Should I Backup My Data?

Unless, you are 100% sure that in the event of a complete failure of your system, you wouldn’t be affected by losing all your saved documents, pictures, email, etc, then you should definitely backup your data.

Why You Should Back Up Your Data

The main advantage of backing up your data is that you can rest assured that in the case of your system failing, your data is easily accessible using another device. And just like you would always have a spare tire in your vehicle, you should always have a copy of your data.

Sometimes data recovery may be possible. However, 100% recovery isn’t always guaranteed and the procedure can be quite pricey. You can always avoid this with proper backup solutions in place.

A backup can also save you from a ransomware attack. In the event your data gets locked by a ransom attack, you can easily wipe your device completely and restore all your data from the backup.

How Can I Backup My Data Locally?

The method varies greatly depending on the device being used and the amount of data needing backed up. But for most regular users, using Windows or MacOS integrated tools would suffice for local backups.

Windows users can find these tools in the Control Panel by typing ‘backup’ into the search box. Both ‘Backup and Restore’ as well as ‘File History’ can automatically backup your data periodically and are very easy to set up. All you need is an external backup drive that you can buy from stores like Staples, Best Buy or online from Amazon. Drives like Western Digital My Passport and Seagate Backup Plus come with their own free backup tools as well. Feel free to use those just as well for local backups.

Apple Mac users are recommended to use ‘Time Machine’ for local backups. The same rule applies here. You will either need a backup drive like the ones mentioned above, or you could backup your data to an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule if you have one on your home network. These devices will automatically be discovered by the Time Machine software and are super easy to set up by following the wizard. Time Machine can be found by clicking on the Apple logo and going into system preferences.

It is worth mentioning that on Windows, it is impossible to backup programs. You will be able to backup data generated with any of these programs, but not the programs themselves. Unlike Windows, MacOS has the ability to backup both data and programs with the Time Machine tool.

We totally encourage you to try and configure these tools to backup your systems at least once a week if not daily. They are easy to set up, should not require any kind of technical skill, and will most probably save you from a disaster sooner or later.

How Can I Backup My Data To The Cloud?

There are numerous cloud backup options like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and iCloud to name a few of the most common ones. They all function in very similar ways and need a paid subscription in order to store data that exceeds 5GB for OneDrive and iCloud, 2GB for Dropbox and 15GB for Google at the time of writing this article.

We usually recommend OneDrive for Windows users and iCloud for Apple users due to each integrating better with their own operating system for obvious reasons. In a mixed environment where both Apple and Windows devices are being used, we find that OneDrive is more cross-platform friendly than iCloud so we suggest using that.

Setting up cloud backup is as simple as signing into the tool, respectively OneDrive for Windows users and iCloud for Apple and turning the switches on for backups. Remember, if you need to backup more than 5 GB of data, you will have to pay a subscription. The price for an Office 365 subscription is $8 CAD per month and it includes 1TB of storage. Word, Excel and Outlook are also included in this subscription. Apple charges $3.99 for 200 GB per month or $12.99 for 2 TB per month. There are other pricing structures out there, these are just a few of them.

OneDrive comes preinstalled on all new Windows systems and can be found in the lower right corner by the clock, or simply by typing OneDrive into the search bar. Click on it, sign in with your Microsoft account and follow the prompts. If you do not have a Microsoft account, creating one is free. Once done, it will automatically start backing up your documents, pictures and desktop items to the cloud. You can also install the OneDrive app on your phone, be it Android or Apple and start backing up your pictures to the cloud automatically. If you want to learn more about how OneDrive works and how you can also sync your data not just back it up, read our article on the benefits of OneDrive Cloud Storage.

iCloud is Apple’s solution for cloud backup, and it integrates flawlessly with Apple devices. However, we cannot say the same about using iCloud on Windows devices, as it can be quite glitchy. You need to have an Apple ID to benefit from iCloud services.

On an Apple MacBook or iMac, you can access iCloud by going into System Preferences and clicking on ‘Apple ID’. A new window will open, and you will see ‘iCloud’ on the left-hand side of the pane. Click on it and simply turn the radio button on for items you want to backup on the right-hand side. Make sure to also click on ‘Options’ next to ‘iCloud Drive’ in the right-hand pane, and from there select ‘Desktop & Documents Folders’. This is oftentimes overlooked by many.

What Are the Advantages Of Backing Up To The Cloud?

Backing up to the cloud offers many advantages over a local backup. They are a lot more reliable, due to the redundancy offered by cloud services. When you back up to the cloud, your data is stored on more than one physical disk and in separate geographical locations, which ensures the data is still available in case a disaster occurs at one of these locations.

Another major advantage of backing up to the cloud is that you can access your data from anywhere in the world, from any device, as long as there is a reliable internet connection. Due to this, when switching from an old device to a newer one, simply signing into OneDrive or iCloud will automatically populate your new device with the backed-up data.

The few downsides of cloud backups are cost, privacy concerns and user error. It happens often that users will delete data from one cloud-synced device, without realizing this will also delete that data from everywhere else, leaving them not only without a backup but without that specific data entirely.

If you are not familiar with the way cloud backup works, we strongly suggest you hire a professional to set it up for you, and also insist on getting a good educational session on the chosen solution. We, at EezIT, love teaching users new technologies and how to best take advantage of them.

Are There Any Other Backup Options?

There are situations where a local network-attached storage device could be used, or in short NAS device. These are slightly more expensive solutions but are more reliable than a simple USB drive attached to your machine. When using a NAS, all devices in the household or Office can be backed up to this device and the data can also be accessed remotely. It is also a great way of consolidating scattered data within a household or office. This is your own cloud solution. EezIT’s experienced IT technicians can set up different brands of NAS devices like Qnap, Synology, or TrueNAS.

Key Takeaways

Backing up your data should be a top priority when it comes to technology within your household or business. You should also regularly check and ensure that the backups are working as expected, especially when backing up locally since backup drives are susceptible to failure. This article is aimed at helping mainly home users choose a relatively inexpensive and simple set-up backup solution.

If you need a more robust and complex backup solution, be it for your home or business, let’s chat. Our IT support experts can set up NAS, SAN, Windows, and Linux file servers, as well as cloud backup solutions.