how much you rely on your computer until something goes wrong.
Today i've spent best part of 10 hours writing a single Gaby chapter - a task that generally takes less than half that time. The reason? The files I needed to check for continuity were on my dead computer so I had to go a very roundabout way to access copies. A two minute job became half an hour and then had to be repeated - grrr, so annoying!
So, this is aimed at all the authors out there in particular, don't be a lazy clutz like me, back up your files regularly! Oh and keep multiple copies of your words so if things do go breasts skywards you can recover stuff. I've learnt the hard way this last couple of weeks.
Comments
Amen to THAT one!!!
And a double helping of back-up advice from me, as well...
It seems like a bother, sure, until you are left with digital ashes...
HUGS!
S
know your pain
I know your pain. That's why I have two jump-drives and two cloud accounts. As soon as I finish a chapter, it gets saved to all four. Overkill is underrated, trust me.
quidquid sum ego, et omnia mea semper; Ego me.
alecia Snowfall
ouch
yeah, i've lost whole stories in the past due to the same issues, nowdays i keep my writting on a flash drive. nothing's worse than loosing 1/2 million words written.
Backups are all too important
Also purchase good quality drives, for those not in the IT field, seagate has the highest failure rate of all the major brands.
Never keep anything on your "C" drive! as that is the one that is used the most by your computer and the drive that will have to be wiped and reformatted if your operating system fails. Hard drives are easy to install and relativity inexpensive. If you are truly afraid of cracking the case and installing one, pick up an external USB drive that you can leave attached to your PC.
Backup software, if you don't have it, get it! EaseUS Todo is totally free and works great.
http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/download.htm
I actually use this and have scheduled tasks for it to back up all my writing projects to an external HD and an internal HD both. I also carry a copy of my scrivener files, (the writing software I use), on a thumb drive attached to my keychain.
Cloud storage! We call this "off site backup" even if a tornado picks up your house and carries if off to the land of OZ, your files are safe with this. Every chapter I finish gets immediately uploaded to my google drive.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
I Saw the Light...
When the power supply on my first computer died and of course trapped everything on its hard drive until I installed a replacement part -- back in 1986.
Always in my memory...
At Last, Admitting What I Am To Myself...
Patience Grashopper
Your old work (aka all previous episodes of Gaby) will be on its way to you either tomorrow or Monday.
Maddy now has three 2TB USB drives free gratis from yours truly for backups so it is all down to Maddy from now on.
Samantha
again
Thank you muchly!
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell