How often do you get annoying messages popping up on your phone saying… “Your iPhone has not been backed up for 32 weeks.”  You click OK, ignore it, and move on.

Admit it—you saw the message for multiple weeks, yet you ignored it.  Unfortunately, you can’t ignore it this time because disaster struck.  Your device rebooted during the middle of the day and viola: a factory reset!  You shake your head, and ask yourself, “what just happened?”  Of course, in the ensuing minutes and hours you realize just how important that device was to your daily operations.  Now, you are in panic mode.  You need a file for a meeting…

This is a common scenario for IT staff.  The technician listens with compassion and asks when the last backup was made and then proceeds to try and recover your files.  In most cases, the technician will get your device operable, but you will likely lose some recent files.  As end users, we rely on technology to serve our needs, but we fail to perform regular maintenance and back up our systems on a scheduled basis.  The busyness of life supersedes common sense.

This March 31 is World Backup Day.  Challenge yourself to commit to backing up your devices and files today and set time on your calendar to develop a regular backup schedule.  Follow these steps:

  • Avoid having only one backup from when you first set up your phone or computer.  This means that you do not dismiss those annoying messages, but review and respond accordingly.
  • Prioritize files and set up regular backup schedules to automatically backup your files and devices. 
  • Invest in an auxiliary storage device, as a preventative measure and conduct regular backups. 
  • Work with your IT staff to configure your computer to store your files on the server, in the cloud or on a storage appliance.  Most businesses have backups that are also backed up.

Remember, others rely on your work too!  Keep your cool, and take a few minutes to make a backup plan, it goes a long way to resolving any issue.