Best Ways to Back Up Your Files
Backing up files is one of the golden rules of the technological age. Examples of irreplaceable files can include pictures from memorable occasions or trips, music libraries, and important work files or personal documents. Owning a computer without backing up pertinent files can be compared to owning a home without insurance. One hardware malfunction could result in the loss of several files. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to back up your cherished electronic items—and they’re all affordable and easy to execute.
Online Storage
Online storage is preferable to some over a hard drive since the files are easily accessible from any computer with an Internet connection. There are several websites that offer free storage – Mozy.com offers 2 GB of online backup at no cost. Paying for more storage per month is also inexpensive, usually costing less than $10/month.
Photo Sharing Websites
Uploading files to website such as flickr or Photobucket is another way to back up some of your favorite files, and Facebook has started allowing its users the option of sharing high definition versions of images.
E-mail Storage
A free (albeit time consuming) way to store files is to utilize the space offered by free webmail providers, such as Gmail or YahooMail. One Gmail account has storage of over 7500MB (enough for 12,000 emails plus attachments), and there is no limit to the number of Gmail accounts you can open. E-mail the file to yourself that you wish to store, and place that e-mail in a folder (if it’s sensitive information, consider labeling the folder something inconspicuous in the event that someone else gains access to your e-mail account). Obviously, there are some drawbacks to this method: every e-mail has a file size limitation of 25 MB, so storing high-quality photographs, videos, or multiple songs isn’t an option.
External Hard Drive
The most common way to back up files is to use an external hard drive. Often manufactured to be small, lightweight, and portable, it’s easy to carry an external hard drive in addition to your laptop. In recent years, the cost of external hard drives has dropped significantly, and you can easily find a hard drive with 1TB of space for less than $100.
USB Flash Drive
If you’re constantly on the road and enjoy taking multiple pictures but do not want to cart around multiple SD cards, consider using a USB flash drive. Flash drives are easily portable, affordable, and can hold up to 64GB of data. Also, flash drives are a preferred method for transferring large files between two computers, as it can be done quickly and easily.
CDs, DVDs
It’s an older method, but it still works (most of the time). A fair amount of files can be stored on a CD, and can then be transferred to another computer at a later date. One of the concerns with using a CD for file storage is whether the files will become outdated and unreadable by future versions of software. Files can also be inaccessible should the CD or DVD become scratched or damaged.