by Linda Lindquist, Certified Malware Removal Specialist
Most of my clients do not back up their personal data files. I know this by the panic in your voices when your computer breaks down, and you face the prospect of losing your list of meds, other documents, pictures of the family, etc. You tell me you do not know how to back up or that it was even needed! A good back up can bring you peace of mind!
- WHY BACK UP? Preventing loss of your personal data is the primary reason to back up your documents, pictures, music, videos, downloads, desktop and favorite bookmarked websites.
- WHAT IS A BACK UP? A backup is a duplicate copy of the files on your computer. It can be used to restore your data if your computer breaks down.
- WHEN SHOULD YOU BACK UP? How often you back up depends on a few factors: how often you change your files; how difficult it is to back up; how at-risk you feel about losing your personal data.
- HOW DO YOU BACK UP? A back up copy of your data is stored off of your computer: a USB flash drive; a USB external hard drive; a DVD disc; secure space on a backup service.
- HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BACK UP? USB flash drives cost $6 for 8 GB to $64 for 128 GB of storage; the price depends on the amount of data they can hold. USB external hard drives cost around $100 for 1TB (1000 GB) of storage. The backup service costs around $75 a year for unlimited storage.
- BACK UP ON A USB FLASH DRIVE: If you choose to back up to a USB flash drive, it is a manual process. You need to select a device that is large enough to hold all of your files.
- BACK UP ON A USB EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE: There is enough space on an external hard drive to automate the back up. However, it is not a good idea to keep the external drive plugged in all of the time, as it could become compromised by ransomware, if your computer is attacked.
- BACK UP TO AN AUTOMATED BACK UP SERVICE: A back up service provides a bank of disk space to store your files securely at a different location. Automated back up services are safe and affordable (unlimited storage for around $6 a month). Your data is protected by a user ID and password that you create. The back up is automatic; new and changed files are saved to the service each day. Basically, you set it up and forget it, until you need to recover those files.
- RECOVERING YOUR FILES: With a good backup procedure, your files can be recovered up to the date of your last backup. This is invaluable should your computer break down and you need a new computer; your files can be recovered to your new computer.
While I can back up your files to an external device, I now offer automated, secure backup to a back up service. Contact Linda Lindquist at pccoach@live.com if you need help backing up your files.
