Losing your important files is the ultimate nightmare. If you’ve suffered through it before, you’re definitely already aware of the importance of keeping a backup. Although digital files do not deteriorate like physical documents and photos, their one major downside is that they can be gone in an instant due to failed hard drives or attacks on your system.
So while our digital files are not subject to the wear and tear or passage of time, we should still take caution and keep multiple copies to ensure we have access to them for as long as we need.
There are lots of backup options out there, so in this week’s blog we break down 3 solid choices for backing up your digital files that will allow you ease of mind and permanent accessibility.
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage websites are one of the newest methods for storing and backing up your files. Cloud services faced some initial resistance after their development, due to questions of security and where your files are actually going. However, the ‘cloud’ really just refers to having your files accessible through the internet.
Although cloud services may still face some criticism, it’s hard not to acknowledge their convenience. All you need is an account on a cloud storage provider (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive) and an internet connection. You don’t need to carry anything around with you, which eliminates the fear of misplacing or forgetting your backup somewhere and losing all your files – they’ll always be stored in the cloud.
However you should keep in mind that since the uploading and downloading of your files is done through the internet, transferring files from your computer to the cloud (or vice versa) can vary in speed/time. So if you’re looking to transfer large files back and forth quickly, you might want to opt for one of the options below.
Overall, cloud storage is still a quick and easy way to back up the digital files you want to keep immediately accessible. If you’re looking for a more heavy duty full-disk image backup, you should consider alternative online backup solutions like Acronis True Image which allows you to quickly and easily restore your entire computer to its exact previous state.
USBs/Flash Drives
USBs have been around for many years now and are definitely the most portable backup option. While they are most commonly used by students to store things like photos and assignments, USBs have also grown in their capacity and can now offer much larger storage space. This means you’re no longer as limited to the types of files you can back up on your USBs.
They are likely the best option if you are looking for a physical backup that is still very convenient and portable. Besides the fact that we can never really plug them in right on the first try (everyone has this problem, right?!), the only downside to USBs are that they can easily be lost or misplaced due their size.
External Hard Drives
External Hard Drives are arguably the most popular method for backing up files. These are hard disk drives that live outside of your computer and are available in many different sizes and storage capacities. They connect to your computer through a USB cable and allow you to drag and drop files onto them. They can be portable enough to slip into your drawer or bag, or big enough to sit permanently on your desk.
External Hard Drives are extremely convenient for any type of backup – a full back up of your computer, backups of large video files, photos, music and much more. One of the only downsides to external hard drives is they can at times be a little fragile, knocking it off your desk accidentally can cause some damage. However, there are rugged external hard drives and other options that offer extra protection. Be sure to check out our category of external hard drives to find great prices for all the storage you need.
Multiple Backups
Although these 3 options are great for backing up your files, you should never rely solely on just one of these methods. USBs can break and hard drives can fail and you can unfortunately lose either one of them, so keeping multiple backups is definitely the best way to ensure that you’ll never completely lose your files.
What’s your go-to back up option for your files? Let us know in the comments below!