Backing up your stuff

So it's that time of year again, and you're preparing to get rid of some of the clutter on your computer. But before you go deleting all those things you think you don't need, perhaps you should invest some time in installing precautions, in case you're wrong. Because we're all fallible, we all make mistakes, that's what being human is about. Here's some other reasons why you should consider backing up your data:

• Power issues: if your power switches off randomly, or you get low power suddenly, or a lightning strike comes through, you can lose data. If you're like me and live in the country, you know how unstable power can be. A tree comes down and knocks out a power-line 15 miles down the road, and there goes your power.
• User error: deleting or altering your own files.
• Viruses: specifically, cryptolocker viruses and other kinds of malware which prevent you from accessing your files, or which delete them.
• Hardware failure: a failing motherboard, overheating CPU, faulty power supply or RAM can cause lost data. Don't think your computer is necessarily robust and permanent - it is until it's not, basically.
• Theft: so long as you keep your backup hidden elsewhere in the house (or online), you can usually prevent data loss in the event of burglary.

Now, backing up isn't that complicated. It's about making copies, frequently. Some people back up fortnightly, some weekly, some daily, but most not at all. The best location for backing up data is, in my view, an external hard drive; they're cheap nowadays. Backing up online is also good. A USB stick (flash drive) can be fine to back up to also, if the amount of data you have is small. But it's not a good idea to back up data to another location inside your computer. You are not protected from any of the problems mentioned above if you do so. Similarly it's best not to leave the backup drive plugged into the computer at all times; this has much the same effect. If unplugging, remember to disconnect the drive (click the "Safely remove hardware and eject media" icon in the bottom right corner of the screen in windows, or drag the drive to the Trash on a mac).

Lastly, what software should you use to back your stuff up? Windows' own built-in backup is pretty good nowadays; you can follow the windows prompts for setting up a backup, or use Time Machine if you're on a Mac. If you want to back up to the cloud, there are plenty of solutions such as Google Drive, Onedrive and Dropbox. FreeFileSync is a program I often use, as it allows clients to run their own backups manually. But ultimately it doesn't matter what you use, so long as your important data is always in more than one place at once.

- written by Matt Bentley