With the stormy winter months fast approaching it is a good idea to back-up your files.  You never know when you’re gonna get struck by lightning.  Besides that…it is a good idea to back up your important documents quarterly or at least yearly.  Plus the average shelf life of most computers is about 3 years give or take (usually take).   I back-up all of my files on an external hard drive.  For quick and more frequent back-ups I will use a flash drive for important files and documents or upload them to a secure folder on the web.  When backing up videos and photos or even email databases it’s not a bad idea to use a write-able CD or DVD depending on file sizes.

Whatever you choose as a backup storage device isn’t the main concern.  The most important factor is simply to back-up your files.  It’s also not a back idea to set a recurring reminder or setup an automated file back-up system.  Not too long ago apple launched “Time Machine” which in my opinion is a brilliant easy to use…as automated as it gets…complete computer back-up application that runs in the background when you want it to without messing with performance so you can still what you do while it does what it does.  There’s nothing worse than losing a month or two worth of work or photo memories because you forgot to back-up your files.

Now go Back-up for stuff!