How To...
Back your data up yourself in few steps
Back your data up yourself in few steps
For the
ultimate in safety, choose two methods and use them concurrently. For example,
use an off-site cloud storage
service concurrently with on-site network attached storage (NAS). That
way, if either fails, you still have a backup.
What We Like
- Free space and affordable
upgrades
- Data secured in a remote
location. You can access it anywhere you can reach the internet
- Secure transmission of
data
What We Don't Like
- Capacity limitations
for free storage
- The risk of a site closing
- Must reach the internet to
access your backup files
Cloud
storage services are all the rage now and for good reasons. The best
of them offer end-to-end encryption of your data to keep it safe, along with
some free storage space and reasonable fees for additional space. They are
accessible by both computers and mobile devices wherever you are.
Big players
in the cloud storage field include:
- iCloud for
Apple product users includes 5GB of free storage. Windows users can also
sync their files with iCloud Drive.
- Google
Drive is integrated with Android devices. Windows and Mac
users can download a desktop application for drag-and-drop capability. The
service includes 15GB of free storage.
- OneDrive is accessible through Windows 10's file explorer. Android and iOS devices access the site through an app. Mac users can download an app from the Mac App Store. OneDrive includes 5GB of free storage space.
- Dropbox has
been around for a while. It offers personal and business subscriptions.
The personal account includes 2GB of free data.
There are
plenty of other cloud storage services—MegaBackup, Nextcloud, Box, Spideroak
One, and iDrive, to name a few. Stay away from services that are new. You
wouldn't want to sign on one day and learn that the startup you use to
store your data has gone out of business.
What We Like
- Easy to use
- With software, you can schedule
backups and never worry about them again
What We Don't Like
- Hard disk drives run the risk of
failure
- Solid-state
drives have less risk but can be expensive for large-capacity
drives
- Should be stored off-site in
case of fire or another catastrophe
External and
portable hard drives connect to one computer at a time. They are usually
wired devices, although some have wireless capabilities. Many external and
portable drives now come with USB 3.0 capabilities,
but your computer must also have USB 3.0 to take advantage of this feature.
What We Like
- Drive failure not an issue
- Can store safely in a second
location (safety deposit box, for example)
What We Don't Like
- Time-consuming to manage the
backups
- Assumes future of CD-capable
technology. Some equipment no longer includes a drive for this purpose
- Can get pricey for large amounts
of data as you continue to buy additional discs
Once the
gold standard in data backup, burning data to
CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs is now a much less popular, albeit still
reliable, a method of data backup.
What We Like
- Affordable
- Portable
- Available in USB 3.0
What We Don't Like
- Easy to misplace (not
recommended for long-term storage of crucial information because of this
risk)
- Not always durable
- Capacity limitations
USB flash drives are
like tiny solid state drives that you can carry in your pocket. While they were
once expensive and available only in small capacities, their prices have
dropped and size increased.
What We Like
- Can back up several computers at
once
- Can be set for automatic
backup
What We Don't Like
- Pricey
- Possibility of drive failure
A NAS (network
attached storage) is a server that’s dedicated to saving data. It can
operate either wired or wirelessly—depending on the drive and your computer—
and once configured, it can display as simply another drive on your computer.
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