My first major backup nightmare happened about four years ago. I had decided to write a young adult novel, in which I spent an entire weekend working on a two chapter draft. Afterwards, I got busy and neglected the book for three weeks. When I returned to work on the project…I couldn’t open the file.

I opened Word, attempted to pull the file, and received an error message. I don’t know what happened, but for some reason a file glitch occurred, and the document (all fifteen pages) disappeared forever.

Unfortunately, I had no one to blame but myself. Whether you take Computer 101 or Freelance Writing 101, creating backup files is the first lesson taught. And normally, I do backup. But this time, I got comfortable. Besides, I had never had a problem in the past.

Yeah, computers are smart. Even so, they’re still machines, and machines can go crazy.

There’s no reason to stress why you need to backup files. It’s self explanatory. It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer, web designer, or virtual assistant, it’s easy to lose files. There can be a power outage, computer virus, or your hard drive can crash. And since it takes a second to backup your important files…it only makes sense.

Most operating systems feature free backup software. For example, Windows Vista and Windows XP offer a backup and restore center. All you need is a CD or flash drive. If you use Windows Vista, click “start.” Next, go to “control panel.” Click “system and maintenance,” and then “back up your computer.” This free backup software will make copies of your information files and protect your data.

[tags]back up files, freelance, telecommute, work at home[/tag]