You can look at your computer at basically having two components. Once part is the software installed on your system, the other is the data that your generate. To a user of the computer, the data is the most precious items since if the computer crashes, the softwares can all easily be installed. However, if the data can not be retrieved, assets valuable to the user are lost. You probably have heard the most important function that you should regularly perform on your computer, backing up your system. You may be too busy to do this function regularly, however, there is an easier way to insure that you valuable data are never lost. The secret is behind being organized. Once you are organized, it will take little time to make copies of the most important files. By following the instructions below, you can insure that you will not find yourself in a hard spot.
Create a directory called "0data". This insures that such a directory will reside all the way on the top of your file directory for easy access. You can also rename the directory that "Microsoft Office 97" produces and is called "My Documents". This is where all the files that you are working on while using the "Microsoft Office 97" is being stored.
Within this directory, create additional subdirectories as needed. This, depending on your needs, may include "Data", "Images", "Invoices", "Manuscripts", "Sound", "Video" etc.
Within each of these subdirectories create additional subdirectories as needed. When working on a manuscript, create subdirectories where the "data", "images" and the actual "manuscript" reside.
In each software that you use, set the preferences so that the software refers you to the "0data" directory when you attempt to save a file.
Create a similar directory tree on your back up device (tape, Iomega zip drive).
Either after you have created a new document, save the file to its appropriate location within your back up device or at the end of the day, open the file manager, click the "view" button and set the sorting function to "sort by date". Copy the new files to their appropriate location. Alternatively, copy the entire directory or subdirectory to the back up device as needed.
If your back up device is running out of space, consider to zip the files. The new WinZip program, depending on the file, may reduce the size of the file to 10% of its original size saving you considerable space.
It would be appropriate to make a subdirectory called "0temp" and then create additional subdirectories within this directory labeled as 1,2,3, etc. When you are working on an image, downloading a file from the Web, etc., try to copy them to these subdirectories. If you are working on a document temporarily, then save it to this subdirectory as a temp file. Once the size of the files stored within this directory becomes large, then simply delete them from your system.
