Thursday, July 29

it’s carbonite, not kryptonite …

These days, computers are both a blessing and a modern torture device.  Mine started having little glitches a few weeks ago.  The wireless mouse kept winking in and out.  Itunes disappeared with all my music.  And it started getting slower and slower.  One day, it crashed 4 times and needed 15 minutes to reboot. Each time. 10 minutes to get on line.   Of course it was 6 weeks out of warranty.   It turns out that one piece of software broke down and corrupted a few different systems. After about 25 hours with support trying to fix it, we decided the only way to really get it 100% done is to do a complete system restore!  Which means losing everything.  That’s the bad news.

The good news is,  just one month before I had purchased an on-line backup system through Carbonite.   For a pretty low fee, it backed up every single music file, video of the kids, and photograph, plus all of my documents.   That was over 29,000 files all together, and a lot of data to lose.  I’m not usually that lucky.  Usually, the computer crashes and I cry.  A lot.  

The other good part about this system is that it is set up to automatically back up every file as I save it to my computer.  And if I need a file anywhere in the world, I can go into their remote access section and get a copy of it.  

We’re living in a digital world.  We have half of our lives stored in these little boxes.  And as I recently read somewhere, it isn’t a question as to whether your computer will fail, but when.   It happened to me, even with regular maintenance and being fairly computer savvy.  So save your self a little heartache and back up those files.   I use an external hard drive AND Carbonite.  (Once bitten, twice shy!)  It is restoring all my files even as I type this.  

I figured, if this can save just ONE person here from computer heartache, it was worth the post.  And since a post isn’t a post without a photo, here’s one of those too!

005e

Have a great day.

Best,

Stephanie

 

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for this great information. I have had my share of problems, but crossing my fingers, so far have not lost everything. I do not keep as much as most others.

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  2. I also have Carbonite. It is worth the money and I don't think that it is too much either.

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  3. Very good advice, Stephanie! And the photo you posted is breath taking!

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  4. you have to have your stuff always backup in like 6 places... I'm in NY til the 15th... maybe a red velvet cupcake is possible to share some stories between friends... what do you think?

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  5. i worry about that. i need to check into carbonite. thanks for sharing stephanie.

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  6. I have wondered about Carbonite. Thanks so much for the info, Stephanie.

    Love that blue hydrangea!!

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  7. Thank you for the Carbonite information. I'm looking into it now.
    Have a great weekend.

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  8. Yup, one must back up. Even if one has a computer geek husband, it is wise to back up, I agree, Stephanie! XO!

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  9. Such good advice, will be looking into this myself!

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  10. Yep, i agree too! Our Data is precious, after all! And i love the photo. Hydrangeas ae amongst my favourite flowers - somehow, they seem so joyful to me! Have a lovely evening!

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  11. We bought a back up drive AFTER my laptop crashed. HA!

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  12. HI Stephanie
    Sorry to hear you have been having computer problems... and lucky!!! you organized a backup service just before your crash...

    You know I am an IT analyst and you would *think* I'd be right on top of this stuff but i hesitate to say ,, i have no backup.... ooops...

    As well as all my internet woes I've been having mac issues as well... when I bought the mac I also bought *time capsule* which is similar to what you have described but is a physical disk that attaches to my mac and automatically backs it up with each save.. I REALLY must install it..

    Thanks for the reminder!!! xxx Julie

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  13. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog yesterday AND for this recommendation. I am still recovering from a nasty virus I got the day before last.....thanks to you Carbonite just completed a back-up of my system. I feel much better....was it easy to use when you needed a restore? I would die if I lost all of the photos of my daughter's first 2+ years....so glad I've finally backed up!

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  14. Stephanie, sorry about your computer troubles, but thanks for the info. It is one of the best I've read.

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