It's that time of year! Do you know where your data is?

What happens if you walk into work tomorrow morning and your computer has been stolen? For the sake of argument, let’s assume that any storage devices like floppy discs or flash drives within 5 feet of your computer are also gone – because the thieves took those too! Let’s also presume that you get a replacement computer real fast and you (or someone) reinstalls your Blue Bear software pretty quickly. Now here’s the fun question? Where is your Blue Bear data?

You who are long time Blue Bear customers will recognize the question. You know that about this time every year, I start harping about backing up every day and having each user take responsibility for his/her own backup. Yep, I’m going to remind you again! So I have to ask - when is the last time you made a backup? Is yesterday’s backup on that flash drive that you left in the computer – it was also stolen with the computer, right? Or did you backup onto your own hard drive?

Or maybe you depend on your network IT folks for your backups and your backup is on a network drive? . How about giving IT a call? Ask them if you can get your data from last Thursday. See what they say. Maybe, it’s a “Sure, no problem.” If so, great. If it’s not, now it a great time to change the procedure.

I’ve been in this business for 20 years. Every single year at least one or two users get in a position where (a) their computer is gone or the network drive crashed, and (b) they don’t have a backup. They sometimes end up re-entering months of data. They cry – literally. It’s tragic and extremely un-fun. Don’t let this be you! Backup frequently and know where your data is! It’s much like being a responsible parent – only not as expensive!

Helpful hints:

• Change the name of your backup file every day. When the program suggests a default of C:\Program Files\Blue Bear\MySchool_TR.ZIP change it to “My School_TR_072809.ZIP” or a fie name with the date in it. That way, you won’t overwrite previous files.


• If you must backup to your own hard drive (not recommended), at least make a separate backup to a different source at least once a week. That way, if you computer gets stolen or crashes, there is hope for data recovery.


• If you have ‘casual’ backup habits (you know who you are!), get religion and change your ways. Making a daily backup is the best, cheapest insurance you can have.