Backing Up Your Data

January 2019

Let’s be clear …

Corollaries:
- Keep your current backup current.
- If your data is really important, keep at least two current backups.
- If you keep multiple backups, keep them in different locations.
- Rotate between at least two sets of backup media.

One way to categorize data backup is based on the destination of the backup.
- Back up your data to local media.
- Back up your data to the Cloud.
Another way to categorize is by how the backup takes place:
- Manual.
- Automated (partially or fully).

Probably the simplest backup solution is to use local media:
- Floppy discs? – Not so much.
- “Burnable” CDs/DVDs – 700MB and 4.7GB, respectively; finding blank media may be harder as time goes by.
Flash drives – Readily available and inexpensive.
Portable drive or SSD – large capacity, but greater cost.

Flash drives are an inexpensive approach if your data needs are not too large.
- 3-pack of 32GB – $14
- 128GB – $21
- 256GB – $43
- 512GB – $99
Portable drives provide a lot of “byte for the buck.”
- 1TB (1,000GB) – $53
- 2TB – $63
- 4TB – $95
The 4TB drive comes out to about 2.4¢ per GB!
SSDs are, for now, unnecessary and prohibitively expensive for use in backing up data.

The easy way (on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10):
- Format the storage media.
- Drag-n-drop folders and files onto the media using the Windows Explorer.

Never unplug a flash or portable drive from its USB port while it is writing!
- To do so likely will corrupt the drive, requiring it to be reformatted.
After the files have finished copying to the media, eject the drive before unplugging it from its USB port.
- This safeguards your data from corruption.

For a more advanced approach, there are a number of backup programs available:
- Windows Backup (a part of Windows 7).
- File History (a part of Windows 8, 8.1, and 10).
- Aomei Backupper standard (free).
- Acronis TrueImage (commercial).
Such products can take more effort to set up initially, but they may provide excellent features, such as:
- Repeatable tasks that will backup only the sources you specify.
- Scheduled backups.
- Incremental backups to save space.
- Compression of files to save space.
- Auto-shutdown of computer after completion of backup.

An advantage of backing up your data to the Cloud is that they are safe from physical damage.
Some are concerned about the safety of their data in the Cloud.
- What if someone breaches the security of the Cloud backup provider?
- If the provider goes out of business, what happens to my data?
Although Cloud backups have been available for years, I have yet to learn of a case in which someone’s backed-up data was lost or compromised.
Some Web pages even suggest that a good backup strategy is to keep one physical and one Cloud-based copy of the data.
Some Cloud storage space is free, or free with the purchase of some product or service (such as Microsoft office).
- Free space usually is limited to some extent, usually ranging from 2GB to 15GB; however, you could use several such accounts to accommodate your data.
- Free space may have strings attached; e.g., the provider may reserve the right to “harvest” information from your data to send you targeted marketing.

If you are unsure whether or not your provider has strings attached and are concerned, you should either:
- Read the End-User License agreement (EULA); or
- Find and study information about such things in your favorite search engine.

Backing up to some Cloud-based services can be as simple as their manual, local backup counterparts.
- For example, with Google Drive, you simply drag folders and files onto the Google Drive Web page.
- For other services, such as Dropbox, you drag folders and files into the Dropbox folder of your computer, and they automatically are synced with your Cloud account.

There are a good number of automated, Cloud-based backup services available.
Generally, these are subscription-based services that charge monthly fees.
- Some may provide a discount for annual subscription commitments.
The way these usually work is that, after subscribing, you install the provider’s software on your computer.
- Whenever you change a file or folder on your computer, the updates are synchronized automatically with the backup in the Cloud.
- If you accidentally delete or overwrite a file, these services make it easy for you to recover the previous version from the Cloud.

Here are some top-rated entries from PC Magazine’s list of best online backup services for 2019. (Your mileage may vary.)
- IDrive (4.5/5) – $13.90 1st year, $69.50/yr afterward
- Acronis (4.0 / 5) – $99/yr
- SOS Online (4.0 / 5) – $79.99/yr
- Carbonite (3.5 / 5) - $59.99/yr

Look at the article above (or others like it) to find a service that best meets your needs.
Use your favorite search engine to see if there are coupon or promo codes for your service of choice.
Be aware of how the initial, full backup of your computer to the Cloud could affect your data usage with respect to any data caps your Internet service provider may have put into place.