Everyone knows that there are three common sense rules we should always follow, and yet we break them anyway. That’s right, I’m talking about:
- Always pack your own parachute
- Never leave the boa constrictor free to wander around when your kids are home alone
- Always have a current and dependable backup of your computer data
I can’t help you remember the first two, but Dumb Little Man recently summarized seven convenient ways to keep our most important data backed up. The highlights:
- Google Docs/Zoho. Storing documents using Web app a like Google Docs is akin to a free backup service.
- USB. Yes, this is a good one. Personally, I keep a 2GB memory key permanently inserted in my computer. Apps that want to do recurring backups (like Quicken) write their data there, and I use the USB key for all the mission critical backups that I’d need if my computer unexpectedly burst into flames.
- CD/DVD. A good choice for archiving photos
- Online storage. Another good one: Rick has already mentioned Mozy, a cheap and dependable online backup solution.
- External hard drive. They’re so big and cheap you can afford to own several and back up your data to different drives on alternating days for virtually bulletproof coverage.
Photo by Army.mil
