The story is always the same: you know you should back up your computer, but you put it off because it’s a hassle. Where are those discs? Which ones have I used before? What software do I use to do the back up? Where did I even put the disc from my last backup?
It’s estimated that one in every ten hard drives fail each year. Most people know that viruses can wipe out your hard drive, but there’s also the possibility of theft or damage. If you do have current backups of your data – where is that disc? It’s often stored in the same location as your computer, so if a natural disaster were to strike, you are out of luck. If you try to retrieve data from your hard drive it can come with a hefty price – thousands of dollars, and sometimes that data is gone forever. Gone are all your documents, pictures, and music.
Online backup services make backing up your computer simple and effortless.
These services are highly recommended by the same professionals that you would pay thousands of dollars to retrieve lost data. With online backup services a copy of your data is stored in a secure, remote location. This means in the event of a disaster, say your house burns down, your data is still safe and secure.
With online backup services, your files, music, and pictures will be automatically backed up at intervals that you choose. Some services even automatically back up any new files that are created or added to your computer. You never have to think about backing up your computer again. No equipment, software, or storage devices are needed. Plus, you can access or add more files to your account from any computer. If you are on vacation and want to backup pictures to free up space on your camera’s memory card – you can do that from any computer!
There are several companies offering online backup services.
One of the most widely known services is Mozy – which offers 2GB of storage free. Other companies offer very affordable rates (typically about a month) for online storage. Some companies just have a flat fee for unlimited storage.
All online backup companies will securely store your data in a secure location, but there are differences among the companies. Good services won’t noticeably slow down your PC – at least after the initial upload. You can also look for companies that encrypt your data before, during, and after it’s been sent to industrial strength servers.
One of the key things is the ease of use in the set up, selection of what files and folders you want backed up, and most importantly – getting your files back if you lose them. Most companies offer a free trial period. Use that time to evaluate the ease of the online backup service and go through the process of retrieving data to see what it’s like.