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Adding software to a computer is an annoyance, and replacing files can be as difficult as rebuilding them from little more than memory and e-mail records. However, when backing up files, you have to make it as simple as humanly possible. The more complicated it is, the less likely it is going to be done the right way. So you need to make the process automated and essentially invisible, if you want to save a lot of trouble down the line.
Plenty of problems come about because people forget to backup their files. In windows, it does tend to be easy, but that doesn’t mean anybody in your company’s sales, clerical or legal department actually knows how to do it. When somebody ends up spilling coffee on their computer, several months’ worth of data may end up needing to be reconstructed by a third party company at great expense. At that point, human nature will make everyone very careful, for about a week. After that, it will just be more of the same shenanigans again.
When the situation warrants restoring someone’s data, you can show yourself to be a hero or heroine. Or you can become unbelievably frustrated, and end up wishing you’d gone into another field entirely. Backing up every computer in the company on both the hardware and software side can be extremely tedious, and it will add a lot of hours to your working life. But it may end up adding some hours to your personal life, as this prep work will pay off when a problem does arise. Just set it, check it occasionally, and sleep soundly.


