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FILES TO BACK UP

1) Make sure all of your current work files are backed up. This includes all application data files from ALL programs – not just your CAT software.

Make sure you've got your email address book stored somewhere.

Make sure all your financial data is stored somewhere safe.

Make sure you've got all of your word processor files backed up.

Have the address of every web site you visit frequently (e.g. export your Favorites/save your bookmarks).

Make sure that you have a list of every user name and password for = every web site you visit and/or every program that requires a login. It's easy to get this information while your computer is working and devastating to not have that information when you're trying to get back up and running!

2) When you back up all of these files, make sure that the backup media you use has the ability to be read in another computer! It's all very well to create temporary backups to a Zip disk or a CD, but if the new computer doesn't have a zip drive, or if the CD-R or CD- RW hasn't been made readable in another CD drive, you might be just as out of luck as if you'd never backed up!

3) Check your hardware – do you have current drivers for all of those elements and peripherals? Are the drivers on 3.5" diskettes or CDs? Do those disks still work? Can you download drivers for that hardware if they don't?

4) Take an inventory of all of the programs on your computer. Make sure you have a current installation CD for each application. If the program was downloaded from a web site, make sure you have the address of the web site, and any user name/password/registration data required to re-download and re-register the software.

5) Have a record of the current version number of all of your applications. Many of your applications are probably updated via the Internet, therefore make sure you have a record of the address of the web site to go to for updates, as well as a record of any usernames and passwords required to access those downloads.

When hardware failures happen, your backup habits will mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major hassle.

If you're looking for an "all your eggs in one basket" then don't use CDs. Instead, look into getting an external hard drive.

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