In today’s digital world, backing up your computer data is more important than ever.
Most people don’t worry about backing up files until after they’ve already lost all of their files. Usually, it’s already too late when people start to learn about backup and recovery. Don’t wait to shut the barn door after the horse got out.
Four reasons to regularly backup your computer or laptop
Computer hard drives are mechanical devices with moving parts and they wear out.
The more you use your computer, the more you are at risk for hard drive failure. Your data will be lost unless you backup your hard drive. Once your hard drive crashes, that’s it.
Laptops are susceptible to theft.
They get lost and stolen everyday. Nowadays, people all over the world regularly travel with their laptops. The size and portability of laptops make them an easy target.
Laptop backup is important if you spend any time on the road. College students should be particularly vigilant and regularly backup their laptops in order to avoid loss of important assignments and research.
Natural disaster can destroy your computer files.
Hurricane, flood, tornado, and forest fire cause billions of dollars of damage every year and unless you backup your computer, your data is at risk. Even if your computer isn’t destroyed in a cataclysmic event, your files may not be accessible for days while roads are repaired and access to damaged areas is restricted. It’s especially devastating to businesses when customer data is lost.
Computer viruses wipe out data every day.
A regular backup schedule can eliminate the damage caused by viruses.
Four easy ways to backup computer files
Backup to CDs and DVDs
Most computers today come with a built-in CD or DVD burner. To backup your files you simply drag and drop the files you want to backup and burn them to the CD or DVD using Windows Media Player or the software that came installed with the burner. This method is inexpensive but it’s not automatic and it requires you to remember to backup.
Backup to a USB flash drive
These handy little devices are capable of storing huge amounts of data and are a good choice for backing up files. The latest generation of flash drives provides one-touch back up. Just plug it in to your USB port and the flash drive does the rest. You can carry your backup around on your keychain.
Backup to an external hard drive
Small portable hard drives are now available at reasonable prices making large data backups easy and affordable. External hard drives provide the mother load when it comes to capacity. Portable hard drives are available in sizes all the way up to several Terabytes. They also come with plug and play technology so you don’t have to learn any new software or installation instructions. Just plug it in and your backup starts automatically.
Back up online
Online backup is by far the easiest, safest, best method to backup files. Online backup is completely automatic. The software runs in the background on your computer and backs up your files anytime you’re connected to the internet. You never have to schedule a backup or remember to do it. Your files are constantly backed up in real time. Data recovery is a breeze since you can access your files from any place where there’s an internet connection. You can get unlimited storage capacity for under $5 per month.
Check out and compare online backup prices. Take advantage of the latest available discounts.