Families create many happy memories all year round that are captured in photos or on video on smartphones, tablets or digital cameras. These days, when people rarely print out photos, instead storing them all on laptops, phones or in the cloud, those cute snaps of the grandchildren or funny videos of your other half can quickly disappear when the technology breaks, gets a virus, or goes out of date. By taking action now, you can save those precious memories to be enjoyed into the future, even after you have passed.

Backup your devices

Many smartphones enable users to automatically save a copy of their photos and videos to the cloud, which is an online data storage area that can be accessed by other devices too, such as a laptop with the same software. Content can be deleted off the device but stay stored in the cloud, freeing up more space on the device for more photos and videos to be taken. Users can manually transfer their photos and videos to a computer hard drive too, by connecting their smartphone or digital camera to the computer, where it can be burned to a CD or transferred to a USB for storage. Many phone providers have apps or programs that can be downloaded to make backing up a device seamless. However, don't forget to also back up the laptop itself to ensure information and photos can be re-loaded on to the computer if it breaks.

Update your antivirus software

Computer hackers still are creating viruses and other threats that can infect computers, stealing information and sometimes photos that can lead to identify theft and other major problems. While viruses are unlikely to infect a smartphone, there are other threats to worry about, with malware a big concern. Ensure you have a reputable antivirus program installed on your devices and set it to automatically update so that you always have the latest protection available to ensure that your precious photos and videos are safe.

Upgrade your technology

We don't all need the latest smartphone on the market or the fanciest laptop, but there will come a time when the technology becomes outdated and a new device is required to be able to continue accessing emails, research on the internet or complete work tasks. You do not have to do it all yourself, and can enlist the help of a computer service professional to provide advice, install equipment, help you to learn how to navigate software or set up programs to automatically back up and update - leaving more time to focus on preserving your favourite memories.

By Cara Jenkin