Online Backup Systems - Avoid Nightmares at Tax Time

Can you imagine this scenario (or perhaps we should say "nightmare")?

Pretend it's April 12 and there are just a few days left to finish your income tax forms. This year, however, you vow to get the job done before the midnight deadline on the 15th. So you finally sit down at your computer to start the multi-hour, despicable task. Your papers and receipts are neatly sorted into piles and your computer screen shows your open Excel spreadsheet. Your tax software is running. The only thing left is entering the data and numbers.

Then something happens. Your computer belches and throws up one of those dreaded blue screens. You try to reboot, but nothing happens. You panic. The next call you make is to your brother-in-law, the techie. But suddenly you realize that all of the personal data and information you need for the taxes is stored on the computer. And you don't have any backup copies...anywhere. You never got around to putting the files on your laptop or making data CDs. You get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.

This is when you wish you had investigated an online backup system.

Online backup systems are remote computers that store duplicate copies of your files. In the event of a catastrophe (whether it is a house fire, theft, hardware failure or human error), you can easily connect to the backup system and restore the data. There are several types of online backup systems available, but most of them operate using similar principles. Setup and installation is quick and easy. You download some software onto your computer and the rest happens quickly and automatically in the background. Should you ever need to recover data, it is equally fast.

One big advantage about online backup systems is that you can access your data from anywhere in the world and download it onto any computer. Additionally, enhanced encryption and other security measures assure total safety and confidentiality of all private or sensitive data.

There are several companies providing online backup services, so it is wise to check each of them out and compare features, benefits and costs before making your purchasing decision. Many of them offer free trial periods, so take advantage of those offers to compare ease of backup and data retrieval. CompareSquad's Online Backup Review page at CompareSquad.com/online-back-up is a good place to start your own comparisons. Their independent and unbiased reviews of the most popular and highly rated backup services can help you objectively select one that meets your needs.

So as income tax time approaches, think about what you would do if your data disappeared. Make a commitment now to put some of this year's tax refund into an online backup service.


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