There are 3 ways to back up your Windows computer
- Online Backup
- USB Hard Drive Manual Backup
- Scheduled Backup (to USB Hard Drive)
Online backups use servers on the internet to backup your computer. The one I like is Carbonite (Windows & Mac) For roughly $50/year (cheaper if you agree to 2 or 3 years), you can backup unlimited amounts of data (but the more you back up, the longer it will take to restore)
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Pros: Information on your computer is constantly backed up. Backs up all the “important” stuff. You can choose what to backup and what not to backup. Carbonite puts a colored dot beside every file and folder it backs up, so you can “visually” see what is being backed up. Restoring files and folders is EASY! There is no limit to how much you can backup.
Cons: It is not a fast backup or restore. If you have to backup large amounts of data (10GB or more) it can take DAYS to restore) Your information is stored on a server that you have no control over. Is it secure? Yes! It’s as secure as your bank information (which is stored on a server on the Internet.) Carbonite only keeps 3 months of backups. And when you think security…just how secure is your current computer?
USB Hard Drive Manual Backup
If you are uncomfortable with online backups, you can manually backup all the “important” files and folders on your computer.
Pros: Very simple and easy. Simply “copy” and “paste”. No set times, do it when you want to do it. You decide what gets backed up.
Cons: Very easy to “forget” to backup. Have to store the USB Hard Drive in a “safe” place (not next to your computer). Easy to miss files or folders that should be backed up.
Scheduled Backups to USB Hard Drive
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This method uses software on your computer to schedule a backup (full, then incremental) to an external USB hard drive. For the “average” computer user, I don’t recommend this method.
Pros: You decide what to backup and when. It’s great because you can backup your entire hard drive, that way yoiu don’t miss any files. This is by far the best and safest backup.
Cons: You have to monitor this backup. Users should manually “restore” files to verify the backup is working. You must remove the backup source and get it away from the computer you are backing up. For the “average” user, it’s hard to manage.
