Not many users are fully aware of this, but there are very high chances (one in two according to BackBlaze, an expert data recovery company) that one day, out of the blue, the hard disk will stop working. All the data saved inside it, from vacation photos to business documents and presentations, are thus irretrievably lost without costly recovery operations.
To prevent this from happening and suddenly find yourself in the middle of a crisis of greater proportions than you can imagine, you can follow two paths: start storing your most important files on the cloud using one of the many cloud services. storage available (by storing photos on ad hoc services) or schedule and frequently perform PC backup.
Why backup PC
Even if you may think that backup is a fact that exclusively concerns companies (both large and small) and professional firms, the reality is quite different. Everyone has valuable data on their computer hard drive, and everyone has something to lose. They could be, as mentioned, the photos of the holidays or the graduation party; it could be a presentation for school or university or a working document; or the database of the website on which you have been working for some time.
Whatever the nature of the data, everyone should backup PC or Mac backup whenever the opportunity arises and not keep postponing the operation. Unlike what is said in the movies, tomorrow is not another day: tomorrow may be too late.
How to backup PC
Whether you need to do a PC backup or a Mac backup, there are two very different paths. You can choose to backup online using a cloud storage service or archive the data on an external hard drive using the tools and potential of one of the many programs on the market.
Online backup
This is the simplest and most convenient solution, although in some ways it may be more expensive than the “manual” option. On the Net there are several services that offer the possibility of backing up data regardless of whether you are using a Windows or Mac computer: you install the client on the PC, program the frequency with which to perform the operation and stop. From this moment on, all the data saved on the hard drive (or a part of it) will be stored in the cloud storage without any risk of being lost.
Backup to external hard drive
Alternatively, you can decide to backup PC and Mac backup to an external hard drive: a solution at no cost (or almost) but which requires a more “direct” intervention from the user. While archiving in the cloud storage is automatic, in the case of backup to an external hard disk the user will have to connect the memory medium to the computer each time and start the operation. However, beyond the “manual” aspect of the question, even in this case the operation takes a few minutes: download your favorite program from the web (or use the tools present in the operating system, such as Apple’s Time Machine), choose the folders to save and start the PC backup.
One of the best backup devices that you can use is InfinitiKloud. This USB stick lets you backup your data quickly, reliably, and in the most secure way possible. Read this InfinitiKloud review to know more about this useful device.
The two operations, of course, are not “exclusive”. For security reasons, the user can decide to do both. Indeed, it is advisable to back up the most important data on cloud storage, while the rest of the archive can be saved on an external hard disk: in this way you can take advantage of the advantages of both solutions without spending too much.
When to backup PC
There is no better time and no less suitable time to backup your PC. As already mentioned, continually postponing the operation only increases the risk of finding oneself, suddenly, without files and data and risking compromising a school or work project started for some time. It is therefore important to periodically schedule (on a weekly basis, for example) the PC backup or the Mac backup, so as to secure the most important information on your computer.
In case you don’t want to slow down your computer with an excessive workload, you can decide to schedule the backup when you are not using the machine: in the middle of the night, for example, it could be an excellent solution.
How to backup old PC
If, on the other hand, you have a computer that you need to get rid of but, at the same time, you do not want to give up the files that are stored on your hard disk, you will have to follow a short and necessary procedure. If you were to skip steps, in fact, you run the risk of forgetting some photos or some important documents or not being able to install the software licenses purchased in the past. Let us see how to do it.
First of all, you need to move the files and documents stored on your hard drive. As seen above, the options are the most varied: one of the many cloud storage services, an external hard drive or even a USB stick. It all depends on the amount of data to be moved, the needs of the user and, in part, also on the speed of their Internet connection. In fact, if you do not have a performing line, moving files to the cloud could take several hours, if not days.
Another necessary step, as already mentioned, will be to delete the software licenses installed on the old PC. In fact, it may happen that some programs keep track of whether a particular license is in use or is still free, so as to prevent the same activation code from being used by two or more users. The same thing could also happen, however, when you decide to switch from an old PC to a new one: it will therefore be necessary to sift through the settings of the purchased programs and proceed with the cancellation of the license.
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