In this post, we’re going to look at the different types of backups, the pros/cons of each, and whether you should be doing them. We will also give you a small run through of how you set these types of backups up.
On-site backups
If you have ever done any backups up to this point, this is most likely where you are. On-site backups can be something as simple as backing up your important files to a USB drive. You could also be carrying out full machine backups to a large External Hard Drive. These are great methods if you want to keep costs down and be in control of where your data is held.
With Windows 10, backing up to an external hard drive is simple. To do this, go to the Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security > Backup. From here you can choose to add a drive, so make sure that you have one connected. The process is fairly simple and easy to follow.
The problem with these types of backups, is that you have to remember to do this yourself. Sometimes you may forget to do this, and only remember when it is too late and have lost the files. The other down side is that if the hard drive or USB breaks, your backup file is lost unless you pay for expensive professional data recovery services. These sorts of issues do not exist on cloud backups, which is what makes them a great alternative.
Cloud backups
Cloud backups have come a very long way in the past decade. There have always been big players that had seamless cloud backups however they always came at an extortionate price.
Over the past couple of years, these technologies have advanced enough so that smaller enterprises can offer solutions at much more affordable pricing. Most cloud services that you may already be using include backups within their service such as Microsoft 365. Even the free version of Microsoft OneDrive gives you 5GB of space for free. This allows those of you who don’t have a large amount of data to back up free of charge. For those of you that are likely to break past this limit, it is worth looking at cloud backup services such as iDrive.
iDrive is a very cost effective cloud backup service, which at the time of writing offers you 5TB of backup space for under £40/year. This is a huge amount of space that is more than enough for most everyday users, even if you store a lot of photos and videos. One of the best things about cloud backup services like iDrive is that they run on a schedule so that you don’t even have to remember after initially setting it up. It will automatically back up your files at a certain time. If the machine is off at that time, it will back up as soon as it is next switched on.
Final thoughts
For those of you that require the odd file backed up, then a USB drive will be sufficient for you. Make sure that you check they are working correctly on a monthly basis. Otherwise you’ll be hit with a shock if it breaks in your time of need! For the rest of you, I would definitely recommend iDrive. It is extremely cost effective and means that you can just forget about it. If the service fails at any time, it will automatically notify you to let you know.
If you have any queries about the backup options, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can assist.
