If you use a computer or mobile device long enough, sooner or later something will go wrong, resulting in you losing your personal files, documents, or photos. For example, you may accidentally delete the wrong files, have a hardware failure, lose a device, or become infected with malware, such as ransomware. At times like these, backups are often the only way you can rebuild your digital life. In this newsletter, we explain what backups are, how to back up your data, and how to develop a simple strategy that’s right for you.
Backups: What, When, and How
Automated, reliable backups are often your last line of defense in protecting your data.
Backups are copies of your information stored somewhere other than on your computer or mobile device. When you lose valuable data, you can recover that data from your backups. Unfortunately, too many people fail to perform regular backups, even though they are simple and inexpensive. The first step is deciding what you want to back up. There are two approaches: (1) backing up specific data that is important to you; or (2) backing up everything, including your entire operating system. Many backup solutions are configured by default to use the first approach. They back up data from the most commonly used folders. In many cases, this is all you need. However, if you are not sure what to back up or want to be extra careful, back up everything.
Second, you must decide how frequently to back up. Built-in backup programs, such as Apple’s Time Machine or Microsoft Windows Backup and Restore, allow you to create an automatic, “set it and forget it” backup schedule. Common options include hourly, daily, weekly, etc. Other solutions offer “continuous protection,” in which new or ..
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