Computer backup solutions are one of the most important security and prevention tools any computer user can rely on. With a backup solution you minimize the chances of losing data from human and computer error. Many of us have experienced a computer that locked up and provoked data loss; which is definitely not gratifying. But, the truth is, we can lose data because we did not take the appropriate backup measures.
Fortunately, in today’s world there are several ways one can prevent data loss. Among the many computer backup solutions there is backup software, databases and sometimes entire computers dedicated to migrating copies of files and information onto the internet or external devices. Of these solutions, Cloud backup, as well known as online backup, is generally preferred as it gives you the opportunity of accessing your files from any internet-connected device.
How to Use Computer Backup Solutions in Your Favor
There’s always a possibility of data loss, and having a backup plan for your data and files is a smart move; it prepares you for any unexpected, unfortunate event. Here are a few tips to effectively use computer backup solutions:
- Consider: What should you backup?
Forget about the actual computer programs that you have installed on your computer (for example, Adobe Photoshop or iTunes). You can easily download and install all of the computer programs you once had, again. The most important thing to back up is: your personal information, documents, music, images, videos and any other personal data you may have in your PC (Remember this data should be backed up regularly).
- Take Action: How to back up your data?
You can back up your data using the following computer backup solutions: an external hard drive or the cloud. Both are beneficial and it is actually recommended to have an onsite backup, which can be an external device, like an USB external hard drive that you can purchase in any electronic store, as well as an additional online backup solution, such as “the cloud”.
Backing up on an USB external drive is easy. If you have a Windows PC or Mac, follow these simple steps to back up your personal data on an external drive:
External Drive Backup for Windows
- Plug the USB external hard drive in; go to the Start Menu, type “backup” in the search box, and press Backup and Restore.
- After, click the “Set Up Backup” button. Choose the external drive you plugged in, hit “Next”, choose the option “Let me choose” and click on the data you want to back up (remember, personal data), and hit “Next”.
- On the last screen, hit “Save Settings and Run Backup”. Keep your PC on while Windows is backing up your files. If you want to back up your data regularly, you could either repeat this exercise whenever you need to back up new files or use Windows Task Scheduler to schedule daily backups.
External Drive Backup for Mac
- Plug the USB external hard drive in; go to “System Preferences” > Time Machine (you have to turn on Time Machine, just toggle the switch from “Off” to “On”), to set it as a backup disk.
- From Time Machine’s preferences, press “Select Backup Disk” and choose the external drive you plugged in.
- Keep your computer turned on while OS X is performing the backup. If you would like to back up regularly, you could either connect your external drive every time you need to back up or you can purchase Time Capsule from Apple which does it automatically for you. If you need assistance with the installation remember we are here to help.
Cloud Solutions
Once you have your first backup, this is a good time to set-up a cloud or online-based backup system as well. You can use cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or other similar cloud storage services. These services work well for a small amount of files, since they offer a few gigabytes of space for free.
Another way to back up data on the cloud is by using commercial solutions, like Carbonite, that automatically and continuously backs up all of your files and stores an encrypted version on the cloud for you. This keeps data and files safe from accidental deletions, hardware failures and malicious attacks. In addition, these types of paid-cloud solutions offer more benefits, including unlimited cloud storage and sometimes external hard drive backup as well.
Depending on the Cloud solution of your choice, there are different ways of uploading your computer data up onto the system. Typically, when you create your account there is an introduction that teaches you how to use the program, but if you want a little extra help, give a local tech a call to help you get started.
Computer backup solutions are necessary; you don’t know when, or how, your files could get lost, deleted or infected by a virus. These solutions protect your computer from data loss and make data recovery quick, as well as stress free.