Not “IF’ but “When”

I know for many of you my comments this week will seem like a “broken record.”  If you understand the analogy then the message is definitely for you.  If you have no idea what a “broken record” is or you think it is some computer file corruption, you can just ask some over the age of 50.

The explosion in the use of smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices has made many of us comfortable with using the “cloud” to store our data.  Rather than all of our files, pictures, emails and other digital stuff being stores only on the device they are “backed up” in the cloud and as a result are relatively secure.   At the same time however for those who still us a desk top or lap top computer, the importance of backing up our stuff is still often overlooked.

As reliable and robust we might think these devices are, all are only a power surge or hard drive crash away from disaster. Your tax forms, banking information and priceless pictures of Aunt Esmeralda all can be lost forever.  A backup routine is absolutely a necessity and can be accomplished easily and inexpensively.

The most inexpensive method but one that I don’t recommend is to do weekly backups on an external Hard Drive or DVD.  There are two reasons I don’t recommend this method First, you will most likely keep the backup copies in the same room as the computer thus fire, flood or other calamity will destroy the computer and the backups.  The second reason is that you won’t have the discipline to do the backups.

The best way to make sure you are protected is to subscribe to an online cloud based service.   There are several.  I use a service called Carbonite  but there are many other companies that have similar or the same services and features.  You can google “Cloud Backup Services” to get a list.

For an annual cost of about $60 your computer files are automatically backed up and stored in the cloud.   Once installed you don’t need to remember to do a backup it is done whenever a file is created or changed.   You can identify all files for backup or only selected files.  Once in the cloud these files are available to you form any computer connected to the internet.  Of course if your computer crashes all the files can be retrieved and stored on the repaired or new replacement computer.

For those who have experience loss of important data backing up becomes a high priority.  For those who have not had the problem it is not a case of “if” but only “when” this will become your priority.

 

Not “IF’ but “When”

I know for many of you my comments this week will seem like a “broken record.”  If you understand the analogy then the message is definitely for you.  If you have no idea what a “broken record” is or you think it is some computer file corruption, you can just ask some over the age of 50.

The explosion in the use of smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices has made many of us comfortable with using the “cloud” to store our data.  Rather than all of our files, pictures, emails and other digital stuff being stores only on the device they are “backed up” in the cloud and as a result are relatively secure.   At the same time however for those who still us a desk top or lap top computer, the importance of backing up our stuff is still often overlooked.

As reliable and robust we might think these devices are, all are only a power surge or hard drive crash away from disaster. Your tax forms, banking information and priceless pictures of Aunt Esmeralda all can be lost forever.  A backup routine is absolutely a necessity and can be accomplished easily and inexpensively.

The most inexpensive method but one that I don’t recommend is to do weekly backups on an external Hard Drive or DVD.  There are two reasons I don’t recommend this method First, you will most likely keep the backup copies in the same room as the computer thus fire, flood or other calamity will destroy the computer and the backups.  The second reason is that you won’t have the discipline to do the backups.

The best way to make sure you are protected is to subscribe to an online cloud based service.   There are several.  I use a service called Carbonite  but there are many other companies that have similar or the same services and features.  You can google “Cloud Backup Services” to get a list.

For an annual cost of about $60 your computer files are automatically backed up and stored in the cloud.   Once installed you don’t need to remember to do a backup it is done whenever a file is created or changed.   You can identify all files for backup or only selected files.  Once in the cloud these files are available to you form any computer connected to the internet.  Of course if your computer crashes all the files can be retrieved and stored on the repaired or new replacement computer.

For those who have experience loss of important data backing up becomes a high priority.  For those who have not had the problem it is not a case of “if” but only “when” this will become your priority.

 

Don't Let Your Data Get Lost in the Cloud

Last week we discussed some major changes in the way we access, use, and store information on our home and/or office computers or on many other digital devices. Since I first discussed cloud computing in this column about six months ago, this trend continues to accelerate. Our data, once stored on drives within our computers, are now stored on the cloud. The cloud being one of many large servers interconnected via the Internet.

For sure, the benefits of using the cloud for storage are many. Our pictures, music, documents and financial records are safely stored and backed up. They can be accessed from anyplace we can get access to the Internet. When the computer fails or our smart phone is lost, we still have all the information. Sounds good to me.

But, using these free and pay cloud services can make us lazy and may provide a false sense of security. Remember, you must have access to the Internet to have access to your data. I know that at my house and office Internet access is reliable but there are times when it is not available. Storms, power outages, failures with Cincinnati Bell or Time Warner’s equipment can keep us off the net.

Most of the free or low cost cloud services do not guarantee that data will always be there. While it is unlikely, even large servers with many levels of redundancy can experience catastrophic failures. Why take a chance?

The best way to be sure that your data is safe and accessible is to make sure that you keep back up copies. Storing family pictures on Flickr or Snapfish is a wonderful way to organize and share your pictures with loved ones, but these Internet services should not be the only place you have copies.

For important files like family photos or financial or tax information, you should make copies and place them in a safe place. Since most computers can burn DVD or CD discs, you can periodically make copies for only pennies. In fact, making two copies of the files takes only a minute or two. You keep one and ask a relative or friend to keep the second copy. Most of us can store all the critical files we need on a few discs so it is not a real burden to ask a friend to keep an 8x10 envelope containing the DVDs in their closet or sock drawer.

If for some reason you can’t gain access to your files stored in the cloud and your DVD copy is damaged by fire or flood, the second copy stored at another location will be a life saver. It really comes down to the old saying: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Don't Let Your Data Get Lost in the Cloud

Last week we discussed some major changes in the way we access, use, and store information on our home and/or office computers or on many other digital devices. Since I first discussed cloud computing in this column about six months ago, this trend continues to accelerate. Our data, once stored on drives within our computers, are now stored on the cloud. The cloud being one of many large servers interconnected via the Internet.

For sure, the benefits of using the cloud for storage are many. Our pictures, music, documents and financial records are safely stored and backed up. They can be accessed from anyplace we can get access to the Internet. When the computer fails or our smart phone is lost, we still have all the information. Sounds good to me.

But, using these free and pay cloud services can make us lazy and may provide a false sense of security. Remember, you must have access to the Internet to have access to your data. I know that at my house and office Internet access is reliable but there are times when it is not available. Storms, power outages, failures with Cincinnati Bell or Time Warner’s equipment can keep us off the net.

Most of the free or low cost cloud services do not guarantee that data will always be there. While it is unlikely, even large servers with many levels of redundancy can experience catastrophic failures. Why take a chance?

The best way to be sure that your data is safe and accessible is to make sure that you keep back up copies. Storing family pictures on Flickr or Snapfish is a wonderful way to organize and share your pictures with loved ones, but these Internet services should not be the only place you have copies.

For important files like family photos or financial or tax information, you should make copies and place them in a safe place. Since most computers can burn DVD or CD discs, you can periodically make copies for only pennies. In fact, making two copies of the files takes only a minute or two. You keep one and ask a relative or friend to keep the second copy. Most of us can store all the critical files we need on a few discs so it is not a real burden to ask a friend to keep an 8x10 envelope containing the DVDs in their closet or sock drawer.

If for some reason you can’t gain access to your files stored in the cloud and your DVD copy is damaged by fire or flood, the second copy stored at another location will be a life saver. It really comes down to the old saying: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

June is Back Up Awareness Month

Since I no longer have three teen age boys to nag, perhaps I am giving in to my repressed parental urges this week. No, I won’t tell you to be sure to buckle your seat belt (but you should) and I will take out my own garbage. I won’t lecture you about clean underwear and my embarrassment if you get hit by a car. Even though I have written about this often, I am repeating my plea for you to back up your computer files.

June is “Back Up Awareness Month.” Perhaps a better moniker would be “Back Up Unawareness Month,” since according to studies in 2010 only about one in three individuals back up computer files at least once a month. In 2008 it was only one in four so the trend is going in the right direction. Nevertheless, two-thirds of us still don’t back up our files.

The old saw regarding data storage is worth repeating. “It is not a question if your hard drive will fail, it is only a question when.” The hard drive storage in any computer device, lap top, desk top, game system or Tivo, is the most failure prone component. The reason is that it is a mechanical device with moving parts and some very precise movements at that.

In the past, back up was a real pain and often expensive. That is no longer the case. There are several options, some of them very sophisticated, others quite simple.

One of the easiest solutions is to purchase an external hard drive that has automatic back up built in. These drives connect with your computer and every time you create a file a copy is stored both on the internal hard drive and the external drive. Since the likelihood of both drives failing at the same time is remote, this is a good choice. You can purchase one of these drives at any computer store or office goods store for about 100 bucks. Of course this does not help if your have a fire or flood at your house.

In previous columns I have talked about services that literally back up everything you do by connecting your computer via the Internet to a secure, redundant data storage site. Most of these services charge a fee for the service and your computer has to be online. The chief benefit of these services is that your data is always located at another location. So a fire or flood at your house does not wipe out your files.

If nothing else for important records like taxes, bank information or family pictures, make a copy on a CD or DVD. Be sure to store it either in a fire and water proof case or place it in an envelope and ask a friend or relative to keep it for you.

I know I am nagging. Just chalk it up to old age. Oh yes, one more thing. Be sure your socks don’t have holes in them!

June is Back Up Awareness Month

Since I no longer have three teen age boys to nag, perhaps I am giving in to my repressed parental urges this week. No, I won’t tell you to be sure to buckle your seat belt (but you should) and I will take out my own garbage. I won’t lecture you about clean underwear and my embarrassment if you get hit by a car. Even though I have written about this often, I am repeating my plea for you to back up your computer files.

June is “Back Up Awareness Month.” Perhaps a better moniker would be “Back Up Unawareness Month,” since according to studies in 2010 only about one in three individuals back up computer files at least once a month. In 2008 it was only one in four so the trend is going in the right direction. Nevertheless, two-thirds of us still don’t back up our files.

The old saw regarding data storage is worth repeating. “It is not a question if your hard drive will fail, it is only a question when.” The hard drive storage in any computer device, lap top, desk top, game system or Tivo, is the most failure prone component. The reason is that it is a mechanical device with moving parts and some very precise movements at that.

In the past, back up was a real pain and often expensive. That is no longer the case. There are several options, some of them very sophisticated, others quite simple.

One of the easiest solutions is to purchase an external hard drive that has automatic back up built in. These drives connect with your computer and every time you create a file a copy is stored both on the internal hard drive and the external drive. Since the likelihood of both drives failing at the same time is remote, this is a good choice. You can purchase one of these drives at any computer store or office goods store for about 100 bucks. Of course this does not help if your have a fire or flood at your house.

In previous columns I have talked about services that literally back up everything you do by connecting your computer via the Internet to a secure, redundant data storage site. Most of these services charge a fee for the service and your computer has to be online. The chief benefit of these services is that your data is always located at another location. So a fire or flood at your house does not wipe out your files.

If nothing else for important records like taxes, bank information or family pictures, make a copy on a CD or DVD. Be sure to store it either in a fire and water proof case or place it in an envelope and ask a friend or relative to keep it for you.

I know I am nagging. Just chalk it up to old age. Oh yes, one more thing. Be sure your socks don’t have holes in them!

An End of Year Suggestion

I realize that this is a very busy time of the year; nevertheless I have a suggestion that might save you countless hours of work and frustration. It will only take a few minutes and hopefully you will never need the product of your work.

With more and more of us using our computers and other digital devices for tasks once the province of paper and ink, we accumulate a tremendous amount of digital stuff. There are the electronic pay check stubs, tax reports, bank statements, electronic bills and bill payment documentation and let’s not forget all those names and addresses. Pictures from Johnny’s piano recital or Suzie’s soccer match are stored somewhere on your computer rather than in the shoe box on the top shelf of the closet.

It is great to have all these things available at the click of a mouse. It is disastrous when that doesn’t work…when your data storage fails.

The solution is to pay attention to the old saw “never put all your eggs in one basket.” Make sure you have more than one basket and make sure that all the “eggs” are in each. In other words, back up your data!

There are many ways to do this. There are services that literally back up everything you do by connecting your computer via the Internet to a secure, redundant data storage site. Most of these charge for the service and your computer has to be online. Rather than to try to cover all the features here you can go to PC Magazine’s web site, it has a good summary of these services at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp

There are other simpler and less expensive options. The easiest is to make copies of the important files on inexpensive CDs or DVDs. Most computers have drives that will “burn” CDs. Since they are so inexpensive I suggest making two copies and making sure that you don’t store them in the same place.

You can also use Flash Drives. These little devices plug into the USB port and can hold a tremendous amount of data. They do, however, have a finite number of read/write cycles (in the thousands).

You may wish to consider the purchase of a USB external hard drive. The prices of these devices have plummeted to a point that you can get a 1 terabyte drive for about $100. Unless you have lots of videos to save, a 1 terabyte drive will handle all your “digital stuff.” Remember that these are mechanical devices and as such can fail. So it is still a good idea to have the most important files also backed up in some more robust format like a CD or DVD.

Again, you may never need these back ups. I hope you don’t. If you do need them you will be happy you spent the time.

An End of Year Suggestion

I realize that this is a very busy time of the year; nevertheless I have a suggestion that might save you countless hours of work and frustration. It will only take a few minutes and hopefully you will never need the product of your work.

With more and more of us using our computers and other digital devices for tasks once the province of paper and ink, we accumulate a tremendous amount of digital stuff. There are the electronic pay check stubs, tax reports, bank statements, electronic bills and bill payment documentation and let’s not forget all those names and addresses. Pictures from Johnny’s piano recital or Suzie’s soccer match are stored somewhere on your computer rather than in the shoe box on the top shelf of the closet.

It is great to have all these things available at the click of a mouse. It is disastrous when that doesn’t work…when your data storage fails.

The solution is to pay attention to the old saw “never put all your eggs in one basket.” Make sure you have more than one basket and make sure that all the “eggs” are in each. In other words, back up your data!

There are many ways to do this. There are services that literally back up everything you do by connecting your computer via the Internet to a secure, redundant data storage site. Most of these charge for the service and your computer has to be online. Rather than to try to cover all the features here you can go to PC Magazine’s web site, it has a good summary of these services at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp

There are other simpler and less expensive options. The easiest is to make copies of the important files on inexpensive CDs or DVDs. Most computers have drives that will “burn” CDs. Since they are so inexpensive I suggest making two copies and making sure that you don’t store them in the same place.

You can also use Flash Drives. These little devices plug into the USB port and can hold a tremendous amount of data. They do, however, have a finite number of read/write cycles (in the thousands).

You may wish to consider the purchase of a USB external hard drive. The prices of these devices have plummeted to a point that you can get a 1 terabyte drive for about $100. Unless you have lots of videos to save, a 1 terabyte drive will handle all your “digital stuff.” Remember that these are mechanical devices and as such can fail. So it is still a good idea to have the most important files also backed up in some more robust format like a CD or DVD.

Again, you may never need these back ups. I hope you don’t. If you do need them you will be happy you spent the time.

When Your Computer Info Vanishes Part 2

Last week we began a discussion of the vulnerabilities of the hard drive in your computer and how it is not a matter of if your computer hard drive will fail; it is a matter of when it will fail. The hard drive is a critical component of any computer. It stores information that allows the computer to run programs, surf the web and perhaps most important, it serves as the “file cabinet” for all your pictures, letters, financial information and even recipes for the holiday ham. It remains one of the few parts that is mechanical in nature. That is, it has moving parts. Moving parts break. When they break your information is essentially lost.

Last week we discussed establishing a routine for backing up your information to a CD. This week let’s look at some other options.

I can remember not too many years ago delighting in the fact that hard drive prices had dropped to all time lows. You could buy a new hard drive and pay “only $1 for each megabyte” of storage. Well may of us in the technology field thought we had died and gone to heaven. How things have changed. I got a flyer in the mail the other day featuring $99 price for a 380 gigabyte hard drive that connects to your computer using the standard USB port. Quick math shows that the cost of each megabyte of storage is now at 1 cent. (Would that gas and milk prices followed this trend.) This makes backing up your information to a portable hard drive a great option.

These new portable models are about the size of a small paper back book and need no power other than what it gets from your computer’s USB port. You just plug it in and you can copy valuable data to the drive and put the drive away for safe keeping. Keep in mind that this portable hard drive is a mechanical device prone to failure, but since you will not be using this drive for other tasks, its innards should last a lot longer than the hard drive in you computer.

Another simple and quick back up strategy is to keep one of the inexpensive “memory sticks” dedicated to backing up selected data. This is not a good solution for long term storage as there is a finite number of read/write cycles these little plug in devices can handle. Since they are cheap and hold lots of information, they do provide some level or peace of mind.

So there are many options for “where” to keep your back up information files. The real issue lies in having the discipline to actually do the backing up. As discussed last week, for financial information it is good to back up each session. For other information most of us will just not take the time to weekly or even monthly back up even though we know we should. Well Internet comes to our rescue again. There are on line services that will do all of this for you.

There are several inexpensive on line services that you can subscribe to that will do all your backup up for you. Once you subscribe, you identify what files you want to have backed up. Software downloaded from the back up web page is installed on your computer. Each hour or minute, or day or week, etc., (you decide) your computer sends copies of the selected files to this back up service where they are stored and available for retrieval if you need them. Most services charge by the amount of data you have stored on their system. You will need to have an internet connection and if your files are large, this connection should be a broadband. (e.g. RoadRunner or Cincinnati Bell DSL. Some that are popular are: www.datadepositbox.com , www.carbonite.com and www.mozy.com. ) Since I have not used any of these services I can not recommend any of these but they are all reputable companies.

Whatever way you choose to do it, you do need to back up your valuable information. The amount of time, frustration and money that you will spend to try to recover lost data is significant and in many cases you will not be able to get it back.

When Your Computer Info Vanishes Part 2

Last week we began a discussion of the vulnerabilities of the hard drive in your computer and how it is not a matter of if your computer hard drive will fail; it is a matter of when it will fail. The hard drive is a critical component of any computer. It stores information that allows the computer to run programs, surf the web and perhaps most important, it serves as the “file cabinet” for all your pictures, letters, financial information and even recipes for the holiday ham. It remains one of the few parts that is mechanical in nature. That is, it has moving parts. Moving parts break. When they break your information is essentially lost.

Last week we discussed establishing a routine for backing up your information to a CD. This week let’s look at some other options.

I can remember not too many years ago delighting in the fact that hard drive prices had dropped to all time lows. You could buy a new hard drive and pay “only $1 for each megabyte” of storage. Well may of us in the technology field thought we had died and gone to heaven. How things have changed. I got a flyer in the mail the other day featuring $99 price for a 380 gigabyte hard drive that connects to your computer using the standard USB port. Quick math shows that the cost of each megabyte of storage is now at 1 cent. (Would that gas and milk prices followed this trend.) This makes backing up your information to a portable hard drive a great option.

These new portable models are about the size of a small paper back book and need no power other than what it gets from your computer’s USB port. You just plug it in and you can copy valuable data to the drive and put the drive away for safe keeping. Keep in mind that this portable hard drive is a mechanical device prone to failure, but since you will not be using this drive for other tasks, its innards should last a lot longer than the hard drive in you computer.

Another simple and quick back up strategy is to keep one of the inexpensive “memory sticks” dedicated to backing up selected data. This is not a good solution for long term storage as there is a finite number of read/write cycles these little plug in devices can handle. Since they are cheap and hold lots of information, they do provide some level or peace of mind.

So there are many options for “where” to keep your back up information files. The real issue lies in having the discipline to actually do the backing up. As discussed last week, for financial information it is good to back up each session. For other information most of us will just not take the time to weekly or even monthly back up even though we know we should. Well Internet comes to our rescue again. There are on line services that will do all of this for you.

There are several inexpensive on line services that you can subscribe to that will do all your backup up for you. Once you subscribe, you identify what files you want to have backed up. Software downloaded from the back up web page is installed on your computer. Each hour or minute, or day or week, etc., (you decide) your computer sends copies of the selected files to this back up service where they are stored and available for retrieval if you need them. Most services charge by the amount of data you have stored on their system. You will need to have an internet connection and if your files are large, this connection should be a broadband. (e.g. RoadRunner or Cincinnati Bell DSL. Some that are popular are: www.datadepositbox.com , www.carbonite.com and www.mozy.com. ) Since I have not used any of these services I can not recommend any of these but they are all reputable companies.

Whatever way you choose to do it, you do need to back up your valuable information. The amount of time, frustration and money that you will spend to try to recover lost data is significant and in many cases you will not be able to get it back.

When Your Computer Info Vanishes

There is a saying in “geek” circles. “It is not a matter of if your computer hard drive will fail; it is a matter of when it will fail. Few components in today’s desktop computers get more wear and tear than the hard drive and few components are more important. The hard drive in a desk top computer runs whenever the computer is turned on. It adds and deletes information to its “innards” hundreds, even thousands, of times during a single hour of operation. Designers and engineers make them smaller and smaller with their storage capacity larger and larger. The dirty little secret is that this is one of the few components in a computer that is mechanical in nature. That is, it has moving parts. Moving parts break. When they break your information is locked forever in the recesses of this little box with very little probability that it can ever be retrieved, at least for us mere mortals without pocket protectors and with finite pocketbooks.

Not too many years ago when the capacities of hard drives were much less robust, we were forced to remove information stored there in order to have space for new stuff. We may have copied the information on to floppy discs or some other media. Today, when the standard hard drive in the most basic computer can hold enough information to fill a small town library, it is easy to forget about it. You will forget about it at your peril. The drive will fail. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but it will fail.

There are simple things you can do to protect your information. Here are some examples.

If you use your computer to manage your finances and use software like QuickBooks®, Quicken® or Managing your Money®, you can establish a simple routine. Each time you make changes to your data (i.e. pay bills, write checks, do online banking, etc.) go ahead and save your data to the hard drive, but before you exit the program, back up that data. All these software packages have simple back up commands. Once you get into the routine this adds less than a minute to your work.

I suggest that the best media to back up to is a simple CD data disc. Most new computers have a CD drive that will record data to a CD. You must have a blank CD that is formatted to READ and WRITE data. The blank discs will have printed on the package “CD-R/W.” CD-R discs can only be recorded on one time; CD-R/W discs are just like floppy discs or memory sticks, you can record on them many times

The same should be done each year when you do your taxes on your computer. Rather than keeping all the data on the hard drive, copy it to a CD and put it in a safe place. Hopefully you will never need to use it again. If Uncle Sam calls, you will have it ready.

Many of us now use our computers as family photo albums. Again, to have all your photos stored on the hard drive is very dangerous unless you plan to get into the “witness protection program” and don’t want pictures of you to exits. If you group your photos in file directories by date or subject matter, it is an easy task to make copies of those directories on CDs.

There are services that will do all of this for you if you have internet access. We will look at these services and other back up tips next week.

When Your Computer Info Vanishes

There is a saying in “geek” circles. “It is not a matter of if your computer hard drive will fail; it is a matter of when it will fail. Few components in today’s desktop computers get more wear and tear than the hard drive and few components are more important. The hard drive in a desk top computer runs whenever the computer is turned on. It adds and deletes information to its “innards” hundreds, even thousands, of times during a single hour of operation. Designers and engineers make them smaller and smaller with their storage capacity larger and larger. The dirty little secret is that this is one of the few components in a computer that is mechanical in nature. That is, it has moving parts. Moving parts break. When they break your information is locked forever in the recesses of this little box with very little probability that it can ever be retrieved, at least for us mere mortals without pocket protectors and with finite pocketbooks.

Not too many years ago when the capacities of hard drives were much less robust, we were forced to remove information stored there in order to have space for new stuff. We may have copied the information on to floppy discs or some other media. Today, when the standard hard drive in the most basic computer can hold enough information to fill a small town library, it is easy to forget about it. You will forget about it at your peril. The drive will fail. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but it will fail.

There are simple things you can do to protect your information. Here are some examples.

If you use your computer to manage your finances and use software like QuickBooks®, Quicken® or Managing your Money®, you can establish a simple routine. Each time you make changes to your data (i.e. pay bills, write checks, do online banking, etc.) go ahead and save your data to the hard drive, but before you exit the program, back up that data. All these software packages have simple back up commands. Once you get into the routine this adds less than a minute to your work.

I suggest that the best media to back up to is a simple CD data disc. Most new computers have a CD drive that will record data to a CD. You must have a blank CD that is formatted to READ and WRITE data. The blank discs will have printed on the package “CD-R/W.” CD-R discs can only be recorded on one time; CD-R/W discs are just like floppy discs or memory sticks, you can record on them many times

The same should be done each year when you do your taxes on your computer. Rather than keeping all the data on the hard drive, copy it to a CD and put it in a safe place. Hopefully you will never need to use it again. If Uncle Sam calls, you will have it ready.

Many of us now use our computers as family photo albums. Again, to have all your photos stored on the hard drive is very dangerous unless you plan to get into the “witness protection program” and don’t want pictures of you to exits. If you group your photos in file directories by date or subject matter, it is an easy task to make copies of those directories on CDs.

There are services that will do all of this for you if you have internet access. We will look at these services and other back up tips next week.