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Any task that is perceived to be boring or ordinary causes one to avoid doing it - and this applies to backing up the content of hard drives. The problem stems from putting this off until an emergency occurs, when the damage is done. In the past, the process of backing up data included software that was installed and ran on the computer to be backed up as well as an external storage device (tape drives, CDs, additional external hard drive, etc.)

If you are looking for a data backup solution, you should know that the recent explosion in broadband internet coverage, plus less expensive hard drive space has made online data backup an excellent option. There are now many online data backup and disaster recover services available. One advantage of using an online backup service is that you don't have to purchase additional physical storage. Instead, you subscribe to the service just as you probably do for your internet connection.

Another great advantage is the client's software footprint is less taxing on one's computer than a typical backup program. The disadvantage on the other hand is that the speed of the backup process is according to bandwidth, which may mean a more time consuming process compared to backups completed on external physical media. The online process may also be interrupted by a failed internet connection.

Many of the services offered allow free trials; fees are approximately five dollars per month for a normal subscription, all the way up to hundreds of dollars per year for enterprise subscriptions. At the moment, storage space availability starts at one gigabyte on up to unlimited space. Compared to external media, the user has the option of purchasing much more storage space as they need it.

Some services are geared more towards the Windows operating system, or more towards the Mac operating system. As such, one can expect the restoration of their data to be a smoother process from certain services than others. Many of the online backup services also include various additional functionality, such as photo sharing through the creation of online slideshows, file sharing, and data encryption during the upload process, the download process, as well as for the data storage itself.

As with all things, hard drives will eventually fail. Similarly, a thief could walk away with your computer and its contents. Additionally, through intent or accident, it is quite possible your drive could be reformatted, and the data lost. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to do systematic backups, and to check them periodically to ensure you have a recent copy of your information.