OK, so the running total of hard drives I’ve been through in the past 18 months just reached four. I’m now on my fifth drive and this time I ordered a high-quality, well-reviewed unit with a two-year factory warranty. Most drives come with 90 days, so hopefully the longer warranty is an indication of some sturdiness on the part of the newest drive.

Sure, I could have had warranty repair done by my local Nerd Herders, but they were responsible for the last one, so forget cheap parts provided free under warranty and free labor; it was time to buy quality and do it myself. Same goes for anything you need, like RV insurance: quality matters.

It’s done, and thanks to my flash drive my novel was completely unaffected. Let’s just hope this hard drive lasts longer than the six months or less average I’ve been suffering through lately.