Interesting post. A couple of questions...one, how much does an external hard drive cost? I was thinking of getting something in which to store my photos, and that was about $150.00. I wasn't thinking of it in terms of a hard drive, but maybe that's what it was. It wasn't a zip drive.

Also, won't the external drive crash eventually, too?

One more...if you have everything on an external hard drive, is it then a simple matter to use it to move files to a new computer?

Thanks!

Susan

Depending on the size of the hard drive, it can cost between $100 and $300. A 250 gig firewire drive would cost about $200. A zip drive is an external device on which zip discs can be used. These are basically very large capacity floppy discs. They are good if you need to carry data back and forth between two computers on a frequent basis but aren't particularly good for storing large amounts of data because they don't store much.

Everything will crash and die but that is why backup is important -- it creates redundancy. Unless there is a catastrophe in your household, it is unlikely that both drives will die at once (your internal and external drive). As I posted in my original post, that is why I burn a CD on a regular basis with my absolutely essential stuff like the Quicken financial files, address books and irreplaceable photos. These should stored off site -- either at your office or at a friend's house.

An external drive is the easiest thing in the world to use -- it appears on my desk top and I just drag anything I want copied to it. When I upgrade computers, I connect the external to the new computer, the external drive mounts on the desktop and I then have access to everything on the external hard drive which mirrors what was on the old computer.

I'm not the one who prints everything out, but even with backing things up I'm leery anymore about keeping my whole life on my computer. Which I'd actually like to do, and did in the past. Here's why, from my past experience--

When the hard drive dies or you get a virus or worm, whatever, there is lag time there before you can get it fixed or replaced. What do you do in the meantime to access the data? Public libraries have computers to use, but they normally don't have programs like Quicken installed and sometimes they don't even allow you to bring in your own diskettes for fear of viruses.

What I'm starting to do is depend more on companies who absolutely can't lose your data or their business and reputation will be shot. For example, my want-to-read lists are saved in Amazon's wish list and at booksfree.com. My list of movies to watch is now my queue at Netflix. My routines and appointments are in automated emails at memotome.com. Online banking means I can survive without access to Quicken. It's all computerized, but not on *my* computer.

If I ever get more into digitizing photos and storing more music, though, you can be sure I'll consider an external hard drive! I'm glad for the tip.

Erica

Erica,

If the hard drive died (i.e. my computer died), I would replace it immediately so there wouldn't be any time lag. It is as essential to the quality of my life as my car -- I could obviously go for 24 hours without a computer :) With the external, I would be up and running as soon as I plugged my new computer in.

Regarding worms and viruses, I would hope everyone is running an anti-virus program. I am a MAC person so I don't worry too much about either worms or viruses 99% of them attack only the Windows OS. But of course I have an anti virus program installed which checks for software updates each time I start the computer.

I just back up my stuff to a cd...different ones depending on subject!

ahem, I don't print everything out.

I just don't save anything important on my computer.

My computer is NOT my lifeline. It doesn't have any finance info in there, and if it did, I would consider that auxiliary, not the main source of info.

And in fact, almost nothing I run into on the Web, etc., is worth saving--on the computer (where clutter can accumulate, too, remember), or on paper.

Now and then, there *is* something worth keeping for a while--for example, when I was researching plate-glass backsplashes, I ran into several examples, articles, etc., that saved.

But keeping them on the computer would be really stupid. Because I need them to be with all the other kitchen-remodeling stuff, and I need to be able to show them to glass guys, my DH, etc.

But I agree, backing up one's computer is a valuable thing.

I have heard of Internet-based services that will let you back up, and will let you access it from another machine w/ Internet access. I'm not sure how wise that is.

My big problem is, my DH is in charge of the computer, and I am NOT interested in taking over. So I simply do not save anything that can't be replaced.

I keep addresses in an address book--because I don't want to have to fire up the computer just to address a letter, or call my cousin on the phone.

I personally wouldn't back up on to an external hard drive. Because, to use it, you'd have to hook that hard drive up to another computer.

The *plan* is to back up onto a removable MEDIUM--CD, or ZIP drive--and to back up mostly data files, not programs, which have their own "backup" in the form of their original medium.

I'm not quite sure I understand your objection to backing up to an external device. Any computer medium needs a computer to operate it - whether it is an external hard drive or zip discs, CD discs.

I use an external hard drive because I don't have to worry about the clutter caused by the discs or finding the disc that has particular data. My external hard drive is 200 gigs -- It's always conveniently mounted on my computer's desk top. It doesn't have to be found or filed as discs would have to be. Also all discs have a smallish capacity. Once you burn a DVD (or CD) it is static so as the data on your computer changes, you would have to toss the obsolete back up CD/DVD. WIth an external hard drive, you just constantly create a new back up that mirrors the essential data on your hard drive.

All of my computer data is backed up one medium (the external hard drive) which is updated on a regular basis. If my computer fails, the external would get hooked up immediately to my replacement. I don't backup anything that is replaced which would include applications and operating systems which I have on discs.

However, I do have a backup of my system on the external hard drive. If any of you have undergone the agony of refiguring a new computer which includes loading all the applications and remembering the serial numbers, setting preferences, loading drivers etc.

The computer has been a godsend to my organization.

My recipes are on Mastercook or downloaded from the internet and filed in a digital folders. If I plan to cook something I print that recipe and post it at eye level on the refrigerator. It gets tossed when I finish cooking.

I do all my finances through Quicken. I print my checks from Quicken and enter in all my computer card transactions. At the end of the year, I push a button and I have all my relevant tax data.

All my music (15,000 songs - 50 gigs) is on my computer which makes it instantly accessible and eliminates the horrible clutter caused by CD's. With the help of my computer and iPOD I have been able to enjoy music in a more meaningful way than when I had to put a CD (record/tape/) in a player.

My computer is always on basically so it's easier to input data that I need to save. I think of it as an adjunct to my fingers and brain :)

It's not my intent to say this is the only way to operate -- really only to show that the computer (and the internet) can eliminate clutter and help with all kinds of organization if you let it and that there isn't anything to be afraid of in terms of not having the information in hard form (i.e. paper) if one backs up. Anyone remember when Carrie lost her hard drive in Sex and The CIty?

One other suggestion for anyone saving to an external medium (hard drive, CD, etc.): save multiple generations of your files. For instance, don't copy your current Quicken data file over your only backup copy of the Quicken data file. If the file is corrupted or the medium has some sort of problem, you may not know that right away, and if you don't have an older (or second) copy of the file, you are out of luck.

I, too, am of the "can't-live-without-my-computer" breed, and I back up onto CDs every week and keep a few of them easily-accessible, but off-site.

"It's not my intent to say this is the only way to operate -- really only to show that the computer (and the internet) can eliminate clutter and help with all kinds of organization if you let it and that there isn't anything to be afraid of in terms of not having the information in hard form (i.e. paper) if one backs up."

Not trying to start a war here, but Blazedog, I think perhaps what you're not mentioning here is that for *some* people, computerizing their music, recipes, financial records etc is a positive thing, often because their work life involves extensive use of computers or perhaps because they just have a 'bent' toward using technology for these purposes.

For others of us, and I'm one, frankly having all my music on a computer, or all my financial records, is just not desirable in terms of how *I* like to organize my life. Maybe I'm more sensitive to it because I'm married to a systems analyst and his world view is so different than mine. This is a guy who truly believes that someday libraries will, and should be, obsolete because after all, a digitized book is ever so much easier to store, access and transport. For a dyed in the wool book lover like me, the very thought is blaphemous :).

So, I do believe this is a perspective topic, not necessarily strictly a decluttering/most effective usage issue. For some people, computers are very effective tools for organizing their lives. For others, they just don't work that well or at least aren't really as useful for the same type of tasks. Different strokes and all that.

Ann

I store my photos on CD and my important documents (like my resume) on a ZIP disc (we have an external ZIP drive that plugs into a USB port).

You're right, blazedog, an external hard drive would mean you could just copy it right back on the internal one.

I like the removable medium, because if the thing crashes and I need my resume, I can take the disk to work, or to a friend's, and open it. I don't have to wait for my hardware to be fixed, nor do I have to attach my external drive to someone else's machine.

I have a CD burner and a ZIP drive as well as an external drive.

CD's and zip discs are great for moving data around. As I posted, my most important data is backed up on a CD which is stored off site.

To me the $100 to $200 investment in an external hard drive is money well spent. When my hard drive died suddenly several years ago, I lost nothing and was up and running within an hour of bringing home the new computer.

When I upgraded to a new computer last year, I hooked the external up to the new computer and was up and running in an hour.

If you are using CD's or zip discs to store your data, you are creating something else to organize and spend time worrying about. You have to remember which CD's hold which data, find a place to store them and remember to back up whenever your computer files change. CD's and zip drives can only hold small amounts of data -- the external hard drive holds everything in my computer.

I also have a back up program -- this updates to my hard drive automatically. You install it and then program it to let it know what files you want updated and how often you want the update to occur. This is great for the kinds of files you forget about like your email. However, I tend to do a manual backup automatically whenever I've created or changed something crucial like my Quicken data or created a new project for a client.