How-to-back-up-my-SiteSpinner-project?

When your developing any website locally (on your own PC, laptop, flash drive or local server) BACK UP is a must and can often be over looked, or like myself in the past I would always be promising to do it tomorrow or soon, but other things always got in the road like developing another site, bar-b-q's or life in general.

I personally use SiteSpinner to develop my websites but this basic backup method could be used for other files as well. Now don't get me wrong I haven't discovered anything new here because there are probably hundreds of ways to backup project files weather it be SiteSpinner or any other web development software, but this is just an easy and secure way to do it, and this is the way I do it.

So the two main rules I use when backing up a SiteSpinner project file are:

1. Alway's save your project files using 'relative directory paths', this means that as long as all your images are saved in your project file relatively, you can move the project file anywhere you like and it will open without any of the image's missing (assuming you have SiteSpinner installed on what ever machine you are using to open these files).
2. Always backup your backup, because sometimes your backed up files crash before your PC or laptop does. 

Ok, If your using Sitespinner or Sitespinner Pro keep your project image files of your projects relative in your project file.

Now to save your project, click save as then when the save as box appears make sure the option 'when saving images "Use Relative Directory Paths"' is checked. Refer to the image below.

Ok now you've saved your project you can back it up!

When you back up a file an easy way to do this is to use a flash drive or an external hard drive, I prefer an external hard drive, well actually I prefer two! remember to backup your backup.

This parts easy now that you have saved your Sitespinner or other files using relative directory paths for your images, you can  just drag and drop the project file to an external hard drive and make sure to copy your project to your other external hard drive as well.

I have a Lacie external USB drive (pictured below) with a Terabyte of memory, now this is over kill but I like to be sure and I don't want to by another one for a while, 10G should be more than enough to for multiple projects.

* Image: Lacie usb external hard drive.

NOTE: If your projects are saved using relative directory paths you can actually open and edit projects directly from your external hard drive, thus making your project portable. So if you have SiteSpinner installed at home and at your office you can now work on your projects on either computer, just plug in you hard drive and away you go.

So there you have it the most basic yet reliable way to back up your SiteSpinner project.

Now I know there's more efficient ways to move files over to your backup drive like automatic synchronizing daily and other auto sync methods but that's for another time.

Well  good luck with all your back up woes and please leave a comment on your particular backup methods.

Tonga.