Backup recommendations depend on hardware, software, and human behaviors. You've either got to configure your system to perform automatic backups, or you've got to remember to do it yourself. Read this now and believe it immediately: You should back up your entire system periodically. You must back up your important files routinely. In addition, you should periodically try to restore at least one file from the back up media, just to confirm that the back ups are reliable. Ready to get started? Follow the instructions below for backing up your data...
...to your hard drive
Make a directory or folder called C:\BACKUPS. As you work, save your document, spreadsheet, or database files to your normal working directory. Then, before you exit your software, open the File menu and choose the Save As option. Point the Save As dialog box to C:\BACKUPS on your hard drive. Then you've got two copies of your important file, one in the working directory, and one in the Backups directory. If the whole hard drive crashes, you're out of luck. But if you accidentally delete or change the original file in your working directory, you can revert to using the copy you put in Backups.
...to floppy drive and off-site
Is your important file less than around 1.4 MB in size? Save your work in the software's working directory, then use Save As to save the file on a 3.5 inch diskette. Take that diskette home with you! That way, if your computer gets stolen or destroyed, you've at least got one "off-site" copy of your data.
...to CD-ROM
You can buy CD-ROM "burners" that let you write to CD-ROMs. You can use this technology to create backups of your entire hard drive. The write-once CDs cost a couple of dollars each, and re-writeable CDs cost around AU$15 to AU$20 each. This approach is clearly high-tech and high-cost. However, once you burn at least two copies of your year-to-date accounting data, you've got a backup that will last a long, long time!
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