WHAT IS A BACKUP?

A backup is a copy of all your important files — for example, your family genealogy, photos of your ancestors and your grandchildren, home videos, documents and emails. Instead of storing it all in one place (like your computer or smartphone), you keep a copy of everything somewhere safe.

Losing your files is way more common than you’d think.

• One small accident or failure could destroy all the important stuff you care about. For instance:
• 21 % of people have never made a backup
• 29% of data loss cases are caused by accident
• 113 phones are lost or stolen every minute of every day
• 30% of all computers are already infected with malware

Source of this information: https://worldbackupday.com/en

It’s time to actually take action. Get started today to better protect your data!

I normally post a message on the first day of each month, advising everyone to back up their files that day (or even more often). Because World Backup Day is today, I am publishing my monthly reminder one day early this month:

It is (almost) the First Day of the Month: Back Up Your Genealogy Files

Today (Actually, it is tomorrow) is the first day of the month, an excellent time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups!

Your backups aren't worth much unless you make a quick test by restoring a small file or two after the backup is completed.

Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your genealogy files at least on the first day of every month, if not more often. (My computers automatically make off-site backups of all new files every few minutes.)

Given the events of the past few months during the pandemic with genealogy websites laying off employees and cutting back on services, you now need backup copies of everything more than ever. What happens if the company that holds your online data either goes off line or simply deletes the service where your data is held? If you have copies of everything stored either in your own computer, what happens if you have a hard drive crash or other disaster? If you have one or more recent backup copies, such a loss would be inconvenient but not a disaster.

Of course, you might want to back up more than your genealogy files. Family photographs, your checkbook register, all sorts of word processing documents, email messages, and much more need to be backed up regularly. Why not do that on the first day of each month? or even more often?