I Can't Believe I Didn't Do This!

[OneEyedDiva]

I usually put the PDF version of my taxes in iDrive and had been deleting them from my computer docs in case I have to take the computer in for servicing. I never had a problem with my taxes not staying in the H & R Block program which is password protected. I did notice a couple of times, however, that I was allowed to access my taxes without entering the password. Today I realized not only did I not put a copy of my taxes in iDrive, the cloud back up service I use, my taxes were gone from the program. Only my grandson's taxes remained. I can't figure out how that happened.

Ugggh! I had to do my taxes all over again for the purpose of generating a PDF to be stored in iDrive. I'm praying the figures are exactly the same as what I filed because I'll need the AGI to e-file the 2021 taxes. It showed the same amount I owed as what I paid, so hopefully they are. And if not I sure hope there's another method to verify, allowing me to e-file. Since I was in there, I decided to scan the copy of my revised will and put it in there. I'll do the living will another day.

 

[Don M.]

I'm probably a bit overprotective with regard to my personal/financial data....and in that vein, I'm a bit skeptical about all this "cloud" activity. I'm just not very sure about who might be able to gain access to that information. Therefore, I keep a external hard drive, and hook it up regularly to create my own "backup". That way, I always have a duplication of my important files should I have a major PC issue.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

I'm probably a bit overprotective with regard to my personal/financial data....and in that vein, I'm a bit skeptical about all this "cloud" activity. I'm just not very sure about who might be able to gain access to that information. Therefore, I keep a external hard drive, and hook it up regularly to create my own "backup". That way, I always have a duplication of my important files should I have a major PC issue.

I can understand it Don, especially since people, even techies are hard pressed to explain what "the cloud" even is! On the flip side, I thought about what if someone broke in and stole my computer and hard drive.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

My 2019 IRS taxes snuck out the back door of my computer. One day they were there; now, they're living in Maui??? Ya know that old cliché- "Plastics!!!". Well, for me , it's paper!
As an aside, this is something I'm kind of worried about. We are storing all kinds of data on servers. Do you really think 3,000 years from now any of that data will have survived earthquakes, floods, wars, unrest. no electricity, and decay? I wonder if huge portions of our history will be lost. The cloud is a fragile system.

 

[Devi]

@OneEyedDiva, aside from storing your files in the cloud, it's also possible to get an external hard drive that you plug into your computer, and save documents there.

Personally, I don't use the cloud but do have an external hard drive (they don't cost that much anymore) as well as thumb drives.

[ADDED] I also back up our computers on the external hard drive. I don't connect it to the Internet and, once I've done the backup, disconnect it from our computer(s).

 

[OneEyedDiva]

@OneEyedDiva, aside from storing your files in the cloud, it's also possible to get an external hard drive that you plug into your computer, and save documents there.

Personally, I don't use the cloud but do have an external hard drive (they don't cost that much anymore) as well as thumb drives.

[ADDED] I also back up our computers on the external hard drive. I don't connect it to the Internet and, once I've done the backup, disconnect it from our computer(s).

Thank you Devi but I do have two older external hard drives (one is 1 TB the other 500 GB) which are large, plus two smaller, more portable drives as well as USB "thumb" drives. I can no longer use the older ones because the connecting wire doesn't fit in my newer Mac and Lacie no longer supports those models. I used to be concerned that if someone broke in and stole my computer, they could also take the drives so that's why I stopped storing stuff with my SS # and other sensitive information. You and @Don M. have given me an idea. Maybe I will put some documents on one of the smaller drives because I have a place I can hide it (that my son and oldest grandson know about).

Another reason for using iDrive is so that my son, grandson and I can access the information we need from any location using our mobile devices. That may not become necessary nor is it likely that I will be robbed but I feel better covering all bases.

@fuzzybuddy "Do you really think 3,000 years from now any of that data will have survived earthquakes, floods, wars, unrest. no electricity, and decay?" In 3,000 years would it really matter? Will we even have a "civilization" then. At the rate humans are going now coupled with earth changes, I tend to doubt it.