Computers have become an important part of our lives. From financial data to memorable events, they keep our personal data that we never want to lose. Our computers have become our personal vaults. However, at times, your data can disappear without leaving a trace. This can be due to a malware attack, hard drive failure, or software bug. If you don’t regularly back up your data, then you may lose your files forever without any hope of recovering them.
Fortunately, there is a tool that can help you bring back your precious data: Auslogics File Recovery recovers all file types and works with hard drives, USB drives and memory cards. However, although this powerful tool can easily save the day when things look hopeless, you should regularly back up your files - just to be on the safe side.
Performing a backup shouldn’t be a stressful process. At this point, you have heard of a number of computer backup solutions. However, the struggle is in finding the one that is right for you. You also need to decide on the types of files you wish to back up as your storage solution can limit or determine what you can back up.
When it comes to backing up stuff, in most cases, it’s all about your personal data. The point is, you can’t recover it from anyplace else. Either you guard it or risk having it lost permanently. When you are listing things that you need to back up, personal data will always pop up first. You can always redownload your favorite music and movies, but you just can’t replace your personal data with anything. So, before you decide to back up anything else, make sure all of your personal data is backed up properly as it is something that you can lose forever if your hard drive fails.
Your personal data, which includes homemade videos, photos, documents, and other items stored on your PC, should be backed up on a regular basis. These are the files and folders that can’t be replaced or downloaded from anyplace else. You may also want to back up some of your hard-earned data, such as ripped CD audios and DVD videos. Backing up these files will save you any future hassle of having to go through multiple recovery procedures to get back your audio files and videos.
If there is enough storage space, you may back up your software, OS, and other settings of your PC as well. Although you don’t necessarily need to back them up, having them kept safely can make your life much easier if your hard drive fails entirely.
How to Back Up Windows 10 Files
There are various ways of backing up files, with each method having its pros and cons. The main purpose of this article is to help you understand all the methods and use better judgement when selecting the one that best suits your needs. Therefore, take your time and go through these methods. If possible, dig deeper to understand more about the solution you select.
Back Up to an External Hard Drive
This is one of the easiest methods to use when backing up your PC. It is also quite affordable as you only need to buy an external hard drive if you don’t already have one. You can simply connect your external hard drive to your PC and use the built-in Windows 10 features to back up your system. On Windows 10, you use a feature called File History. Mac users can use a feature called Time Machine to back up their files. From time to time, you can leave your external hard drive connected to your PC and set the system to auto back up.
Advantages
✔️ The method is cheap and easy to use
✔️ It is fast and safe as it does not involve the usage of third-party tools
Disadvantages
❌ You may be at risk of losing all of your data stored on your PC and backup drive due to theft or fire
Back Up to the Internet
To ensure your files are safe, you can back them up over the internet. There are a bunch of internet services that offer backup solutions, and some of them offer their services at reasonable prices. For instance, Carbonite, which charges a monthly fee of $5, is a notable consideration. What happens when you back up over the Internet is that a program is installed on your Windows 10 PC and runs silently in the background. It performs backups automatically, keeping your backed-up data up to date. Your files are backed up to the remote web storage, and you don’t have to contribute your energy towards the backup process. If you experience a problem with your computer and lose your files, you can simply restore them from the web storage.
Advantages
✔️ By backing up to the Internet, you keep your data safe against all types of data loss
✔️ You don’t have to do much as your data will be automatically backed up without much input from you
Disadvantages
❌ This method may prove pricey
❌ The initial backup may take longer to complete
❌ This method only works if your computer is connected to the internet
Back Up to a Cloud Storage Service
Although some of the IT purists will say this isn’t really a backup solution, to many, backing up to a cloud service serves in quite a similar way. And frankly speaking, if this method serves the purpose, why not use it for that purpose? When using it, instead of keeping files locally on your PC, you store them on a cloud-based drive. Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, to mention a few, automatically keep your cloud-based drive synced to your PC(s). In case your computer crashes and loses data, you can still access the copies of your files on the cloud-based drive or on other computers that are connected to the drive.
Advantages
✔️ An easy-to-use method
✔️ Usually comes free of charge
✔️ You can back up and sync important files from all of your computers
✔️ Protects you against all types of data loss
Disadvantages
❌ Free storage space is limited
❌ File type limits make this method more complicated than using a dedicated backup program
Although cloud-based and internet backup services seem to be working in a similar manner, there is a huge difference in how one can benefit from them. At the end of the day, it is all about meeting your needs. For instance, backing up over the internet focuses on keeping large files and restoring them as they were in case your PC or drive fails, whereas cloud-based services are designed to sync files between computers while offering limited storage space for free. Depending on the amount and type of data you wish to back up, you should decide which method is more convenient for you.
Which One Should You Choose?
Well, if you really care about your files and value them a lot, the best advice is to use as many backup methods as possible. Why? Simply because you need them all. Online and offline backups are a necessity. Backing up your files offline is fast and easy and doesn’t cost a penny except for what is spent on buying an external hard drive. Therefore, you should consider this method as your first line of defense.
The online backup methods, which involve backing up files over the internet and to a cloud service, can be your next step towards data safety. You can do such backups periodically given that you will be constantly backing up your files to your hard drive. Another way of combining these two methods is to only back up personal and important files you can’t afford to lose over the internet while backing up the rest to your external hard drive.
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