A backup is a second copy of your files kept somewhere else. If a laptop is dropped, stolen or simply stops working, a recent backup is the difference between a bad day and losing years of photos and documents.
The 3-2-1 rule
A simple, widely used guideline is to keep three copies of important files, on two different types of storage, with one copy away from your home or office. In practice that could be the files on your computer, a copy on an external drive and a copy in a cloud storage service.
Option 1: an external drive
Windows and macOS both include backup tools: File History on Windows and Time Machine on a Mac. Connect an external drive, switch the tool on and it copies your files on a schedule. Keep the drive unplugged between backups if you can, so a virus or a power surge cannot reach both copies at once.
Option 2: cloud storage
Cloud services keep your files in sync across devices and store a copy online. Check how much space your plan includes, which folders are actually being synced, and whether deleted files can be restored and for how long.
Test that it works
A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a plan. Every few months, try to open a few files from your backup on another device. It takes five minutes and shows you that the backup is complete and up to date.
Before you bring a device in for repair
- If the device still starts, make a fresh backup of anything you cannot replace
- Sign out of accounts you do not want a technician to need, or be ready to share a temporary password
- Write down which files matter most if the device will not start, so they can be the priority
- Keep your backup drive at home, separate from the device being repaired
Backup tools and settings change between versions. Check the current help pages for your system, or ask us to set it up with you.