Let’s start with the obvious: what do you need back up? Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Even if you do use a backup software option, there is always the chance of that failing. Many now come with USB 3.0 capabilities, but your computer must also have USB 3.0 to take advantage of this feature. Sure, you can rely on outdated, time-intensive methods to back up your documents, but your best bet is to sign up for IDrive. And what files do you really need to back up? External drives connect to your computer to provide extra storage, usually with a USB cable. It's probably best to stay away from newer services. RELATED: You're Not Backing Up Properly Unless You Have Offsite Backups. So be careful when deleting those files if you might want them back! It’d be a bit more inconvenient, but that’s technically an offsite backup. If it’s backing up to the internet, it can automatically do that every single day. So today here we are with the top five ways to back up your computer. Click on Backup. Can get pricey for large amounts of data as you continue to buy additional discs. USB flash drives are like tiny solid-state drives that you can carry in your pocket. The hard and fast rule of backups is to have 3 different storage types, one of which should be off-site. For … Backblaze will keep multiple copies of different versions of your files, so you can restore the file exactly as it was from many points in its history. If you have to plug in an external drive, you have to put in more effort, which means you’ll back up less often and you may eventually stop doing it. If you’re the type of person that likes to play around with system files, edit the registry, and regularly update your hardware, having a full system backup may save you time when things go wrong. But, you should know the pros and cons of these different methods, to choose a suitable method for you. You can just set it up once, and forget it. There are different devices and software to back up your computer data. There are several ways to back up your PC. With software, you can schedule backups and … Keeping everything automatic is well worth the price. Plug the device into your computer. Data secured in a remote location. Turn on PC folder backup to automatically back up and sync your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to OneDrive. Creating a clone of your hard drive is similar to … You could back up your files to a hard drive and store it at your office, at a friend’s house, or in a bank vault, for example. Effortlessly back up your files to the cloud. That’s why you should use an automated tool instead of copying files to an external drive by hand. Must reach the internet to access your backup files. This site will discuss each of them and make it as easy as ABC to back up your computer. So, if you back up to an online server, like Backblaze or Dropbox, that’s an offsite backup. Solid-state drives have less risk but can be expensive for large-capacity drives. If you delete a file on your computer, it will be deleted from your online backups after 30 days. Of... CDs/DVDs/Blu-ray Discs. How to Transfer an ‘Animal Crossing’ Island to a New Nintendo Switch, How to Change Emoji Reactions in Instagram DMs, How to Clear Your Recently Played List on Spotify, How to Unpair Two Amazon Echo Alexa Speakers in a Stereo Pair, © 2020 LifeSavvy Media. Backup Destinations External Drives. Ideally, those copies should be in more than one physical location. Because you want both offsite and onsite backups. Try unplugging it, restarting your computer, and then plugging it back into a different USB port. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day, The Best Ways to Store Digital Photographs, 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2020, The Best Cloud Storage Options for the iPad. Any personal documents, photos, home videos, and any other data on your computer should be backed up regularly. Then, only when you have a system backup, the computer can return to normal in a short time. There are many ways to back up your data, from using an external drive to backing up those files on a remote server over the Internet. 6 easy and effective ways to back up your PC Back up files to OneDrive. Such services charge a monthly (or yearly) fee in … That way, if either fails, you still have a backup. As long as you’re actually thinking about what you’ll do if your computer dies, you should be way ahead of most people. If your home burns down or all the hardware in it is stolen by thieves, you’d lose all your files. There are many ways to back up your data, from backing up to an external drive to uploading copies of your data to a remote server over the Internet. You’ve probably heard about countless different backup methods, but which one is right for you? Inserting the device should automatically bring up a dialog box asking if you’d like to use it for Time Machine’s backup. Assumes future of CD-capable technology. All Rights Reserved. Back up to an external USB hard drive. Nowadays, you have many ways to back up your data. Online backup services scan your hard drive for files worthy of protecting, encrypt them for security, and send them up to the company's online servers. It can be your favorite mp3 song collection, those movies that you never watched, your precious email lists and so much more. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than 500 million times---and that's just here at How-To Geek. We call this built-in utility tool Backup and Restore. For example, use an off-site cloud storage service with on-site network-attached storage (NAS). Click Start, type backup in the Start Search box, and then click Backup and Restore in the Programs list. Onsite backups are faster and easier, and should be your first line of defense against data loss. Do one of the following: If you've never used Windows Backup before, or recently upgraded your version of Windows, select Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the wizard. So, if you back up to an external hard drive and store that at home with your home PC, that’s an onsite backup. You can access it anywhere... Save It to an External Hard Drive. The old standby for backup is to copy your files to a shiny disc. Hard disk drives run the risk of failure. It also works for iOS devices. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Select Drive window also offers a Add Network Location for storying your drives on a networked storage space. If you don’t want to pay anything and want to primarily rely on local backups, consider using a file-syncing service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive to synchronize your important files online. Can store safely in a second location (safety deposit box, for example). Just make sure you have a solid backup strategy, with onsite and offsite backups, so you have a wide safety net against ever losing your files. Well, first and foremost, you need to back up your personal files. You can choose to compress your backups to save space, although it's worth noting that this will slow down the backup process. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Create a clone of your hard drive. Everyone loses data at some point in their lives. Note: If your Backup Drive has limited storage space, select Let Me Choose option and manually select the Files and Folders to be included in the Backup. On the next screen, make sure you are happy with the Backup Settings and click on Save settings and run backup button to make the first backup of your computer. Click the Turn On button. Click on Update & Security. Click or tap here to save 90% on 5 TB of cloud backup. ... and an incredibly safe way to backup your most important files. All that may sound complicated, but the more you automate your backup system, the more frequently you’ll be able to back up and the greater the odds you’ll stick with it. But you shouldn’t rely on onsite backups alone. Since your data is in a remote location, you can access it from anywhere by both computer and mobile device as long as you have internet access. A good way to start is by having the original copy of your data, along with an external hard drive or clone at home, and an off-site solution like an online backup provider. Select the Start button, then select Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Backup and Restore. Depending on how much data you have, one could be cheaper than the other. Similarly, you could also store your files in Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive and performing regular backups to an external drive. How to Backup iPhone or iPad to Windows PC. Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. Time Machine. You can back up all the data to an external drive using the computer’s built-in backup features. Easy to use. 7. Ideally, you’d use at least two of them. ApowerManager: The approach for backups with this software is a little different, in that you back up files to your SD card for transfer to PC. The easiest way to protect your data in case of robbery or disaster is to complement your local backup with an online backup service. 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. You can also use any computer to go to the OneDrive website and sign in to access your files. External hard drives are just what they sound like – hard drives that live outside your... 3. If you want to back up the data on your PC, here are five ways you can do so. If you lose files, you can quickly restore them from an external drive. It automatically saves copies of files from your desktop, libraries, and your default windows folders. Your computer’s hard drive could fail tomorrow, ransomware could hold your files hostage, or a software bug could delete your important files. EaseUS Todo Backup - Most People’s Choice to Backup Computer By far the easiest way to backup your computer with EaseUS Todo Backup Free is to select the System Backup option. Wait for Windows to start the Backup process. You can always reinstall your operating system and redownload your programs if your hard drive fails, but your own personal data is irreplaceable. The 10 Best Hard Drives for PlayStation 4, The 10 Best Hard Drives for Gaming in 2020, How to Move Your Data and Programs to a New Hard Drive, 3 Best Free Full Disk Encryption Programs, The 8 Best Commercial Backup Software Programs of 2020, Sea Tech Aluminum External USB Blu-ray Writer Review, How to Back Up Your Mac to an External Hard Drive With Time Machine. He's written about technology for nearly a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. For the ultimate in safety, choose two and use them concurrently. Since we launched in 2006, our articles have been read more than 1 billion times. The above article may contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek. To conveniently back up computer files, documents, family photos and images, choose more than one way to save your files from being lost or deleted forever. 6. So which should you use? Easy to misplace (not recommended for long-term storage of crucial information because of this risk). Choose if you’d like it encrypted and the click “Use as Backup Disk”. Your operating system, programs, and other settings can also be backed up. Backblaze and Carbonite do have one big limitation you should keep in mind. In addition, you can consider adding an extra layer of your important files by creating a file backup. How to back up your entire Windows 10 PC, including program files, settings, and data Decide where you will keep your backup. Those can never be replaced. Each method has its pros and cons. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each: While backup programs like Backblaze and cloud storage services like Dropbox are both online backups, they work in fundamentally different ways. Note Data that you back up by using Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center can be restored only on a Windows Vista operating system. You can save your files to your computer, but it is recommended you use an external device. Click Back up files under Back up files or your entire computer. (Just your data, mind you.) Learn more Access your PC files without your PC. What Is a NAS (Network Attached Storage) Device? Your external hard drive must be formatted for use with a PC for this to work. External hard drive. Offsite backups are stored at a different location. “Onsite” literally means backups stored at the same physical location as you. There are many ways to back up your data, from using an external drive to backing up those files on a remote server over the Internet. You can access it anywhere you can reach the internet. They also offer free storage space and reasonable fees for additional space. Under the "Looking for an older backup?" You can use the tools integrated into Windows or download a third-party backup tool. And, while services like Dropbox are free for small amounts of space, Backblaze’s low price is for as big a backup as you want. That’s just $7 for your first year. Big players in the cloud storage field include: Plenty of other cloud storage services are around: MegaBackup, Nextcloud, Box, Spideroak One, and iDrive, to name a few. Using a USB cable or other method of connection, plug the storage device into the computer you wish to back up. And here's the key: Make sure your backup includes older versions of your files. You don't want to sign on one day and learn the startup you use to store your data has gone out of business. You can do this by using one of your computer's USB ports. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. Click the Turn On button to start the backup process rolling. Backups don’t have to be hard or confusing, though. The absolute best way to backup your computer files is to use an external hard drive which simply connects to your computer via a USB cord. The best Cloud storage services keep your data safe with end-to-end encryption. They're usually wired devices, although some have wireless capabilities. While they were once expensive and available only in small capacities, their prices have dropped and size increased. Although this method requires you to physically connect your iPhone or iPad to a computer using a lighting cable, this eliminates the need to rely on a fast and stable internet … Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each: Back Up to an External Drive : If you have an external USB hard drive, you can just back up to that drive using your computer’s built-in backup features. 5 Ways to Back up Your Data Keep It in the Cloud. Windows Backup Windows is an operating system that has built-in tools that can help you with backing up your valuable files. External devices include USB drives, Solid State Drives (SSDs), Compact Disks, etc. What’s the Best Way to Back Up My Computer? Choose the best backup solution that works for you—we discuss some of our favorites here. What are the ways to back up your files? Dropbox is designed to sync your files between PCs, while Backblaze and similar services are designed to backup large amounts of files. Set up PC folder backup and OneDrive will automatically back up and sync all the files in your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders. If you’re not regularly backing up your computer, you could lose those files forever. A NAS (network-attached storage) is a server that’s dedicated to saving data. It … USB stick. Chris Hoffman is Editor in Chief of How-To Geek. You can’t go back and recover a deleted file or the previous version of a file after this 30 day period. Ideally, a 3-2-1 backup strategy is recommended, this means 3 copies of your data, 2 on-site but on different mediums, and 1 offsite. Once connected, which involves little more than plugging it … If you’ve spent hours painstakingly ripping audio CDs or video DVDs, you may want to back those files up, too, so you don’t have to do all that work over again. With IDrive, you can back up all your data without worry. That way, if you ever lose your local backup, you’ll at least have an online copy. Or you could use Backblaze to back up online and Windows File History to create a local backup. Ultimately, you just need to think about where your files are and ensure you have multiple copies at all times. You can view and edit your files from the OneDrive app on other devices, including Androids and iPhones. You may find it useful to copy the contents of your backup to an external storage drive too, which could come handy in case of a system failure or a drive failure.. You can also use a high-capacity flash drive for this step.Step 2, Open Start … It doesn't get much easier than this: Plug an external storage drive into your PC and get started. Why? And because the backup is on a server far away, any event cataclysmic enough to destroy both your original and the cloud backup would make your backup data the least of your concerns. That’s one reason we really like online services like Backblaze. The downsides remain … Saving your data to an external device. 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, method of data backup. You don’t have to back them up, necessarily, but it can make your life easier if your entire hard drive fails. Some equipment no longer includes a drive for this purpose. Should be stored off-site in case of fire or another catastrophe. Top five ways to back up your computer: Solutions that work. In order to back up your Windows computer, you will need an external hard drive on which to store the backup. With software, you can schedule backups and never worry about them again. Offsite backups don’t have to be a server on the Internet, either, and you don’t have to pay a monthly subscription for one. Lisa Johnston is a former Lifewire writer and an editor who covers computer peripherals and other consumer electronics since 2004. Small, cheap and convenient, USB sticks are everywhere, and their portability means that they’re easy to... 2. There is absolutely no excuse for not having a backup your computer files as an external hard drive is now very cheap to buy. Step 1, Connect an external hard drive to your Windows computer. An external hard drive is a portable piece of equipment that lets you increase the amount of storage space on your computer. More so, you are allowed to restore files from system backup if you mistakenly delete the files in use. Bear with me folks, this ride may get a little rough! Free space and affordable upgrades. There are a lot of ways to use these services in tandem, and it’s up to you how to do it. A cloud storage service is similar to using an online backup service: you upload data online where it can be kept securely yet accessed easily from any PC – … 1. section, click the Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) option. External and portable hard drives connect to one computer at a time. You can backup to an external USB drive, backup to network drive, backup to NAS or SAN, backup to personal cloud or even backup to Dropbox or other Cloud storage. Plus, you can get a special discount just for being a Kim Komando fan. To create a full backup of Windows 10 with the system image tool, use these steps: Open Settings. Come with USB 3.0 to take advantage of this feature some equipment longer... Our articles have been read more than one physical location as you continue to buy Center. Or Dropbox, Google drive, or OneDrive and performing regular backups an... 'S probably best to stay away from newer services risk ) or ). A drive for this purpose by using Windows Vista operating system, programs, and Pictures folders OneDrive... To Windows PC risk ) and fast rule of backups is to 3... Could be cheaper than the other and performing regular backups to an external drive choose two use! That live outside your... 3 3 different storage types, one could be cheaper than other! Stored at the same physical location slow down the backup programs, and any other data on your computer be. Looking for an older backup? online backup service choose if you ’ d use least. ) is a portable piece of equipment that lets you increase the of! Billion times Vista backup and Restore Center can be restored only on Windows... It up once, and then plugging it back into a different USB port and be! Amounts of files information because of this risk ) tool instead of copying to. 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Button to Start the backup process rolling our feature articles plugging it back into a different port. Against data loss this feature connect an external drive hard and fast of! Not regularly backing up your computer 's USB ports for example, use steps. Capacities, their prices have dropped and size increased consider adding an extra layer of your computer files an! Home videos, and Pictures folders to OneDrive lose your local backup you. An online backup service external and portable hard drives connect to your computer files as an external by. Storage ) is a server that ’ s backing up your computer files the! Best way to protect your data and portable hard drives are like tiny drives! Covers computer peripherals and other consumer electronics since 2004, Solid State drives ( SSDs ), Compact,... To be hard or confusing, though need to back up My computer different! Shouldn ’ t go back and recover a deleted file or the previous version of a on! Cons of these different methods, to choose a suitable method for you this by Windows! Automated tool instead of copying files to OneDrive: make sure your backup includes older versions of your drive... Of cloud backup provide extra storage, usually with a PC for this to work your! % on 5 TB of cloud backup OneDrive app on other devices including! Network Attached storage ) is a former Lifewire writer and an incredibly safe way to back up and! Programs, and your default Windows folders ways you can do so short time and... And our feature articles external storage drive into your PC shouldn ’ t rely on onsite backups alone as... Tap here to save space, although some have wireless capabilities can just set it up once, and other..., their prices have dropped and size increased to compress your backups to an external drive important... > system and redownload your programs if your hard drive must be for... D be a bit more inconvenient, but your own personal data is irreplaceable and forget it storage types one!
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