Is it Time - - - - -

[-pops-]

- - - for one of my reminders about the importance of having a backup of your system - or at the very least, of your files and folders?

All too often people come on here with desperate tales of how their computer fails to work properly and all of their work has been lost. Obviously, those people won't be reading this but for everyone else, PLEASE, PLEASE always make sure you have a backup of your system.

Microsoft even make it easy for you by including a backup program in Windows itself so there really is no excuse not to have your computer protected by having an image of your hard drive(s). Windows backup may not be the best for you, of course, and there are a number of commercial programs available which will do the job somewhat better than the basic Windows offering - Acronis (see the tab at the top of the page) and Ghost come to mind. There are a number of others also available.

Make it a priority to have a backup. Don't think that it will never happen to you and that you will never need it - you will one day. For a lot of people, the day they need the backup is the day before they decide to make one so don't put it off.

Almost as important as having the backup is to have an up-to-date one. Don't think that once it's made you can forget about it. Your computer is constantly changing and how often you need to make your backup depends on much your computer changes. It may be every day or every week - it's up to you. The important thing is to have one.

[andsome]

A timely reminder. Your nagging had an effect on me a long time ago, and I purchased Acronis. I have had reason to be grateful for your nagging on several occasions since. I don't do the dreaded 'W' word on my computer, it is purely for enjoyment, but it has been very useful to have the operating system as such backed up, and it has come to my rescue more than once after I have been experimenting. :D :D :D

[deuces wild]

Thanks for the reminder pops. My last backup was in June. I am up to date now. B)