How often do you do it? I don't keep anything that's confidential on my laptop.This is on a separate Maxtel hard drive. Even then, things like financial stuff, email addresses and family photos are also backed up on memory sticks. I religiously back everything up every few days. Then if my laptop crashes, it's not a major problem. It's happened before. Same with films dramas and sports events on TV, I save on my Humax HDR, I've about 100 favourites, these get backed up onto another hard drive, immediately after I've record a new one I intend to keep. I just don't trust the durability of modern technology.
Don't trust USB thumb drives, as several have failed on me. CDs and DVDs also experience something called "CD rot"... Magnetic medium is so far the only time tested way of long term data storage. So I suggest keeping several USB powered removable hard drives, (they are sometimes called passport drives). So back stuff on them every few months. And then wrap them in aluminum foil for long term storage, (this way they are immune from static electricity). Store in an airtight box, with those moisture absorbing silica gel packets. And in a place where the temperature doesn't get too hot.
Thanks for that. My Maxtor hard drive lives on a shelf under my desk below my laptop and my Sonnics hard drive with duplicates of music, TV dramas and films lives under the TV. The music, photos and financial stuff are also on USB sticks. So apart from TV dramas and films which are stored in two places, everything else is in three.
