How do you keep your important information safe? Do you do regular backups of your computer?
I used to recommend an external hard drive for these types of tasks. But…a few months ago, I went to access some files on my external HD and found that it was corrupted and my computer wouldn’t even recognize the drive. I called the manufacturer and because it was purchased about 6 years ago, it was no longer under warranty. I went from customer service rep to supervisor to head supervisor. They finally agreed to send the hard drive to their offsite data recovery company at their cost and see if they could recover the data.
After a couple months, they finally sent back a new hard drive WITH my recovered files on it.
Now my dilemma…what if it happens again? I’m certainly not going to be able talk them into replacing ANOTHER hard drive and recovering my data at their expense.
I needed a solution. I was already using a service called Dropbox to securely share information with a couple of my clients. I realized that I could use this just like an external hard drive. This way, I can access my files from wherever I am because they are stored online, not on a physical drive at my home office.
Dropbox starts you off with 2GB of storage space. You can earn more space by referring others, sharing your link on social networks, connecting with them on facebook and twitter, etc…
The best features, in my opinion are:
- Secure storage for your own files
- Folders that can be shared with clients or team members.
- Only the people you invite can see the folder you choose. They can’t see your personal stuff.
- Only the owner can share files. Those you invite can’t share it with others unless you approve.
- When someone accepts your invitation to share a file or folder, it automatically appears in their dropbox.
- If you accidentally delete the wrong file, just go to your Events timeline and restore it for a limited amount of time.
I’m sure there are more unexplored features that I will find over time. I love discovering new things like that.
What are you waiting for? Go get your own Dropbox account today.
