Oh, those files. Those files. You've been diligently making a backup copy with each file change, particularly if you're running a business. Some software, such as the Quickbooks accounting software, is very good at prompting you to make a back-up copy. And, better still, Quickbooks requires that you make your back-up copy on a disk other than your hard drive. You may recall that all files on my hard drive were erased by the virus. If I had kept my back-up files on my hard drive, or C Drive, as many applications permit, then I would have had no back-up files!

In my case, I made sure to keep my back-up files on a 100 MB ZIP disk labeled by year. I thought I had done a pretty good job in determining what to back up (See Sharon's Checklist for details). But to err is human, and I am that being. Lucky for me — and in my case, it was definitely luck — I use a hand-held computer, or PDA.

On my handheld are all the files in my Outlook application. Recovering those Outlook files was as easy as popping my handheld into its cradle and synchronizing it with my desktop computer. Just make sure your handheld is set to override your desktop during your synchronization process. Keep that handheld in mind when seeking recent files.

I hope that sharing my experience will help you recover should disaster befall your personal computer. In all, it took me three days to return my desktop computer — and company — to its fully functional and fit self. I lost time when I had no backups for my Web browsers and the plug-ins that they use.

Still, file recovery was 100 percent. My computer is free of clutter because many of the files that I had copied but seldom used now remain on the back-up disk. And all my software has been updated.

The days were long. Time was lost. But wisdom was gained and a more efficient personal computer derived.

Sharon Coleman is the founder and managing member of C Group, LLC