends. You could make them into framed photo gifts, gift photo packs, or printed gift books (a fun easy-to-do online project). Also make DVDs of digital photos and/or important documents and share these too.
  
ONLINE BACKUPS
There are many different online backup services available, some automatic, and some free. The main benefits are that your files will still be accessible if something happens to your device, and you can connect to your files from anywhere in the world. Some forms of social media can also be considered backups – like Flickr, where you can save high resolution photos online, sort them, and choose how to share them.
  
BACKUPS ELSEWHERE
Along with the copy of your files that you store in a different place from your everyday device, you may also want a backup of important files kept somewhere else – for example at a friend or family member’s house. Just in case something happens – and the internet, office, and home are temporarily not accessible…

Digital Filing

Some of us now have loads of stuff on our computers. In 20 years’ time will you know where to find document XYZ - that you’re sure you carefully saved somewhere? It may be time to have a clean-up and sort all that stuff into digital storage boxes (Folders).
Consider sorting files and images into topics that will still make sense in 30 years, or to relatives in 100 years! Naming files accurately can help –180 different Poems called 'Poem' may not get the care they deserve in the future.
  
FILING FOR THE FUTURE:

• Keep all original photos as they are (the camera code name is fine) and place them in a folder labelled ‘Originals’.
• Rename any other files that have non-descriptive names – for example, Ten files named CV could be named by date or type (whatever makes sense to you).
• Consider the main topics of your files, and make folders for each, for example: Photos, Family, Work, hobbies…
  
• Consider the topics within these files, and make folders for each, for example: Work – CV, Documentation, Photos, Correspondence, Projects, Clients…
• Move files into the most appropriate folder. Done!

Digital Updates

Important files, like CVs or that Novel you wrote, may need updating to the latest technology before you lose the ability to view and use the file (If you have a portfolio of your artworks from the 90s on a floppy disc and created in Pagemaker it may already be too late to update it to modern tech!).
Photos or pictures can be saved as TIFF files or JPG or JPEG files.
You may like to check old files, like Word, will still open in modern software (I've begun to experience problems with files from the turn of the century!). Plain Txt files last longer than Rich Text files - and PDF files also last well.
  
CHECK OLD FILES STILL WORK:

• Open an old document in your modern version of the Software/App.
• Check is everything where or what it should be.
  
• Save a new version and give it a new name, or add a number 2 to the name (to signify it’s an updated version of the original file).

Happy backing Up!