We've all been told time and time again to BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER FILES. I must admit, I am one of those people who means to do it all the time and still seems to forget.
But one thing I am diligent about is baking up my current book. I put in on a flash drive, and I have online storage in case the house blows up. (Well, you never know, right?)
So yesterday I had finished my work for the day and backed it up on the flash drive, intending to go right to the online storage and POOF! My manuscript was gone. GONE! The old version was still on the flash drive, but none of the additions and changes I'd made. A WHOLE DAY'S WORK--GONE!
Can you scream MELTDOWN!!!!!!!!! (Yes, it was upsetting enough to warrant all those exclamation points.) A search of the computer brought up nothing! It couldn't even find an old version of the manuscript.
Hey, I was being good. I WAS faithfully completing my back up and still my manuscript was gone.
When I could think rationally again, I remembered to check "RECENT ITEMS" -- and sure enough, there it was. Now why couldn't Vista tell me the manuscript was squirreled away in that folder? I pulled it onto the desktop, and quickly made copies. And then poured myself a very strong whiskey--light on the soda.
And what have you lost on your computer lately?
I always e-mail my work in progress to myself anytime I make a change. I don't trust flash drives or CDs because I have lost a LOT of stuff thanks to them. Yes, even whole manuscripts. The e-mail approach has never failed me. I pay $20 a year for extra storage on hotmail and it's the best safety net I have.
ReplyDeleteI feel your panic!!
Leann
I lost a document that I was working on for work and I had data and figures in it. I'm still looking for it.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly the same thing but once, when I had a broken leg, I downloaded work to do at home. When I was done I uploaded it and overwrote the original document...
ReplyDeleteExcept that I'd actually accidentially downloaded the original document again and overwritten the one I'd been working on! Ack!
Now, I never overwrite anything. I always make a nameV2 instead. Hindsight, ain't it great?
Catherine