Most of us are aware that we need to have our photos & important documents backed up, but we might not be as diligent about backing up our StoryBook Projects. But I know, like me, you would be devastated to lose an almost completed StoryBook or other project! Over the next several days I will be posting a series of articles on backing up your projects & packages.

The key to computer safety is to have a workable, reliable, regular system. How frequently you back up depends on how much time you spend in StoryBook, and how much work you are willing to lose when your computer fails. (Notice I said ‘when’, not ‘if’.). And whatever system you set up, it won’t be much use if you don’t use it regularly.

There are many ways to back up, and I will detail a few, step by step. There is not one correct way, you must choose the one you will be able to implement easily.

Backing Up a StoryBook Project from within StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0

1. Open your StoryBook Project
2. On the home ribbon, click on the arrow below the Save Button.
3. Select Save As…
4. Choose a New Name for the Project e.g. XYZ–BackUp
5. Choose a new location e.g. External Hard Drive or Flash Drive
6. Click Save As
7. You have now created a back-up copy of your StoryBook Project. Repeat for each of your current projects.

Backing Up a StoryBook Project from within StoryBook Creator 4.0

1. Open your StoryBook Project
2. On the file menu, click  Save As > Save Project As…
3. Choose a New Name for the Project e.g. XYZ–BackUp
4. Choose a new location e.g. External Hard Drive or Flash Drive
5. Click Save As
6. You have now created a back-up copy of your StoryBook Project. Repeat for each of your current projects.

NOTES:

• Choosing a new location is vital. There is no point in backing up a project to the same place on your computer, as both the original & the back-up will be lost if the device fails.
• This is a static back-up. In other words, if you make further changes to your StoryBook Project, these changes will not be in the back-up version. So you will need to go through this process on a regular basis.
• I recommend, when you have completed and uploaded your StoryBook Project, that you do one final ‘Save As’ to a DVD or CD, one project per disc. Store the discs in a Powersort Box & label them clearly.

My next tip will be on backing up a StoryBook Project using Windows Explorer.