I do the bookkeeping for several clients on my home computer using Sage and QuickBooks. I wondered if anyone can recommend an online back up service so I can backup my clients Sage and QuickBooks data just in case my computer crashes as I don't want to lose the data. Thanks
I had exactly that happen to me in January this year when my usb back up drive gave up the ghost and died - it was only six months old. I had to send the drive away to a specialist to recover the data (all my clients stuff) and this cost over £400! An expensive business. I now us Memeo one click back up - you set it up once and it automatically backs up online for you every day.
I use dropbox and it's fab. Every time you change a file it automatically backs it up online plus you can also use multi computers and it kees all the files the same on each computer.
It is a live system so there is no need to schedule backups.
If you let me have your email address I will email you a link.
I also use Dropbox but with accounting programs (either QB or Sage) it does not automatically sync. You need to back up and restore. I use the date as a name in the backup and delete older ones as I replace them with new. If you use excel or word files they do automatically sync every time you change them but accounting programs don't unless you are using Cloud/Online versions.
I too use dropbox, but I'm not sure I am getting the best out of it!
In order to automatically update files, I take it you have to either download from the web or open from your desktop 'Dropbox' folder before working on it?
I have a memory stick and only move certian files to the dropbox folder....I am not sure I want to work exclusively from the dropbox folder without having 'hard' files on my computer.....not that I don't trust Dropbox but it is supposed to be a back-up. If I open from my memory stick...l would surely have to re-save to Dropbox.
I do now have peace of mind, but I am having to save Sage backups for instance twice. I want to keep ALL the sage back-ups with the various dates in the file name....but only one of each in Dropbox.......so I need to re-save just as the name of the different companies.
Having said all that....and replying directly to the original post.....Dropbox is excellent for what you are looking for!
I too use Dropbox for other files, but because Sage & QuickBooks files belong to clients I feel the extra security from Memeo is worth the cost. The back ups are completed upon turning on my pc in the morning, where as the Dropbox files take a while to synchronise.
I'm another dropbox user but I've decided to try another system - SugarSync. It seems to have a number of advantages, one that might solve your problem is that you can specify the folders you wish to back up. So unlike dropbox you don't have to drag the files a particular folder on your pc. But I've not tested this with "live" Sage.
hth.
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Tony
Responses are intended as outline only. Formal advice should be sort from your Institutes Technical Department or a suitably qualified Accountant.
I also use Dropbox for some files but backup my whole hard drive to an external hard disk twice per day - sounds like overkill but I used to use McAffee online backup which when I wanted to retrieve something magically couldn't find the file, despite me knowing it had been backed up. The external hard drive holds copies of my hard drive for the last few weeks plus a couple from prior months and is set up to do that automatically without me having to do anything. In addition I Dropbox the really important stuff in case I have a fire/flood and my hard drive is useless.
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