Back Up Your Data! (Just a Reminder!)
 

Today's "Dude, you got to back up your data!" public-service announcement comes courtesy of Sook Shin, a university researcher who says her stolen laptop contained years worth of data related to a possible cure for prostate cancer.

And nope, you guessed it. She didn't back up and says some of her research can never be retrieved, while other parts could take up to two years to replicate.

Shin and husband Ralf Jankecht, a professor of cell biology at Oklahoma University, are leading cancer researchers at the school. Sunday, they made a quick stop in Oklahoma City on their way back to the lab, according to the local News 9. That's when someone smashed the window of their car and made off with a 13-inch white MacBook in a dark orange computer bag.

"I'm devastated and I feel so guilty," a tearful Shin told News 9.

The pair is now offering a $1,000 reward for return of the computer, no questions asked. "Thief, it is OK. Everybody makes mistakes," reads a flyer that's been posted in area pawn shops.

"Please return the computer with the data saved," Jankecht said. "This would tremendously help us and you would do something for society."

While most people who own a computer know they should regularly back up their data, surveys have shown that a surprising number rarely (or never) do. In this case, we can only hope for a story like that of the Swedish professor who had his laptop stolen and a week later received a USB drive holding all his data.

That thief, it appeared, took pity on the professor, backed up his information, and returned it to him. At which point, we hope, the professor backed it up a few more times over.

Stolen laptop contains cancer cure data | Crave - CNET

I avoid this problem by producing nothing of value. :)

lol....

LOL :D!

Such a good reminder. I started backing-up only a couple years ago...before that, na-da. :rolleyes:

I use carbonite to back up -although I am considering getting one of those back up drives.

The Carbonite was good to have when I got a new computer last April. I just had to go online to Carbonite and restore everything.
Only problem was I was restoring to Windows Vista, the old computer had Windows Millenium on it (think it was Millenium - was the OS before Vista)
so, I had some fiddling around to do with the files. But I didn't lose anything.

I purchased a back up hard drive. They are not very expensive. I had my computer stolen when my house was broke in to. I lost everything on it because I did not have it backed up. Pictures are one thing you can never get back. :( Plus I am working on my masters degree and have lots of school related stuff that I will need in the future. The back up hard drives are very easy and again not very expensive. Worth the investment.

I back up mine, I use external hard disk, flash drives and burn it to cds.

External Hard Drive: I was wondering what size to get? and do I have to use these flash drives and then burn to cd's? Just wondering why three thingies to store information?

LoL!!

After a lot of thinking about it - so OK I just happened to see one in the military exchange catalog online in their inventory reduction sale, and as the sale ended last night, I thought about 2 minutes before ordering it:D

It's a Micronet (VO6953) Fantom drives G-Force 1TBeSATA/USB 2.0 external hard drive. Got it for $79.
We had looked at one at BJ's, that was a 1TB as well and it was $99. Was thinking about that one, but then saw the other one last night.