Have you ever lost data on your computer because of a hard drive failure? It can be super frustrating! Since our lives are now so computer-dependent, our data, memories, history, and even our lives are stored on tiny magnetic cylinders and solid-state transistors.
Pictures, videos, documents, emails, and chat messages, as well as financial and health data, all live on these devices. Our identities are stored here too.
You never know when you’ll lose data because of a technical glitch, someone being mean, or an error. Whether it’s a mechanical or solid-state device, these components will eventually fail.
The other day, I was trying to copy some photos to my Mac Mini that has an external SSD attached to it. Somehow, the connection got lost, and the drive was disconnected while writing data. Now, unfortunately, the Apple File System partition map is corrupted. I’ve tried fixing it with Disk Utility, but it didn’t work. So, I’m trying some deeper data recovery options. If they work, I’ll share the process. But back to the point of this post – before you run into it, regularly back up your data!
Where you back things up to is up to you. You can use cloud storage, local storage, thumb drives, or anything else you like. Just make sure you keep a copy of it somewhere important. There are lots of storage options available, from free to the cost of your right arm.
Here are some backup options to consider:
Thumb Drive:
My favorite way to back up smaller files like office documents, tax records, health records, personal financial information, and other sensitive data that you keep on your computer and only really need to access from home regularly is to use a thumb drive. Back it up once a month, encrypt it, and keep it locked in a safe.
Cloud Data Backup:
You can get a few gigabytes of free data storage that you can access from anywhere with iCloud or Google. This is great for essential documents and info you might need in case of a disaster. Just be careful, not every online service is foolproof, so make sure to encrypt your data where you can and use a VPN when you’re storing and retrieving sensitive info. Prices range from free to a monthly subscription for more storage.
Local NAS or USB-attached storage:
Network-attached storage devices are a great way to back up your entire computer locally. Mac users can use Time Machine, while there are other options for Windows and Linux devices that can be encrypted. USB-attached storage devices can also serve as full computer backups, but make sure your storage volumes are bigger than your local hard drive.
Security:
This should probably be the first thing you think about, but keeping access to your data is super important. Identity theft is a real thing that can have serious consequences. Not every system is secure, but with some simple steps, you can easily protect yourself. Wherever possible, use multi-factor authentication, regularly update your passwords on your devices and online accounts, and never use the same password, especially when it comes to financial and health info. Use a VPN service whenever you’re accessing health or financial records on any wireless network where you don’t know what devices are connected to it. Better yet, don’t join public networks at all if you can.
This post doesn’t cover all backup options, but these have worked well for me. Have you backed up your data recently?