[905home]

I just started a Gmail account. Can I save old (i.e. already read) emails forever and ever? I have about 5000 emails now in my Thunderbird email program which I back up on to an external hard drive once a month. Seeing as how Gmail is web-based, does that mean I can keep emails there without backing up? The total is less than 1 Gb. Does anybody know Gmail's policy on this? I am also looking to back up about 6 Gb worth of WordPerfect files. I know, I'm a dinosaur. 99% of you geezers (I'm saying this in a nice way) out there use Word. I got started using WordPerfect in the 80s when they were number 1.
I'm a cheapskate and I don't want to use paid services or go thru the backup routine every month. I once heard somewhere that Microsoft let's you store up to 25 Gb on one of their (online) programs. But I can't find anything on this. Anybody know if you can store data (word-processing files) for free online?

[Virginians]

You're not a total dinosaur if you are using Thunderbird and I assume Firefox.
G-Mail provides 7478 MB of space for free and only you can delete. You can also open your gmail in Thunderbird if you choose to set it up. Don't forget to tell Thunderbird not to delete from gmail web.

Once you get used to gmail you won't miss Thunderbird.

Try installing Open Office for free as your office suite. Trash word perfect.

If you were really cheap you would trash Microsoft and install Linux operating system and all future software for free.

[jannd228]

Originally Posted by Virginians

You're not a total dinosaur if you are using Thunderbird and I assume Firefox.
G-Mail provides 7478 MB of space for free and only you can delete. You can also open your gmail in Thunderbird if you choose to set it up. Don't forget to tell Thunderbird not to delete from gmail web.

Once you get used to gmail you won't miss Thunderbird.

Try installing Open Office for free as your office suite. Trash word perfect.

If you were really cheap you would trash Microsoft and install Linux operating system and all future software for free.

Link for Open Office, great FREE program
http://www.openoffice.org/

[K9-Lovers]

I use Carbonite backup service online. It's only about 50 bucks a year and works automatically while you are online. It's encrypted and perfectly safe.

[Hal :-)]

You might want to check out Google Docs also.

Sorry I could include link, it was flagged as SPAM, but you can Google it.

[Tom Hannon]

I used a program called "DROP BOX" to store all my documents. The service is free. Being an author who uses three computers at three different locations, it is easy to find the latest draft on any computer. It is a great program. If you can't find the link and are interested, get back to me and I'll find it and send it over.

[under55]

5000 emails? I would hate to see your garage.

[Tom Hannon]

Either this is someone very popular or it is someone with no life.

[aljetmet]

Originally Posted by 905home

I just started a Gmail account. Can I save old (i.e. already read) emails forever and ever? I have about 5000 emails now in my Thunderbird email program which I back up on to an external hard drive once a month. Seeing as how Gmail is web-based, does that mean I can keep emails there without backing up? The total is less than 1 Gb. Does anybody know Gmail's policy on this? I am also looking to back up about 6 Gb worth of WordPerfect files. I know, I'm a dinosaur. 99% of you geezers (I'm saying this in a nice way) out there use Word. I got started using WordPerfect in the 80s when they were number 1.
I'm a cheapskate and I don't want to use paid services or go thru the backup routine every month. I once heard somewhere that Microsoft let's you store up to 25 Gb on one of their (online) programs. But I can't find anything on this. Anybody know if you can store data (word-processing files) for free online?

www.dropbox.com gives you 2gb free and as another poster mentioned you can share with any one that has an account or if have more than one computer you can share with your self.
You just place in a folder called dropbox on your PC with subfolders.
It uploads automatically. It also keeps 30 days of changes. Onc yous save the file it will update teh other computers (they have to be turned on)

Yes Microsoft gives you 25 gigs for free. Howver you can you can upload only 200 files at a time from one directory. I wanted to back up some music files and with about 2000 songs I just gave up...

[Walt.]

Originally Posted by 905home

...Can I save old (i.e. already read) emails forever and ever? I have about 5000 emails now in my Thunderbird email program which...

Didn't I see you on "Hoarders" the other night?

[905home]

No, I was not on Hoarders. 5000 emails takes up only 1 Gb of space (including attachments). These are emails received since 1999. In 1999 I had a hard drive fail and at that time I lost 4 years of email.

Every month (or so) I back up the following on an external hard drive which is never connected to my laptop except when backing up:
1. all files in "My Documents" (Word, Excel, WordPerfect and QuattroPro)
2. bookmarks, favorites in several browsers
3. and lastly, all my email. I don't save spam or advertising which is 90% of all incoming email.

Also, I don't save programs as I have them on CD or can get them online.

Right now my external hard drive has 10Gb of data on it.

I have used my back-up ONLY once. What a relief it was to know that almost everything was saved. I used to save almost everything that was on paper. Now the only thing I save are legal and quasi-legal documents.