How are you protecting files on your computer? We read about it, and even see TV commercials about it, but are you actually doing anything to back-up your files? Should you use an external hard drive or online back–up? How much storage do you need? What are the costs associated with either option?
Let’s sort it out:
How Much Do You Need?
Assuming you want to save all the files in your “My Documents” folder, follow these instructions:
- Click on “Start”
- Click on “My Computer”
- Right Click on your “My Documents” folder (it usually has your user name on it).
- Click on “Properties”
- In the “General” tab you should see a line that reads “Size.”
You will need at least that amount to safeguard your files.
Should You Go with External Hard Drives or Online Back–Up?
Are you looking for ease of use, portability or security?
Hard Drives:
External Hard Drives are relatively simple to use. Most are “plug and play” and can be set–up to occur when the computer is idle or at a specific time.
The portable hard drives can range from $69 for 250 GB to $159 for 500 GB and are light weight.
External Hard drives can range from $69 for 250 GB to $149 for 1 TB.
The downside to external hard drives is that you have to store it offsite to really protect your files and it can be lost or stolen.
Online Back–Up:
Online back–up is the easiest to use. Once it is set–up, back–ups are automatic and usually occur when your computer is idle. Below are the most popular online back–up services. If it is important for you to access your files from a different computer, use a service that offers Remote Recovery. If you have many files, use a service with an unlimited plan. Since all can be used for free (up to 2 GB) or for limited trial periods, I suggest that you try them all until you find the one that works best for you.
Provider
|
Yearly Fee
|
Remote Recovery
|
Capacity
|
Free?
|
Mozy
|
$59.40
|
No
|
Unlimited
|
2 GB
|
Carbonite
|
$54.95
|
Yes
|
Unlimited
|
15–days
|
IDrive
|
$49.50
|
Yes
|
150 GB
|
2 GB
|
SOS Online
|
$49.95
|
Yes
|
15 GB
|
Trial period
|
Other Options:
If you have very few files but don't feel that you want to spend the money on any of the above mentioned solutions, you can always use the free online storage available to you through Google or Windows Live. Both offer the ability to upload documents and/or pictures. The downside to both of these is that files have to be uploaded manually.
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If you find yourself unable to use a keyboard but are able to use a mouse, you can use an On–Screen Keyboard. Click on “Start,” “All Programs,” “Accessories,” “Accessibility,” and “On–screen Keyboard.”
When the keyboard appears, just click your mouse where you want to start writing and click on the letters or buttons.
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Contact Management Software:
ACT! by Sage
For small businesses, keeping your customers organized is not enough. Creating follow–ups and tracking how they came to you and what services or products they are using is more important. Act! By Sage is a Contact and Customer Manger. Act! helps you organize all your contacts and keep all their information in one place. With its calendar function, you can schedule activities with individuals or a group and even create recurring activities with a click of a button. Act! also integrates with e–mail, calendars and 10 popular business solutions including Outlook, Word and Lotus Notes to help you create effective individual or mass mailings. Fields can be customized to reflect your business and you have over 50 preformatted reports to choose from. You can accomplish all this and more using Act!
For additional information, click here.
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