We’ve all been there: sitting in front of the computer staring at the spinning wheel of death (or the upside down sand clock if you’re not a Mac user) thinking, “Man, I hope I saved that document.” One of the worse technology mishaps that could happen to a real estate agent is the loss of a computer. With the crash of your software goes your important documents, client information and every piece of e-mail you have sent or received. To avoid mass panic and potential real estate catastrophe, Redman Tech has compiled a list of Top 5 ways to backup your computer:
1. Network Attached Storage (NAS)
These guys sit on the outside of your computer and connect to your home’s Wi-Fi or network. NAS devices work like an additional hard drive on your computer. They are versatile in that they can be accessed through multiple users and can automatically backup your information on a set schedule. Although most NAS devices come at a higher price, you are paying for the extra protection!
2. External Drives
An external drive is one of the most popular methods for backing up information. They are user-friendly- all you need to do is click and the external drive will begin an automatic backup and easy to find. External Drives range from devices with one-terabyte of memory space, to a device with a couple megabytes of memory. Their prices also range, depending on the amount of memory space.
3. Online storage
Online storage options are a common way to save your information as well as share files with several computers. There are many online storage solutions such as Dropbox or Mozy. Some of the online storage options out there can be used without leaving your computer’s web browser. The great part about using a virtual storage option is that even if you misplace, lose, or break your computer, your files will be safely stored online.
4. USB Flash Drives
A small portable method for saving files, USB flash drives are compact and can be used for saving important documents or transporting files from one location to another. Although their memory is far less than that of an external drive, USB’s can come in handy if you do not have an internet connection.
5. Built in computer solutions.
Windows XP computers come with a System Restore backup solution. In the event of a device failure or virus, the backup will launch a window to take you through the steps of backing up the information on your Windows PC. Although this method does not guarantee the rescuing of all your computer files, it is still a better alternative than to have no computer backup system in place. A Mac’s built-in backup program is known as Time Machine. Unlike other backup computer solutions, Time Machine comes with visually appealing animations as well as 3D effects which appear when you are searching through old files.
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