Lessons learned - Back Up Your Data

Once again I've learned a lesson the hard way!  I work with computers all day long and often remind people to back up their data and documents.  But who takes their own advice?  Apprarently, not me!

Last week I was struggling with my computer, so I decided it was time to wipe it clean and start with a fresh image.  I had previously saved most of my data to an external hard drive (like the Western Digital Passport below).  Unfortunately, I hadn't ever saved or backed up my Outlook email profile.  But most of my email is just meeting or event information for Girl Scouts, notices that bank statements are available and fun forwards from family and friends. ... Nothing of great urgency, right?

Then I realized ...

I've switched emails for genealogy at least twice and had downloaded LOTS of email from those old email addresses to that Outlook profile!  UGH!  A couple years of research and documents shared by family members -GONE!

My plan was to go through those emails over the next few months, glean the data and post the data to my Penny's Genealogy Pages site.  I guess my plan backfired.

So if you've sent me any really cool family information and don't see any mention of it on my web site ... could you send it again, please?

In the meantime, I'm setting up regular backups for my computer on my Western Digital Passport. With over 450 GB of space remaining, I have NO excuses!!

Lesson learned: Back up your data!