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Almost 40 percent of home PC and laptop users have lost downloaded files as a result of viruses, technical failures or the loss or theft of their computer. Only about one third of those affected ever retrieve their data. With home computers increasingly becoming a 'life-storage' facility, holding family photographs, music and TV downloads, as well as CVs and financial spreadsheets, the financial and emotional cost of losing the files can be huge.
The cost of files that are stored on the typical PC exceeds £1,200, with an average value of £101 for paid-for downloaded film content and £80 for music downloads.
Yet despite the risks, recent research by Symantec, which owns the Norton range of computer security software, shows that just 34 per cent of PC users back up their files regularly and only 22 per cent bother to back up all of their content.
Con Mallon, director of product marketing at Norton, says the complacency of consumers is worrying at a time when broadband usage is expanding and more people are downloading expensive music and multimedia files.
'Our relationship with the personal computer has changed in recent years, with many now used as a storage vault for priceless, unique files with huge emotional value,' says Mallon. 'People wouldn't take the same risks with the contents of their houses. Valuable computer content should not be overlooked.'
There are different ways to back up your digital life, including hardware, such as copying files on to CD, DVD or memory sticks. But Mallon says backing up data to other removable media and then restoring it later in the event of a hardware crash or computer virus can be difficult.
'Restoring files from disks is often time consuming and frustrating,' says Mallon. 'Our research shows that half of people find restoring files difficult.'
PC and laptop users who want to go the extra mile and back up their data securely should consider specialist backup software. This will back up all files within a secure online account.
It typically costs about £30 to £40 a year to store up to 25 gigabytes of online files. If the worst happens and files are lost, all that is required to restore or download previously backed-up files is a web browser.
It is a good idea to make sure all your files are organised and stored in one easy to find place before you start the back-up.
According to independent research by consumer group Which? the best packages are on offer from
Carbonite at £27.99 a year and
Norton, from £40 a year.
Apple offers its free Time Machine backup software automatically to Mac users.
Andy Woodward, senior researcher at Which? Computing, says: 'What level of back-up you require will depend on your circumstances and what files you have. For some PC users, backing up files to disk or memory sticks will suffice. For example, it may be that only your photographs are important and it wouldn't be the end of the world to lose other files.
'But for those who want ultimate peace of mind, paying for online back-up storage with a reputable company is the best option.'
Louise Bedford, 39, from Caversham, Berkshire, learnt the hard way about the importance of backing up files. Louise, a data and marketing analyst, was doing some work for a charity this year when her laptop crashed, possibly due to a virus. She lost valuable client files and hundreds of photographs as well as her recently updated CV and job applications.
'It was such a nightmare trying to retrieve the information,' says Louise, who is job hunting. 'I lost important email contacts that I couldn't replace and about three months' worth of data analysis for work. It was horrendous.'
Louise has since started paying for the online back-up of her files through Norton Ghost. 'It costs £40 a year for the storage space, but I'm determined not to have the same disaster again,' she says.
ARE YOU INSURED? WHAT POLICIES COVER
Many mainstream insurers cover digital downloads, such as music files and TV and film downloads, as standard in home contents insurance.
With downloaded music albums from websites such as the popular iTunes, owned by Apple, costing about £8 each, the value of stored digital files can soon reach hundreds of pounds.
It means cover could take some of the pain out of losing an electronic music collection.
It pays to check the small print of your policy. While some insurers will cover digital files if they are lost due to the theft of the computer from the home or a technical fault that destroys files, the terms of cover vary between companies.
Most don't cover you if you have the files in another format, for example on an MP3 player. Policyholders will also be required to show proof of purchase for their downloads.
Owners aren't automatically covered if their laptop is lost or stolen away from the home - unless you have additional personal possessions cover.
There are also limits on cover for digital files. For example, Direct Line, part of Royal Bank of Scotland, covers the loss of downloaded information up to a total of £1,000 on its home insurance policy.
Customers with Direct Line's home insurance plus policy get up to £2,000 per claim, although some conditions apply.
Halifax insurance covers digital files as standard, up to a maximum claim of £2,000, while HSBC offers cover for up to £500.
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