I just pushed the wrong button on my computer and threw out a very important document.  This is the thing nightmares are made of.

       You check the trash to see if it was captured there; you check every file on your computer; you have a stiff drink and contemplate how you are going to find all the information 

 you need to recreate it.

        If not a total crash, or hitting the wrong key, your data could be compromised by viruses, worms or Trojans.  Except for the use of good anti-virus security programs there is not  much that you can do to avoid this nightmare.We have written about this before, but I just hit the wrong button and did it again.  The importance of backing up all the data on yourcomputer cannot be understated.  Have you considered what will happen if your computer crashed?  You would not only lose an important document, you would lose everything that you have stored as a computer file.

        You check the trash to see if it was captured there; you check every file on your computer; you have a stiff drink and contemplate how you are going to find all the information 

 you need to recreate your files.

       The system I use, and I just had to use it again last week, is Carbonite.  You can back-up you information on CD's or external drives, but this requires discipline and a lot of time.  If you are going to use CD's or external drives you have to remember to store them offsite; somewhere safe.  Some operating systems have a restore feature that can recapture anything back to a specific date.  Anything you have worked on since your last back-up is in jeopardy.

        Carbonite is a remote server that can easily store and retrieve anything you have on your computer. It works in the background to back up all your files at a remote location.  If your computer is attacked by a virus, stolen, damaged, or dead you can easily retrieve all you work with a few key strokes.  It backs up as you go so you can never lose more than about 10 minutes work and you don't even know it's there, except for the little green dots that reassure you that a file is protected.
       Two great pluses are that Carbonite encrypts everything before it is stored so nobody except you can read or copy it, and there is no limit to what you can store.  Long complicated spread sheets are just as safe as your short note to Aunt Sue or the pictures of your kids.
       This service will only cost you about a dollar a week and brings more peace of mind than money can buy. I've used it myself and cannot recommend it highly enough.