How to Backup Computer Files: Onsite and Offsite Solutions
With statistics revealing that roughly 2,000 laptops are stolen everyday and hard drives are crashing every 15 seconds, a lot of folks are wanting to know how to backup computer files. For those of you who have not experienced a computer crash or a loss of data at some point in your digital life, lucky you. It doesn’t mean that you never will, though, as statistics show that everyone will experience either a computer crash or some other digital disaster at least once.
It’s hard for me to imagine that there are still individuals or small business owners who are not making backup copies of their computer files these days but if you are one of them, there’s really no time to waste. The survival of your business, or your good standing in your job could very well depend on the continued existence of all the data sitting on your computer right now. And don’t tell me losing your family pictures, kids’ videos, or even your music library which you’ve built up over the years won’t hurt as much.
So the obvious question is: How To Backup Computer Files?
There are many backup solutions that you can consider and they are classified under two general categories: onsite and online backup.
Onsite Backup Solutions
An onsite backup solution is one where you copy your files into storage devices that you can physically safekeep yourself and easily access whenever the need arises. The most commonly used onsite backup storage devices include an additional internal hard drive, external hard drives, tapes, and optical disks like CDs and DVDs.
Using onsite backup tools have many advantages. For one, backing up computer files is a simple process that anyone can do: a few clicks and you’re done. Restoring your data need not be a major production either. It’s really like the backup process, only done the other way around. You also get the peace of mind knowing that your backups are physically close at hand.
On the flip side, onsite backup is not a completely flawless solution. CDs and DVDs, for example, can easily be scratched, rendering the data unreadable. As for spare internal hard drives or external hard drives, these are still hard drives and, just like your computer’s internal hard drive, can eventually crash.
When you rely solely on onsite backup solutions, you’re forgetting the other causes of data loss: theft, fire, and other natural disasters. Although studies show that natural calamities only cause about 1% of total data loss, who knows that you won’t ever be a part of that measly 1%?
Lastly, onsite backup requires you to physically do the backup yourself and make a regular habit of it. If you do it on a daily basis, it could be rather time-consuming if you have a lot of files stored on your computer. If you decide to do it weekly instead, you also run the risk of running into disasters within the week and lose the latest data.
Online Computer Backup: Offsite Solutions
Online computer backup is the process of storing your computer files and data in a remote location via the Internet. Remote backup solutions are offered by online storage service companies that allow you to transfer your files to their servers and keep them there until such time that you would need them.
Online backup solutions practically cover all possible disasters that can befall your computer and all the data in it. Although these services come at a nominal fee, they’re worth every penny (and it is literally just pennies a day). The service I use and recommend is Carbonite backup. For less than $5/month you get unlimited storage and your computer backups are fully secured and are done automatically for you. I honestly couldn’t imagine not using a service like this as it provides total peace of mind.
Like any solution to a problem, online backup is not perfect. One of the risks, even if extremely low, is that the company you backup with could go out of business and you’d lose everything. It’s important then to go with a company that has been around for a while and is likely to be around in the future. The company I use, Carbonite, has been around since 2005 and has only gotten bigger and better over the years. I feel completely confident backing up my computer files with them. You should feel the same with the company you backup with.
There is also that very small chance that your data could get compromised. After all, any files and data that you store remotely are at risk since they are out of your control. However, the risk is extremely low if you go with a service like Carbonite as they use 448-bit BlowFish encryption which makes it virtually impossible for anyone to be able to read your data even if it is stolen. It is the same type of encryption and security that banks and financial institutions use to conduct transactions online.
Another drawback to online backup solutions is that file restores are not as fast as on-site backup solutions (i.e. using an external hard drive). With an external hard drive you can literally drop and drag the files you need to your computer and they’ll be restored immediately. With online backup, you are at the mercy of your Internet connection. If you have a lot of files to download and restore, the process can take several hours and as long as a few days or more!
Onsite or Online Computer Backup – What Do You Recommend?
As you can see, there are pros and cons to both of these solutions so answering the question, how to backup computer files, comes down to your needs, budget, and comfort level. I personally use both onsite and online computer backup to get the best of both worlds. I use a 500GB external hard drive and Carbonite backup. I backup my computer files and data once a week to the external hard drive and Carbonite backs up my data for me everyday without me even having to think about it.
The external hard drive gives me the convenience of a quick file restoration if needed, while my online backup provides total peace of mind. By using a service like Carbonite, I know my files and data are being backed up everyday so if a disaster were to strike (i.e. my house burns down) I would be totally protected. Practically my whole life is on my computer so I couldn’t imagine losing everything in the blink of an eye. By doing both onsite and online computer backup I don’t have to worry about that!
