Backing up your data has to be something you do. A hard drive can go out at any time without much warning. I have had quite a few friends come to me after losing pictures, videos, music, financial documents, and tax records from a computer hardware failure. There is no reason to risk these important files with how easy it is to backup your computer these days. Years ago, it was much more advanced to setup an automated backup schedule. Now, anyone with a basic understanding of computers can do it.
Setup an Automated Backup to the Cloud
It is super easy to setup an automated backup to the cloud. There are a ton of websites that offer services at a pretty cheap price. I personally use Mozy because it offers 2GB of Free Space. However, there are a ton of other alternatives out there. After you choose a service, you can sign up for an account. Once you have an account, you will need to download some type of software. This software is what will backup your files. It will be pretty easy to setup a backup schedule via the software. I know the procedure is pretty easy using the software from Mozy. It only took me 10 minutes or so from start to finish to get my automated backup schedule in place.
Setup an Automatic Backup via Windows
If you don’t want to backup to an online location, you can always use the Windows backup and restore utility to backup your files to another hard drive or to a flash drive. Whatever you do, do not just backup to the same hard drive you are already using. You will want to use some type of secondary device for sure.
To use the Windows Backup utility, click the start button and type “backup and restore” into the search bar. Click on the “Backup and Restore” link. This will bring up the backup and restore utility in Windows. Now, click the “set up backup” link and follow the prompts. You can see a video from Microsoft here on how to do this.
Why Not Use Both?
Even if you are already using a secondary device to backup your files and folders, there is no harm to using both this device and an automated online backup solution. Setting up an automated cloud backup schedule only takes a few minutes. In fact, this is what I do personally. I use an external hard drive for all files (pictures, videos, documents) and then I use the free space from Mozy to backup my documents only. The advantages are twofold. First, and most obvious, is that in the case of an problem, you will have 2 places with your important information. Also, since documents change often, it is possible that the Windows backup may not be 100% up to date. By keeping a secondary backup, it is more likely that a document will be exactly how you left it. The second advantage is that you will have access to your most important documents even when you are away from your PC. This can come in handy when traveling, when using a shared computer at work, or even when using a public computer.
There are many solutions when it comes to data backup. The most important thing is that you are performing regular backups in some fashion. I personally like to use a secondary hard drive and online backup together. I feel this creates the best of both worlds. If you would like, you can Click here to get 2GB of Free Space from Mozy.