You probably don’t want to waste hours backing up your files and data as you sit down at the machine. It might not be as exciting as watching a movie or scrolling through social media, but it may be the most critical task you can complete on your computer.
Having a robust backup strategy in place protects you from more than just the traumatic experience of inadvertently losing your files. It also serves as a safety net if your computer is infected with a virus, hackers take your data hostage, or your children spill water on your MacBook.
Backups can be your only tool for restoring your files after an accident like this, so don’t wait to set one up. Due to the availability of such a huge number of applications and software for backup, you do not have any excuse left for not backing up your data.
Users have been concerned about the security of their data for almost as long as digital data has existed. A backup is an additional copy of all your files in the most basic form. Ideally, you can save the originals as well as two copies. Then, if one set of data are corrupted, you have a new set as well as a backup to fall back on.
Various backup methods have emerged over time, and the whole process is now much more transparent than it was before. Without forcing you to keep track, automated software will identify which files to transfer and how much they should be transferred. Furthermore, faster internet speeds have made cloud backups even more feasible, reducing our dependence on external hard drives and compact discs.
Backing up data in Windows and Mac operating systems
Operating system vendors also understand the value of data backup. In reality, the most recent versions of Windows and macOS also have built-in programs for backing up your data to an external hard drive.
File History is available on a Windows computer. To locate it, go to Settings, then Update & Security, then Backup. You will select the files you want to backup and customize other facets of the backup process after you choose an external drive to store your backups.
Time Machine is a function of macOS that can be found in System Preferences. All you need is an external drive, and the program can make backups on an hourly, monthly, and weekly basis as required. Since each backup just transfers files that you’ve changed or installed, the procedure is also fairly fast. By default, a Time Machine backup saves everything you need to completely recover your device, including programs, files, and configurations.
Remote or networked drives are used for both File History and Time Machine. Microsoft and Apple have also supported cloud-based backups in recent years. OneDrive is Microsoft’s built-in software, and it appears prominently as you install Windows 10 on a new device. Anything you save to the OneDrive folder will be immediately backed up to the web and all other computers where OneDrive is installed.
iCloud, Apple’s variant, runs in a similar way, but it’s a little more backend. It is used invisibly for many applications, so the data is simply stored without any manual setup. To get started, go to System Preferences on macOS and sign in with your Apple ID. By pressing the Options button next to iCloud Drive, you can monitor which folders are synced to the network.
If you don’t want to use the software that comes with your computer’s operating system for whatever purpose, you do have plenty of backup options. Dropbox was a pioneer of cloud syncing even before OneDrive and iCloud, and it continues to be a reliable solution that runs on a variety of platforms. It’s a decent option for someone who uses Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS since it is relatively easy to use. Another option is Google Drive which can be used.
