Personal Backup: Why it is Necessary and Finding the Best Options

Personal Backup: Why it is Necessary and Finding the Best Options

By: Sarah Todoroff, Content and Social Media Manager

We have all heard people say, “back up your data.” Unfortunately for most, myself included, I never really took them all that seriously, until I had first hand experience of losing data that I never thought I would.

Creating backups is essential to good computer maintenance. You can backup to a physical hard drive or you can backup virtually. Whichever you choose just make sure that it is the best option for you.

If you have a Macintosh, backups are a no brainer. Apple builds the backup program, Time Machine, right into the computers operating system. You can use an existing external hard drive you have (so long as there is enough room on it) or purchase a new one (recommended to have a dedicated external drive solely for backups), plug in and turn Time Machine on in the System Preferences.

With the drive continually plugged in, Time Machine will backup your computer on an hourly basis so you will be sure to never lose data. The first backup is a full copy of your computer. Thereafter Time Machine will only backup changes made to your computer. If you lose you data or accidentally delete a file that you shouldn’t have, not a problem, you can restore your data from Time Machine just as easily.

The one downside to Time Machine that I have found is not being able to choose what you backup. It is all or nothing. That being said, I would not let that feature stop me from using the program.

In the PC World, backups aren’t available within the original Windows operating system, however great personal backup software does exist, and for free!

Personal Backup offers four different types of backups: full, copy, differential (which compares two folders and then copies only the newest data) and incremental (which only copies files that have changed since you last backed them up. You can back up your files on demand, when your computer launches or at a scheduled time.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry! Personal Backup and Time Machine both have step-by-step walkthrough to help get your backups up and running! Make sure to do your research and find the best personal backup solution that works for you.

Sarah is the Social Media and Content Manger for BizCare, Inc. She writes opinions and shares her advise on different aspects of information technology and social media. Looking for help with your IT needs? BizCare, Inc. offers a free consultations, contact us today!


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