Don't learn it the hard way: back up early and often!

Last November I experienced an event that almost gave me a heart attack: my computer's harddrive gave up on life and checked out.  Realizing I hadn't backed up documents or photos in quite a long time put me in a paralyzing state of anguish.  I knew that all my favorite photos were on Flickr, but so many photos and videos were saved only on my computer, and an insane amount of documents lived there, as well.

Every time I thought of all the precious memories my family would lose documentation of, I felt sick to my stomach.

I was very lucky, and a local business called MacAuthority was able to recover all of my data, even though my harddrive was fried and had to be replaced. (Apple "Geniuses," by the way, told me there was nothing they could do. So FYI, always get a second opinion.)  I got a second chance!  And I've learned a lesson that needs to be stressed and passed around.

You've heard it before, likely: BACK-UP EARLY AND OFTEN.  Add to that, in multiple forms/places!

It's a good idea to:

• create a backup schedule and stick to it: once every 2 weeks or month is a good idea
• backup in at least 2-3 different places (external harddrive, CD-Rom, Flash drives, and online storage sites are all options)
• keep your backups organized in a simple way that makes sense to you in case you have to access them

What advice do you have about backing up computer files so that you don't lose precious family memories?

Lotus Carroll, aka Sarcastic Mom, writes @ i am lotus, reviews @ lotus reviews, and is Contributing Editor of Blissfully Domestic's photography column.