I just finished saving all of the patterns, ideas, etc., that I've found here on the quilting board and other places online to disc. Actually, I made a back-up disc and one to travel with my laptop. I then erased most of it from the computer to save a little room. With all of the information I've been gathering, I just worried that somehow a glitch in the computer might cause me to lose them ...and my mind with them! Thought others might want to do the same.

Yes, I just had a PC crash. good news, motherboard fried but hard drive OK. Just popped it into another housing and backed up everything. Twice. Bad news I was haning on to this old PC (windows xp) because all my graphics and embroidery software worked with that operating system. I had to go out and pay big bucks for upgrades and to add insult to injury, my expensive adobe fonts will not load and I was in the middle of doing wedding invitations.

I use Carbonite. It backs up every file and all pictures on my computer as soon as I save one on the computer. I can access the files/pics on any computer, anywhere. There are sites that will store files for you free. Google Documents will save text, doc and pdf files free and Picasa will store photos online free. Easy access to them from any computer if online. Box Net is another good storage site. And it's so easy to share files using the online storage sites. You pay for internet use so let it work for you and save you all that time downloading them to a disc or flash drive.

Really wish I would have done that! Laptop got dropped - HD junk - LOST everything! Very, very, depressing and you know I had this nagging feeling telling me to get an external and just never made it to get it.

Now I have one and as I rebuild everything it'll be saved!

I have gotten to putting them on a thumb/flash drive for portability and storage.

ali

What a great idea. I think my computer has the capability to make a CD/DVD but do not know how. Woud it be too much to tell me? Jeanne

While I have the ability to make a disc I don't think I need a disc of everything I save at this time. The thumb drive was not large enough, so I purchased a 1TB External hard drive, this is about the size of a 5x7 book and portable. All the quilting patterns, pictures, etc are stored on this along with tons of family photos and lots of music. I can hook this via USB to any computer and have what I want at my fingertips.
For patterns I really know I want on Disc, I have made a disc of those from the EHD. This should do me as backup and storage for a long time. When not needed, it rest on the bookshelf just like any other book.

I back mine up every month on a flash drive.

I back mine up every month on a flash drive.

I have a 1 Terabite External HD called the Passport and have it set to back up to it about 3 am every am. All I have to do is unconnect the USB and can use it on another computer. Neat.