The Backup Primer: Six Ways To Keep Your Data Safe

Local Backup

Local backup software allows you to keep incremental, versioned backups of your most important files

Pro: Incremental backup saves previous versions of files, without saving the full file each time it’s updated. Backup software may be free from your hard drive manufacturerE

Con: Requires lots of spare disk space, you’re still screwed backup drive is stolen or damaged along with primary drive

Disk Cloning

Software Suites like Acronis TrueImage and Macrium Reflect offer local backup as well as disk cloning. These allow you to fully restore a damaged or lost hard drive.

Pro: Quick recovery from catastrophic disk failure. Your system is restored to its exact archived state. Macrium Reflect offers a free version.

Con: Takes up a lot of hard disk space. Cloning a drive can take quite a while, is processor intensive.

Cloud Backup

With a cloud backup service like Carbonite or Mozy, you get space to save large amounts of data securely online.

Pro: Data stored in the cloud is safe no matter what happens to your computer/house, versioning support, storage for all the important files on your computer.

Con: Comes with an annual pricetag. Most plans don’t offer enough storage to cover your entire hard drive. Disaster recovery not available.

Cloud Sync

Cloud Sync services like the ever-popular DropBox and SugarSync offer both online backup and PC-to-PC file syncing.

Pro: Free options with enough storage for critical files and folders. File versioning with ability to restore. Some built-in filesharing features.

Con: Free storage is limited—large amounts of storage (> 50 GB) more expensive than most cloud backup options. Versioning is limited in free versions.

RAID 1

It’s not a backup strategy, strictly speaking, but the RAID 1 hard drive configuration does provide redundancy for your data—protecting your data from a hard drive failure.

Pro: Protects your data in the event of a single hard drive failure, speeds up data reads

Con: Data deleted or corrupted on one drive is lost on both. Power surges, viruses, natural disasters and theft can easily disable both drives at once.

Local Sync

Using software like Microsoft SyncToy, you can sync certain locations on your hard disk with other hard drives and USB or local network storage.

Pro: Keep a backup of your important files, available immediately without internet access. Synctoy is free. HERE

Con: No access to older versions of files—if you screw a file up, or it gets corrupted, it’s as good as gone. No disaster recovery option to restore your old OS.