Computer Backup Tips and Free Backup Software.
Everyone knows they should have a good computer backup of any important files that are on their computer in case the Hard Drive crashes or the computer is otherwise destroyed by something like a fire, flood, or hurricane. The problem is many people don’t even know where to start to try and create a backup of the files and folders that are important. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you with your computer backup.
The easiest and most reliable way to backup your data is using an Online Backup Service that runs automatically in the background and stores your files off site. I use Backblaze Online Backup. An online backup that stores your files off site is important because if your home is destroyed by a natural disaster or fire your data is still safe. If you use a laptop and it’s stolen then your files can be recovered from the online backup.
If you don’t want to use an Online Backup then you’ll have to manually perform your computer backup using another hard drive, which of course could fail at some point as it’s a mechanical device just like the hard drive in your computer. The rule of thumb is not if a hard drive is going to fail but when a hard drive is going to fail. I have seen too many cases of external hard drives failing and people losing their data that was stored on them. So remember, if the data is only stored in one location then you don’t have a backup.
The first thing you’ll need is a good external hard drive. I like this Seagate External Hard Drive as it includes Easy-to-use preloaded backup and encryption software. You could bypass this step and just drag and drop or copy your files manually. This hard drive is also small and doesn’t require a separate AC Adapter to use. It connects to your computer via a USB port and is powered from the computer. The most affordable model is the 500 GB size and you can buy a larger model if needed.
I hope that you incorporate at least one, if not both, of these computer backup methods into your computing habits as it will save you a lot of time, grief, and money when something goes wrong with your PC.