how do you protect your files in case computer crashes?

Question

how do you protect your files in case computer crashes?
at work we have a server back up every nite. of course i can't afford that at home.
my computer crashed and i lost everything so i'm trying to avoid this mess from happening again.
one friend suggested saving files to memory stick every day but i'm just looking for other ideas too.

Answer 1

Well I personally do it on memory stick.

Answer 2

Firstly you need to prioritise. Which files are the most important? Operating system ones are on a CD/DVD already so you don't need to worry about them. Personal settings are fairly important but again, they can be put back. Personal documents should really be saved to CD or DVD and then kept away from your PC. If you can keep them away from the house in which the PC resides is even better as that way they are fire protected.



If you have an extensive collection of browser bookmarks then (if you use Firefox as I do) you can save them using a plug in. Look for 'Foxmarks' on the Firefox add-ins page (got to 'Tools' - 'Add-ons' from your Firefox menu toolbar). Subscribe to this (it's free) and save all your bookmarks this way. You can also load them on to your work PC and synchronise them safely.



E-mail is more tricky. Possibly the easiest way is to save any important e-mails as text files and load them onto a CD as before. I'd do the same with any addresses stored on the PC.



I wouldn't place a great deal of faith in USB memory sticks. They are fantastic little tools but they can break, get lost or stolen and then you are back to square one.



The other way of saving your data is a bit more expensive. You could purchase an external hard drive and then use a proper software back up program to copy everything (including all those personal settings) from your PC. However, I'd still be inclined to save personal documents onto a CD just be sure :-)



Hope that helps.



Kevan

Answer 3

if you don't know how to partition your computer, you either save those files in a memory stick (handy & less weight, you can bring it wherever you want to). you only make a back up of those files or save files when it is really important to do so, like if you have edited some of it or adding some info on those files.

but if you know how to partition your PC, you can make the back up or save those files in one of the partition like D or E or F, depending on your choice. C partition is for the operating system, and when computer crashes, mostly you will only reinstall the system which is at C. or have an external hard drive. there are a lot of ways to do that. if you're using Norton 360, it will do the job on your scheduled date to do the backup. or Drive Image. Drive Image is free to download.

Answer 4

Partition your hard drive. I have a 500 gig hard drive. 200 gigs are on C, where Windows is, and 300 are on D. If you save everything and install everything on D, and windows crashes, you only lose what is on C. You can reinstall windows from the ground up and still have everything on your computer.



Also, get an external hard drive and save everything to it once a week or month or so, depending on how much you add new stuff to your comptuer.

Answer 5

If its small files, text, photos, projects... I suggest you send it in an attahcment to your self in an email, Yahoo Email is the best because you can view you attachments in one click. I have attachments from 2002!

Burn to CD,

Best way I think which worked for me..:

Buy a cheap External Hard drive, and keep it connected to your computer, and everytime you save something save it on the external hard drive.. saves you time, so you dont have to do any additional work, and it keeps your actually computer space empty for good speed!

BestBuy.Com Good Drives!

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Good Luck!

Answer 6

There are several ways. One is memory stick USB, another is burn CD/DVD on regular basis and the other is an external hard drive hooked to the USB and transfer a copy of data to it on a regular basis, Disk dirves are fairly inexpensive and small enough to carry in the laptop case if you travel.

Answer 7

You could open a gmail account and keep sending files to your email account as attachments, its the safest way because its online so you can access it anywhere without depending on Hardware.



Other alternative is external hardware like USB Flash drives, USB sticks. They are all pretty affordable.

Answer 8

you make you hardware in to 2 part , by the time when you want to save any important file ,you not gone loosed . after your computer crashed ,you may need to reinstall you computer , at that time you just reinstall the general part of your hardware when you had been used for Internet ,the other part that you have all your document is save

Answer 9

save it on a disk save the files whenever your done with them or get a software spyware so it wont crash at all u have 2 renew it tough every month and it 30 dolars

Answer 10

Memory Sticks are the cheapest way for doing it, especially they are not that expensive at all these days.



don't save it "every day", save it whenever you have complete something meaningful or important, Backup right away.

Answer 11

you must first create a backup file, when the computer crashes it tries to save your priorities.

Answer 12

Create rescue disks. Most computers come preinstalled with rescue (back up) software anyway.

-Lisa

Answer 13

Put your files on discs!

Answer 14

burn your data onto dvd

Answer 15

u neeed a new compter.