Backing Up Your Hard Drive

DO IT:  Daily / Weekly / Monthly, depending on how you use your computer.

The bad news is. . .  hard drives don’t last forever.  I can guarantee you that yours will fail.  Your hard drive is a mechanical device that spins constantly and will definitely wear out.  Generally speaking, the life of a hard drive is only 2-3 years.  But it could last anywhere from 6 months to 6 years.  It’s not a question of if it will fail, but rather when it will fail. 

Unfortunately, your hard drive is the heart and soul of your computer, and the data files contained in your hard drive are the hardest to replace should something happen to it.

The good news is . . .you have the opportunity to prepare for the inevitable hard drive failure by making a copy of all the files on your hard drive.  Then, when you replace the failed hard drive with a new one, you can put all of your saved files on the new hard drive.  This is what is referred to as backing up your hard drive. 

Most people are intimated by the “B” word –
you know, Backing up their hard drive. 

It’s one of those things about which we all say, “I’ll do it later.”  Later is now, my friend. 

How about this for a frightening thought.  All of a sudden, your computer stops working.  All of your programs, your pictures, your e-mails and address book – every file you ever created or downloaded from the Internet. . . .GONE!  Never, ever to be recovered again. 

Now think about your reaction.  Let yourself feel it – really feel it.  Do you feel sick in the

pit of your stomach?  Do you feel sad about the lost photos that can never be replaced?  Is there enough Zoloft in the house?

A good rule of thumb is – if it’s worth keeping, it’s worth backing up.  After you’ve done it once, you’ll be an old pro!

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