"It will never happen to me. I don't need to worry about it now, it's not that old. I don't have time right now, I'll do it tomorrow. Shoot, how do I back it up again?"
Well, we have all heard it and said it and if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will...soon. So back up your computer and that is all I am going to say about that.
However, there is one more little tidbit of information you need regardless of whether or not you decide to back up your computer or not. Can I just say "registration numbers?"
A lot of times I am not really in the mood to run down to Staples , so instead of throwing on a baseball cap and jumping in the car in my jammies, I run out to the product website and download the software that I need. It doesn't take long, I don't need to brush my teeth or get dressed and I have my software downloading while I get myself another Coke. It's so wonderful!
Except when your computer crashes and you don't have the start up disks because you downloaded the software and you don't have the registration codes, because it lives inside your computer. Well, there goes thousands of dollars right down the tubes!
Case in point, it happened to me and let me tell you I missing my Office 2007 more than you can possibly imagine! As far as the rest of my registration codes go, well thank God I had a lot of them written down.
Several months ago I received a wonderful package in the mail from uCreate with a slew of their organizing products so I could play with them and write reviews, one of the items in the box was this cute little hard bound light green journal and I just had to do SOMETHING with it. So, I labeled the first page "My Computer Back Up" and started writing down some of the registration numbers for my software downloads, mostly the new ones. I also included the registration numbers from the software packages that I had purchased at the store, Lord only knows what a pain it would be if I packed them away and couldn't find them, but at least I had the code.
I also included the smtp and pop3 information for setting up my email, I am always forgetting which information goes where and it will take me at least an hour fiddling around with it before I find the correct configeration, not any more! :o) It's all in my little "Compute Back Up" notebook.
So when I came back from speaking in Anaheim and I noticed that my computer had committed suicide while I was away, I shrugged, said a foul word, and collapsed into bed. Although I am mourning my dearest friend who has not been revived from the dead, I had most of files backed up, some of contacts, none of my emails, most of my software registration codes written down and I was able to restore them from their respective websites, and no Office 2007. (THAT is traumatizing!)
So do yourself a favor, back up, back up, and write down your software registration numbers.
Oh, and if you have sent me an email and I haven't responded, it's because I don't have the email any more and there is a good chance I don't have your address. So you may want to send it again. : )
Happy Organizing!
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