Back Up Your Computer

Why should you backup your computer? I think you know why. The real question is, why have not you backed up your computer? Technology is great, but it is unstable. Important information is lost in a glitch, and accidental click of "delete", or when the whole thing just crashes. Viruses are also prolific and can wreak havoc on your computer if you catch one. Creating disc and offsite backups is crucial for your peace of mind and safety.
How Backups Save Your Work
There are the obvious things you lose when a hard drive crashes, including documents, photos, videos, etc. What you may not have thought of are drivers, browsers and email. The drivers are the software that communicate between your computer and peripherals hooked up to it, like a printer or scanner. You do not want to have to dig through manufacturer information to install those again.
Most computer users have a web browser or two that they prefer, and they have customized it with bookmarks and settings. A backup means you do not have to look for those favorite websites again or redo all your favorite settings. And if you have some important emails you do not want to lose, make sure to duplicate those as well.
It is Easier Than You Think
Disc or Flash Drive: If you have a blank CD, DVD, or flash drive lying around you can get started by picking and choosing specific files you want to copy. These will not automatically update files when you change them though.
External Drive: An external hard drive will backup your whole drive and, as long as the drive is plugged in, the system will automatically update itself. Choose one that has about twice as much memory as your computer so that there is plenty of space as you continue to add more data. Attach the drive and a window should pop up that gives you the option of creating a backup. On Windows you can search for "Backup and Restore" from the start menu. With a Mac go to the "Time Machine" through System Preferences. Then choose the "Select Backup Disc" option.
Synchronization: Dropbox and SugarSync are two free programs that automatically sync your files between all your PCs. They even have some online storage (you can buy more) so that you do not lose everything if your computer crashes.
Online Storage Services: These services solve the problem of having your backup next to your computer and thus susceptible to fire and theft. Backing up your whole computer can be excruciatingly slow, but you can then access your data from anywhere. Google Drive and iCloud offer some initial space for free, with additional space available at a cost.
There are a few other ways to back up your system and there are a plethora of software options. Get started with the basics. Pick up one of your extra flash drives or install Dropbox and start copying files over. Don't just make one backup. The more ways you duplicate your files, the more likely you can access it when you need it. Do not wait any longer. Just do it!