Backing Up Your Work

[Steve 211]

I just realized I haven't backed up my Word documents for about three weeks. Usually I'm right on top of it - backing up every day when new material is being rapped out - but if my computer went zap right now (as it did during a bad install of SP2 - my fault), I'd lose a lot of notes.

So how often do you back up your material, and how do you do it?

I use a Zip disk on the day-to-day back-up because it's simple and fast. I just copy the folder to another location, rename it with the date "Moby Dick Returns 4/15/05" and then copy and paste that onto the Zip disk with the other drafts.

When I want to do a full Documents back-up, though - all my notes and letters and all - I burn a CD and keep it with me wherever I go.

Just thought I'd toss this subject out there because even in losing a week's worth of writing, it's those notes you lose that are the ones that come back to haunt you - thinking that was the batch that had the key to the whole story. :Smack:

[Richard]

I write on my Mac, which is rigged to do automatic backups every night to the web.

[Kate Nepveu]

Or, even better, meet once a week with a writing friend and trade discs. Just slip them into the back of a drawer. Then your material is kept in two places. (You can always use password protection to make sure it isn't read.)You can also e-mail them to a web-based mail account, like GMail (I have invites, PM me) or FTP them to web space, in lieu of more expensive remote backup options.

[Kit Kat]

I burn everything every couple of days. I also email everything back and forth between my home computer and the one I'm forced to sit at every day in order to make my truck payments :Shrug: .

[Ginger]

My apologies to KitKat, I posted above as Kit Kat, but I realize there was another KitKat here first, so I'm now logged in as Ginger. Didn't mean to be a name theif........so sorry.........:flag:

[Steve 211]

Using e-mail sounds good, but there's just something about having my work in physical form that soothes my nerves.

After all, if the world suddenly lost all electricity for good, you'd have lost all your work, while I'd be sitting here making rainbow mobiles out of my beautiful stack of CDs.:o

[DeadlyAccurate]

I upload it to a password-protected directory on our website.

[PattiTheWicked]

I "save" my work constantly, but I do a thorough backup of all new or updated files about three times a week to cd. Once I've finished a full draft of a ms, I not only burn it to cd, but I make a copy to put in my safe deposit box, and I mail a copy to my parents. That way if my house burns down and my bank explodes, I can still have copies of my stuff.

[mistri]

I backup to my PC, my ibook, my ipod shuffle and to gmail. And if I finish something novel-length-ish, I print it, too.

I'm also save-paranoid. I press ctrl/apple + s after almost every sentence or paragraph.

[SRHowen]

I use 6 3.5 disks, I have one for each day of the week (I take one day a week off) I have an autoo backup to the 3.5 every 3 minutes of writing, and each day I use that days 3.5 for that story. That way I can only lose one days work if something happens. Once a week I back up my entire writing file to CD.

Never heard of gmail.

[Richard]

http://www.gmail.com. 2GB worth of space, and growing. PM me your address if you want an invite.

[Susan Gable]

I also backup critical documents to a flash drive. Easy to use, small, portable - for those of us with "what if the house burns down and the deadline is next week" paranoia. :) You can take it with you when you leave the house. <G>

Susan G.

[Jamesaritchie]

I just realized I haven't backed up my Word documents for about three weeks. Usually I'm right on top of it - backing up every day when new material is being rapped out - but if my computer went zap right now (as it did during a bad install of SP2 - my fault), I'd lose a lot of notes.

So how often do you back up your material, and how do you do it?

I use a Zip disk on the day-to-day back-up because it's simple and fast. I just copy the folder to another location, rename it with the date "Moby Dick Returns 4/15/05" and then copy and paste that onto the Zip disk with the other drafts.

When I want to do a full Documents back-up, though - all my notes and letters and all - I burn a CD and keep it with me wherever I go.

Just thought I'd toss this subject out there because even in losing a week's worth of writing, it's those notes you lose that are the ones that come back to haunt you - thinking that was the batch that had the key to the whole story. :Smack:

Well, Word backs up files ever fifteen minutes, and backs up open files automatically in case of a crash. I store all writing files and notes in a folder on my computer, and copy the entire folder to CD at the end of each day. I also store the folder in an online briefcase so I have a back up there, and can access it from a computer anywhere.

In case this isn't enough, I also have an external hard drive that mirrors everything, so even if my main hard drive should crash, nothing is lost.

[Jenken]

I use Xdrive, an online web folder. It provides 5gig, a desktop component where the web folder becomes just like any other mapped drive letter on your PC, and a web option to down/upload documents in case I'm at another PC. All for $10/month. That way I don't have to worry about multiple versions, local disaster or spend any time doing backups.

It allows me to work on the same file from work or home without having to email or transport disks.

[mudflat_marsh_hawk]

I backup by burning files to cd at least once a week. Also use a handy flash drive that stays on my keyring.

It's been a rough week. Had to ship my laptop to manufacturer for repairs.
Thank goodness it was still under warranty.

Nervously chewing nails -- awaiting return of computer.

[Richard]

If anyone needs free online storage, hit www.streamload.com. You get 100MB of downloads every month for free and unlimited uploads. They WANT you to shell out for more, but...

[James D. Macdonald]

There are two kinds of hard drives in the world -- those that have crashed, and those that haven't crashed yet.

Many of my early stories exist only in hardcopy -- that's because they were written on an Atari 800. My last Atari died years ago, and I don't know what kind of shape the floppies are in, even if someone could read them.

I print out hard copy every day. That's what I work on for editing, too.

[sgtsdaughter]

i backup everyday--the major in progress works. and everything else, twice a week. i'm paranoid, but i saves my sanity.

[ChunkyC]

I have OpenOffice set to prompt me to save every fifteen minutes. It rarely has to. I keep everything in sub folders in the My Documents folder, and burn it to CD at least once a week. I also copy the folder across my home network to my wife's computer at least as often. Then, just to be safe, I have an external Travan tape drive and once a month I copy my entire computer to tape so I can restore the contents in case of a catastrophic failure, like a truck runs me over as I'm walking to my car after work and mashes my laptop despite my having thrown myself on it to protect it. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[brinkett]

Every day, I copy my files to a memory stick and to a second computer. I also send a copy to a few friends every once in a while.

[astonwest]

Main hard drive, a second hard drive on the home network, a jumpdrive, and hard copy (not to mention the fuzzy copy inside my head).

[Vomaxx]

Some years ago I was playing a game on my computer. Suddenly I heard an ominous mechanical noise, clunk-clunk- clunk, and the screen froze. In that instant of time my hard drive had committed hara-kiri, irretrievably losing every single thing on it.

I was not, at that time, writing a novel--thank God--but the incident convinced me of the fragile, almost etherial nature of everything connected with computers. I would NEVER trust a computer to store anything really important. I write most of the first draft with a pen. I type up each day's writing, then print it out. I do store the material on floppy discs in two separate places, including a safety-deposit box for completed stuff, but my main "storage" is the printed page. Barring a fire, it's safe.

Really, deep down, I don't like computers.

[Mike Martyn]

Computer hard drive, floppy and memory stick that I take with me. I back up when ever I finish. Since I only write about a 1000 words a day, if the whole works blows up I've only lost a few hundred words.

Most importantly, I have a computer dedicated entirely to writing. There are no games on it and it isn't connected to the internet and so make my youngest cannot download crap. He can use the main computer for that.That one crashes every hour or so. Lord only knows what 's wrong with it. Last time I had it repaired, it had 27 virus and 4 worms!

[Oriontide]

I back up everyday to a CD-ROM that I use to store all of my writing (both fiction and nonfiction). This gives me peace of mind. :D

Sean

[sgtsdaughter]

Every day, I copy my files to a memory stick and to a second computer. I also send a copy to a few friends every once in a while.

memory sticks rock. they rock i tell ya. whenever we have a fire drill at the office i feel safe knowing all my contents are in the palm of my hand--literally.

[Julian Black]

I have a website that I use as a storage space; about once a week I upload WIP-related stuff. Since my computer is old and increasingly temperamental, I save everything to floppies. Almost nothing goes on my hard drive.

[Liam Jackson]

Main drive, two computers (laptop and desk top) zip drive when I'm working from home and a memory stick when on the road. Hard copies of each completed draft.

[soloset]

I'm also save-paranoid. I press ctrl/apple + s after almost every sentence or paragraph.

Do you ever find your fingers twitching before you do something you only get one shot at, and then realize you just made a superstitious "hit ctrl+s" gesture?

Just me? Uh, nevermind. For back-ups, I have a folder named for the WIP in which I save each day's work with a word count. And I save the latest to floppy before I go to bed.

I never put anything on the internet I wouldn't want the world to see -- too many horror stories about embarrassing or sensitive material leaking for my peace of mind. Not that I think anyone is looking for my high school yearbook photo in particular -- it's the person who finds it by accident I'm worried about.

[awatkins]

Flash drives/memory sticks rule!

I have both of my word processing programs set to save every minute. That way if anything crashes, I'll only lose a few sentences. And I rarely save anything to the hard drive. Too scary!

For years I saved everything to floppies and ended up with enough of those puppies to pave a driveway. Then I discovered flash drives. Did I mention that flash drives rule?

[TashaGoddard]

Do you ever find your fingers twitching before you do something you only get one shot at, and then realize you just made a superstitious "hit ctrl+s" gesture?

I do! I also try to hit Ctrl+Z when I'm writing by hand or doing anything that I want to Undo. I often wonder why there isn't a nice and handy Ctrl+Z for life. There are a number of things/decisions that could benefit from this feature in my life. Especially if you could actually go back doing multiple Ctrl+Zs - though it would be difficult remembering how to correctly put back all the stuff you did in between.

On backing up - I'm awful at this, and really should do better. My computer went down for a couple of days a few weeks ago (fortunately nothing more serious than needing a new fan) and I was lost without it. Nothing was backed up except for old stuff (which essentially is just archived to CD/DVD - not really backed up as it's finished with). This experience should, of course, have made me sort out some backing-up procedures. But no. I still rely entirely on the one desktop PC.

Note to self: Must do better.

[Note On]

I'm amazed anyone's still using floppies as backup. They're about the least reliable storage medium ever invented. I wouldn't trust them with cat pictures.

If you're on a Macintosh, subscribing to .Mac will get you backup space on your "iDisk," which is space on their server that you can use for various things, backup just being one of them. The Apple Backup program will easily back your files up to your iDisk, a CD/DVD, or a hard drive.

I do a lot of writing, music composition, and video editing at Starbucks. Before I walk home, I back everything up to my iDisk using the Starbucks wireless. So if someone mugs me on my way home, my files are still safe.

[Richard]

In fairness, if you're using different floppies every day, then backing up to something vaguely reliable at the weekend, you're probably okay.

As a full backup system? DANGER WILL ROBINSON! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

[soloset]

No, it's the same floppy. What can I say, I like to live dangerously.

Seriously, I've got two or three I re-use. I've never had trouble with a plain old floppy that hasn't been stepped on or stored behind the computer or dunked in coke. And I'm not using them to store my work, just to back it up in case the computer spontaneously combusts overnight.

I admit it's a bit old-fashioned, and I'm looking at getting a flash drive -- but that's more for convenience and coolness factor than any real worry.

[Kate Nepveu]

My ctrl-s reflex is so ingrained that I've been known to ctrl-s on long web comments, which doesn't produce the intended effect, of course.

The new version of Opera's web browser has an undo function which is, "no, I didn't actually mean to close that page, I want it back, please," plus a delete bucket-type thing with your last X closed pages. It's the kind of thing I didn't know I needed but now can't live without.

[Note On]

I've never had trouble with a plain old floppy

Yet.

[Richard]

I admit it's a bit old-fashioned, and I'm looking at getting a flash drive -- but that's more for convenience and coolness factor than any real worry.

Floppies are the work of Satan. They go off faster than week old milk. USB sticks practically come in cereal boxes these days and have no moving parts to go wrong.

[Hummingbird]

I tried saving to floppies for a while... then suddenly an error comes up saying "Cannot read File". I lost alot of files when I tried to retrieve them. I thought I was just lucky enough to get a computer that killed floppies like bug spray to flies. Luckily, the files I lost were really old drafts that I had newer versions of elsewhere.

[soloset]

Yet.

Nor have I ever had trouble with using cd-r, cd-rw, dvd, or a hard drive as a storage medium. YMMV, of course -- many people have had trouble with each of the above, either from user error or mechanical failure.

I picked up a 512 mb jump drive yesterday. It was expensive ($50) but it's so tiny and portable and techie it makes me squee with joy. I plan on putting my entire creative directory on there, once I get up the courage to actually open it. I might lose it, of course, or sit on it, or something stupid, but it'll be really easy and convenient to have copies of everything, not just what I'm working on at the moment.

I've considered using CDs or DVDs for long-term storage (ie, old photos or archives of works I'm not really working on anymore) but I've read a lot of posts on photo forums indicating that those mediums, unless you buy extremely good quality or archival quality ones, can last, in some cases, less than two years. I'm starting to think that the only good way to archive something is to re-make a copy every couple of years in perpetuity.

Speaking to using internet services as back-ups, I wonder about copyright issues. I remember for a while there seeing several articles about similar services having clauses in their TOS about anything being transmitted through them becoming their property, usually for promotional purposes. I imagine this sort of clause didn't go unchallenged for long. Any thoughts?

[Note On]

Nor have I ever had trouble with using cd-r, cd-rw, dvd, or a hard drive as a storage medium. YMMV, of course -- many people have had trouble with each of the above, either from user error or mechanical failure.

Yes. The insidious thing about floppies, though, is how easily they go bad. All media is subject to drive failure, but floppies themselves go phut faster than most other kinds.

I'm starting to think that the only good way to archive something is to re-make a copy every couple of years in perpetuity.

Yes. On the other hand, a service like the one I described has an advantage in that the service itself also has backups. So although you think you're looking at "the file I uploaded," it may very well be a file that was restored from THEIR backup when THEIR server went down. It's probably more reliable than your own devices.

I generally have at least three copies of critical documents: The working copy on my laptop, the copy I've uploaded to my backup service, and the copy on the USB flash drive in my pocket.

I've been working with computers for over a quarter century, and I've never seen any reason to trust them.

[mudflat_marsh_hawk]

Backups can save you.

Got word today that my laptop is fried. It's repairable,
but for the price, I could have a smaller laptop, or a nice desktop.

Just been runnin round with a completely sick feeling....Guess I'll be shopping
soon! :)

Thank God I've got backups of most of my work.

[scribbler1382]

I've got a 1GB flash drive that I use to carry most of my writing and music and stuff around with me. But to be safe, I've got Nero at home setup to do an automated backup everynight to a CD-RW. I always leave the disc in the drive and it takes about a month before it fills up. I have 3 discs I rotate. Probably overkill, but I lost a lot of stuff a couple years ago when a hard drive went bad and this is all automatic.