Pages

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Why Is It Important To Backup Your Computer Data?

By Travis Van Slooten

You may not think you have a good reason to backup your computer information. You're not a bank protecting thousands of customers from losing their financial information, nor are you a government body storing personal data for millions of people. But that doesn't mean that the pictures and e-mails and recipes on your drive aren't priceless. To you, they hold memories perhaps of an entire lifetime. While losing those things may not impact anyone but you, you owe it to yourself to safeguard the things that you love. Protecting your computer's files is a necessity in the digital age when so many people keep so much of themselves on their computer.

Some have kept certain files for years. And this was always done in the same old process. First, you buy a stack of floppy disks or CDs which can be costly. You organize your files in such a way that everything in one category would fit into the disk space. Then, you label each disk before finally storing the information - which usually takes lots of space and hours of time. In storing your files, you need to be extra careful since a few scratches or a several drops of water could be enough to erase all your hard work and stored data. You may buy a protective safe for your disks but this would mean additional expenses on your part.

But technology has come a long way when it comes to storage space. Now, you can buy external hard drives which will plug in to almost any computer you can find and work immediately. And all of your data is organized in folders, just like on your home computer's built-in drive. No more sorting through stacks of CDs and floppies. You can also get these drives in sizes that were unheard of until recently. Some drives can hold multiple terabytes of information, more than almost anyone could possibly need. For instance one terabyte drive could store over 200,000 photos at 5 megabytes each.

However, not everybody is open to buying a new and costly hard drive. Yes, it offers comfort to most people since it allows you to keep all of your files at your reach, but hard drives can also be daunting to some people.

The good news is, there are companies which provide user-friendly ways to store your data online. Through their services, you can back-up your computer by using their storage devices. You do not have to worry about getting your files hacked because most of these companies house their servers in highly protected areas which make them nearly immune to corruption or damage. Your files are definitely kept safer with them than keeping them inside your office room.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment