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You Don’t Have To Be a Technical Expert to Backup Your Files

Learn More About How Carbonite Automatic Cloud Backup Can Keep Your Irreplaceable Files Safe!

By Michelle Sisco, SVM Macaroni Kid Publisher - Sponsored Advertising Content April 28, 2016
I am not a technical genius. In fact, sometimes, despite having published this e-newsletter/website for more than six years, I think I'm a lot less knowledgeable about all things tech than my 10-year-old.

Perhaps it's because for years I worked for a large company, and whenever there was the slightest hiccup with my computer system or email, I'd just call the IT department and they'd send someone to fix the problem.  Missing files? Just call IT. Entire email system crashed? Again, just ask IT to restore it!

But, when you have your own business and work from home, odds are you don't have an IT department. And even with your personal computer - well, a lot has changed in the last few years. With multiple smartphones in our family we just have SO many pictures! We don't print then out and create albums like we used to (sadly) - so they are all stored on the hard drive. Or at least I think they are.

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With that said, what happens when your computer crashes? Maybe you call in the Geek Squad, or take your entire computer in to the nearest computer store and beg for help. The big question is...were your files backed up before the crash?

I'll admit that I'm horrible about remembering to backup my computer. My laptop is in a docking station, and I have an external portable hard drive which at one time was set up for automatic backups. But then my computer stopped being able to "find" the external drive unless I undocked it. And let's just say I wasn't very good about remembering to do that. Weeks would go by without me doing a backup at all. Big oops.

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Just last year I had a very close call when my Mac started to act up. Programs were running extremely slowly, and I was getting frequent "unresponsive" messages. I decided that I'd better take the computer in to see what was going on.

I had backed up my entire computer to that portable external hard drive before bringing it to the Apple store. But when the tech said they had to send my computer away to rebuild it - and that they'd have to wipe it clean, I was more than a little nervous. The tech, who was clearly unimpressed with my backup system, said he'd test the drive so that we could see if everything was there. Luckily for me, it was. Of course I had to treat that hard drive like a golden egg for the next week - because if something happened to it before my computer came back, I'd really be out of luck. I didn't realize how fragile those external drives are - even shaking it up a little could result in complete loss. Talk about putting all your eggs in one (very delicate) basket!

There was really no need for all that stress. Not when you have programs like Carbonite available! Carbonite offers automatic cloud backup for your irreplaceable files and photos. Once installed on your computer, Carbonite runs seamlessly and CONTINUOUSLY in the background...making the need for a portable hard drive practically obsolete.  No remembering, no scheduling. It's exactly what I needed. And it's even incredibly easy to install.

I don't know why my computer started to crash - luckily I had a protection plan and was able to save it (though it had to be sent away for a week). But here's one safety tip from Carbonite to keep in mind:

THE HACK MAY BE COMING FROM INSIDE YOUR HOUSE!
Do your kids use your computer? The people who are using your computer might be the ones putting it at risk the most. Talk to your kids about downloading programs and documents without knowing if they are ‘safe.’ Threats to your computer could be links that download viruses, games that eat up too much memory space and could cause a crash, and programs that are downloaded directly to your computer, without your knowledge.

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HOW DOES CARBONITE WORK?
INSTALL - Install Carbonite on your computer.
BACK UP - Your files will be backed up automatically to the cloud.
RESTORE - With your files safely stored in the cloud, you can get them back anytime, whether you accidentally delete a single file or have a complete hard drive failure.
ACCESS - You can access files from any internet-connected computer or mobile device.

WHAT TYPE OF PLANS DOES CARBONITE OFFER?
Carbonite offers three types of plans that fit your needs and your budget. All plans provide unlimited backup space for one computer. Less than the cost of one latte a month ($5) keeps a lifetime of photos, music and irreplaceable files safe.

Carbonite also offers free premium support, easy restore, and peace of mind.  Before leaving your computer, your files are encrypted. Then, they’re securely transmitted to a Carbonite data center using the same technology that banks use, where they are guarded 24 hours a day!

CLICK HERE to visit the Carbonite website for more information and to find your perfect plan today! you can even try it for free (no credit card required) for 15 days!

* I was provided with a complimentary year of Carbonite Personal in exchange for this write-up. Opinions, however, are my own.