Society of Certified Senior Advisors: Simple Strategies for Backing Up Computer Files

Don’t let it be you! Make physical AND cloud copies of your computer files today. Here’s how.

We’ve all been there: the sinking feeling sets in when you try to turn on your computer and a blank screen stares back. At that moment, you don’t want your first thought to be about how you really should have backed up your files like you’d been meaning to do.

If you missed World Backup Day on March 31, today is the next best day to sit down and knock out this important chore. Even if you don’t consider yourself a techie person, most of us now spend plenty of time in digital spaces, and odds are you would mourn the loss of your computer contents if your hard drive failed–or, if your computer were lost, stolen, or destroyed. Photos, legal documents, emails, work, and personal writing all deserve a backup.

Here’s the best practice: back it up twice. After all, backups fail, too. On a regular basis, back up to an external drive, and set up a system that constantly updates to the cloud.

More than one in five people have never backed up their files. Yes, it takes effort, the same boring kind that goes into flossing. To motivate yourself, imagine the relief that will flood in when you’re staring down the blank screen of death and know that you made two recent backups. Read on for essential computer backup advice for beginners.

External Backup

For many people, when thinking about backing up a computer, the first image that comes to mind is an external hard drive. External drives are one key backup tool. But cloud backups are also considered essential because there are downsides to external storage.

For example, a hard drive, like a computer, can be lost, stolen, or destroyed. It’s important to keep your external drive in a different place from your computer; if the house burns down, you want the drive to be in a trusted friend’s house or a safe deposit box. One of the biggest downsides with physical external drives is simply that you have to remember to do the backup regularly, and then actually do it by taking the time to plug in the drive and copy your files. All that said, external drives are generally reliable and easy to understand, and the storage capacity is a one-time purchase.

Here are the most common and accessible external storage options for backing up home computer files.

External hard disk drives (HDDs). These devices have plenty of storage, so you can copy all your computer files without having to pick and choose. To back up an entire PC’s worth of data, look for drives that have at least double the amount of storage of your computer, to allow for multiple versions of the backup. For example, if your computer has one terabyte of data, look for a hard drive with two. A good backup drive starts at around $120, and some may require external power.
Flash drives are the hard drive’s smaller cousin. They fit on a keychain, and usually don’t store more than one terabyte of data. If you want to back up just your photos or videos, a flash drive might be a good option. Quality ones usually retail for $35 to $90.
Solid state drives (SSDs) are hard drives that have no moving parts, so there’s less that can malfunction. They also copy files at least three times as fast as a hard disk drive. Since they’re sleek and efficient, they also cost more. Expect to pay about $180 for 1 terabyte.
Another computer. If you have two computers, you can save files from one on the other. For Mac users, Time Machine will help you make a copy of your current computer to another Mac or an external drive.

If you’re the kind of person who prefers to learn only one new computer skill every 10 years (no judgment), you may find it appealing to stick with a backup strategy you’re familiar with. While they’re no longer the most efficient way to back up your files, CD-Rs and DVD-Rs still get the job done. They’re especially trusty if you only care to back up select files, like your photo library.

To back it up like it’s 2002, just insert a blank CD-R (the R stands for recordable), choose which files you want to save, and drag them to the disc icon. Then be sure to label that disc with the contents and date. DVD-Rs hold more data than CDs: about 5GB as compared to under 1GB per disc. Keep in mind that because they’re becoming less common, blank CDs and DVDs are growing more expensive. And if you have a newer computer, you’ll likely need to buy an external CD drive to plug in via USB. These sell for as little as $20…but at that point, you might consider just taking a deep breath and investing in the external hard drive.

Most importantly, whatever external backup method you choose, take the next step and back up your digital files to the cloud.

Cloud Backup

When you back up your computer to the cloud, what you’re really doing is making a copy on another person’s computer. A cloud backup is a snapshot of your computer at a certain point in time, and experts recommend setting up an automatic system that will backup your computer daily without you having to think about it.

According to Wired, the best option for people new to backing up computer files is an all-in-one service. Backblaze is a trusted option because it’s easy to use and encrypted. For $99/year, you get unlimited cloud storage with automatic backups.

Another similarly-priced option is iDrive, which offers 5 terabytes of storage per year. Unless you’re a videographer, that’s almost certainly more than you’ll need. To start using an all-in-one backup service, simply sign up, allow the service the permission it needs to access your files, and the rest will happen in the background. Be sure you know how to access your recovery files on the cloud before the eventual moment when you them.

Remember: two backups are best, but even one could save your bacon.