Too Busy for Backups?

by Helen Gallagher, © 2006
 
 

 

 

 

 



I always remind client to back up their data and months go by and they don’t do it.

I, myself, the Backup Evangelist, recently got behind and worked 4 days straight on several client projects, flipping joyfully, well almost, from one to the other. And guess what? I was to busy to backup. 

In understand what happens when we’re busy and multitasking: We’re working, people want to talk with us, there’s laundry to do, mail and bills piling up, and an empty refrigerator. Plus a social life, events, reading, and maybe even rest.

What happens when you’re too busy for too long?  You get so far away from the desired goal, you reset your expectations and tell yourself you’re too far behind to bother, or continue to say you’ll do it later.

In the time it took you to read this far, you could be done!

Here’s how easy it is:
  1. Finish the task or project you’re working on now
  2. Close the file or program
  3. Insert a USB memory stick into the USB slot.
  4. Click on My Documents, or your work folder.
  5. Drag it to the USB and your done.

Other backup methods:
  1. Use a PC Linq cable to copy between two computers
  2. In Windows XP, right click any file or folder and choose Send to CD
  3. Use a service like www.mydocsonline.com or your free storage space at Comcast, Google, Yahoo
In my busy 4-day, non-stop work spree mentioned above, I updated three client web sites, recorded new appointments in Act, made note of a confirmation number for tickets ordered, received several important communications and files via email,  directions to an office, raw data for two projects, requests for site modifications, ideas for future follow-up, interesting articles passed to me by friends, and correspondence I haven’t yet answered.   I had photos to add to a site, problems to research, input from client’s employees for revision to a client database, and notes I wrote after attending a training class.

Honestly, if I lost all that work, it wouldn't be a disaster, but I'd be pretty frustrated, and fall further behind.

By keeping all that work in one big “Computer Clarity” folder, I was able to drag just that one folder to a portable USB drive and know all my “work in progress” would be safe, even if the computer failed.

Good backups create valuable peace of mind.
Please??? Do it for me.