Author:
K Pelle aka dotB
[ Edit | View ]
|
Date Posted: 21:04:59 02/09/14 Sun
I know exactly what you're talking about, and since I write a fair bit having a computer die in the midst of a chapter is a real pain in the butt, especially if it fries the hard drive. So the last time I had a computer fizzle on me, I decided to try something new. I bought two computers and set them up on a KVM switch.
My 'online' computer is on standby almost all the time and is only loaded with an operating system, a virus checker, a search engine and a few essential add ons. When I switch to it, the computer comes live and I can do my internet searches, uploads or downloads, but when I switch away, it goes to 'sleep' and is effectively offline. As well as that, every time I switch to the 'hot' computer, the virus checker automatically updates etc.
My 'offline' computer is NEVER connected to the internet and has three separate disk drives - one for all the programs I use, one for all my writing and other tasks and a third that does an automatic backup of my work on an hourly basis. Not only that, but I do a weekly backup of my work to USB thumb-drives once a week and I use two of those alternately. Once a month I take copy on a third thumb drive and drop into my bank and put it in my safety deposit box.
Sure it's a belt and suspenders setup, and I admit I'm a nut about it, but then I've lost complete outlines, chapters and even nearly completed novels in the past, so "Once bit, twice shy."
kp
|