Using On-line Backup
Backup - you know it makes sense!
How many of you have lost files, folders, pictures, work, memories when a computer crashed? Probably most of us. So why do we not backup?
Difficult
Backing up our work and remembering to backup can be difficult or time consuming. It used to be that you had to put your work on a floppy disk or cd at the end of the day. Maybe in work, your IT department takes care of automatic backups? But if you are self employed you may not have an IT department to do this for you.
Make It Easy on Yourself
Taking that phrase from the Eagles, "Take it easy, don't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy", here is a way where you do not need to remember to back up each time or each day.
On-Line Backup
There are a number of on line backup services. I use Dropbox, so I will tell you how I use that but it's likely that other backup services work the same way. (I use Windows, so ave no idea about Macs.)
What is On-Line Backup?
With on-line backup, your articles, documents and everything else are stored online by the company that provides your backup service. With Dropbox, a full copy of all this stuff is also on your computer and any other computer you choose to add it to. I have a PC and a laptop, so i can work on either and know that I am always working on the most current copy of any of my documents, so no finding that I have worked on one document on the PC and another version on the laptop, so both are different!
How Do You Make it Automatic?
I learned a tip several years ago from another forum, the person said, "Work IN Dropbox". What? How do you do that? But it's simple. Dropbox creates a folder on your computer, along with your other folders, so you just create your documents and pictures folders or whatever INSIDE dropbox, so you are always working in there and ALWAYS backed up.
Watch Out
A few programs get confused when they are constantly backed up, such as Scrivener, the software for writers. Just right click on the system tray icon for Dropbox (bottom right of your screen) and click on "Pause" and that will pause Dropbox while you are working.
FOPP backup online on-line Dropbox
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/en/iphone-display-app-dropbox-676726/ by AJEL
Comments
AudreyHowitt wrote on July 14, 2015, 7:41 PM
Good to know?? Is this a free service or do you pay for it?
allen0187 wrote on July 14, 2015, 8:18 PM
Thanks for the information.
All the photos I take are backed up in my Google Plus account. For my files, I use Dropbox as well.
bestwriter wrote on July 14, 2015, 9:50 PM
Face Book has many of my pictures. Also my own computer hard disk is divided so that if at all it crashes the main disk will not show up again but the other one will.
Paulie wrote on July 14, 2015, 11:30 PM
I will have to checkout Dropbox. How much do you pay for this service every month?
cheri wrote on July 15, 2015, 1:00 AM
There are a few of back up online I use and one of them is Drop box for my pictures
MegL wrote on July 15, 2015, 1:14 AM
With Dropbox, the first 2Gb is free and you can get more if someone joins on your recommendation. After that, you need to pay if you need more space.
MegL wrote on July 15, 2015, 1:16 AM
The first 2Gb is free and you can get more if someone joins on your recommendation. After that you have to pay if you need more space.
WordChazer wrote on July 15, 2015, 5:36 AM
I use Google Drive for the same reason and in much the same manner. My writing needs to be accessible all the way back to 2010 when I started this lark, especially if it is live online somewhere right about now, so it makes serious sense. Plus it lessens the load on the hard drive of any machine you're using if it's stored in the cloud. And I already know that hard drives don't last...
MegL wrote on July 15, 2015, 8:00 AM
With Dropbox, it is stored online AND on your computer.
CoralLevang wrote on July 15, 2015, 11:00 AM
Oh, the daunting task of going back to retrieve everything in order to back up!
Good advice here!
Ruby3881 wrote on July 15, 2015, 7:50 PM
Yup! I use OneDrive, but I do essentially the same thing. When I create new documents I do it in OneDrive. Then they automatically save online as well as on my computer or device. I can access the same docs on any other computer that connects to the net, so even if I'm at my parents' place or babysitting for a friend, I have all my docs accessible
AdGoggleKo wrote on July 15, 2015, 11:39 PM
Haven't tried using Dropbox but it was suggested to me by my cousin sometime ago. :)
AliCanary wrote on July 23, 2015, 3:47 PM
A lot of my stuff is now in the cloud after having uploaded photos to Facebook and writing to PP, but I do save things to media. Have not yet used cloud storage, as those sites do occasionally get hacked.
peachpurple wrote on July 24, 2015, 5:25 AM
But you cannot use it offline right？ msword can
SebastianOnciu wrote on July 24, 2015, 12:46 PM
I have recently started using Dropbox as well, I think it's a good choice to backup our files.