Making a backup: the possibilities

Photos, that list of useful links in a Word document, scanned drawings. You can probably think of enough documents that you don’t want to lose. Prevent loss, provide a backup (copy).

A good Dutch word for ‘backup’ is ‘backup copy’. A backup is a copy, in a different place, of all kinds of things that you do not want to lose. That place can be an external hard drive or a USB stick or somewhere online. An important misconception about backups is that a copy of the entire computer must be made. Includes settings, programs, and operating system. That is not necessary at all. If there is only one important file that you are attached to, and you copy it to a safe place outside the PC, you have a backup.

It is of course possible to make a complete copy of the computer. If something goes wrong, this image, as such a copy is often called, can be put back on the computer. Handy, but also specialist work.

Since the operating system and all programs can always be reinstalled, they don’t really need to be backed up. Only disappeared files, they will never come back. That’s why we focus on those important files and ignore that entire copy.

Of course, you do not make a copy of something on the PC on the hard disk of the computer. If there were problems with the PC, not only the originals but also the copies would be inaccessible. So save the data in a different location.

The first choice you make is whether you save the copy of the files on your own storage medium or online (in the cloud as it is called).

Make it easy on yourself and back up the files that are important to you. Determine your backup strategy by answering the following questions: what, how much, where and how? So the WHWH.

• What
  Which files need to be secured? Are they photos, ebooks, Word documents, music files, PDFs, and where are they stored on the PC? Make a list of it. Only write down the root folder. So whoever has folders in the Pictures folder such as ‘Holiday Italy 2019’ and ‘Weekendje Valkenburg 2018’ only note Photos > Pictures folder. Go through everything that way. Ultimately, this will provide a list of folders to back up. It becomes really easy if you only use standard locations to store files. So the folders of Windows named Pictures, Documents, Music and Videos.
• How much
  How much space do the files take up? It makes a lot of difference whether you want to store 2 GB or 200 GB of files. In File Explorer, right-click the folders listed above and click Properties. Under ‘Size’ is then the number of MBs or GBs that the relevant folder occupies. Put that on the list after the folder names.
• True
  Where does the backup come from? Will it be free online storage, paid online storage, a USB stick or an external hard drive? If the question of how much remains below 15 GB, you can consider free online storage. Services like Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive from Microsoft offer the possibility to store files on their servers for free. If you want to store more data online, you have to pay for it. The cost varies by provider but it is not very cheap. Microsoft is asking 2 euros per month for 50 GB of storage. 1 TB (Terabyte = 1000 GB) comes to 69 euros annually (prices 2019). For that money you can also buy an external hard drive with the same capacity. But that has the disadvantage that the disk can fail. There are currently USB sticks with a capacity of up to 256 GB. USB sticks are more reliable than external hard drives. The latter have mechanical moving parts that can break. But the chances of an external hard drive and the computer failing at the same time is quite slim. Finally, the Windows automatic backup feature is very handy. But it doesn’t warn if there’s not enough space to back up. It is therefore useful to know in advance how much space the backups will take.
• How
  If you know where you want to store the backups, you have already partly answered the how question. If you opt for online storage, you depend on the system you choose. But if you opt for the external hard drive, you can further determine how you want to save. This can be done automatically or manually. So you save, say every week, new files on the external hard drive. Of course, this option does not offer a lot of security. Therefore, prefer a program that makes the copies for you. Windows’ built-in system is obvious.

You only have to go through the above once. The only thing you need to keep an eye on is whether there are any folders/files added that are not on your list. These must be added to the backup. Based on your WHWH answers, choose one of the strategies listed below.

• What: personal list, any location possible.
• How much: USB stick up to 256 GB; external hard drive up to 5 TB.
• True: USB stick or external hard drive.
• How: Windows’ default backup feature.

Advantages

• A backup is made continuously. Never lose files because they are not backed up yet.
• Go through the WHWH once and after that there is no need to look back.

Cons

• Ransomware risk.
• External hard drive or USB stick must always be connected.
• In case of fire or theft, all files are still gone.
• External hard drive or USB stick can break.

Convenience is paramount in this strategy. Via the backup function of Windows, all folders/files on the personal list are automatically copied to a USB stick or external hard drive. No user intervention is required. The main drawback of this strategy is the risk of ransomware. If the computer falls victim to this, the backups will also be encrypted and unusable. That risk can be reduced by setting the automatic backup to every so many hours.

You can read how to work with the standard Windows backup function in the tip ‘Windows 10 automatic backup’.

• What: personal list, any location possible.
• How much: USB stick up to 256 GB; external hard drive up to 5 TB.
• True: USB stick or external hard drive.
• How: Windows default backup feature or completely manual.

Advantages

• No risk of ransomware.
• External hard drive or USB stick does not always have to be connected.
• Go through the WHWH once and after that there is no need to look back.

Cons

• A backup is only made if you think about it yourself. So there is a risk that recent files are not backed up.
• In case of fire or theft, all files are still gone.
• External hard drive or USB stick can break.

If you think the risk of ransomware is too great with option 1, or if you just like to keep everything under control, you can always make the backup yourself. This is also possible with the backup function of Windows. Turn on this function but disconnect the external hard drive or USB stick. Connect it if you want to make a backup, immediately run the Windows function and then disconnect it again. In this strategy, you are the weakest link: if you forget to make the backup, your most recent files will not be backed up.

You can read how to work with the standard Windows backup function in the tip ‘Windows 10 automatic backup’.

• What: personal list, not every location possible.
• How much: Depending on which service is used up to 15 GB.
• True: online. So in the cloud.
• How: through the automatic options offered by the selected service.

Advantages

• Outdoor storage so files are always safe.
• Backups are made automatically.

Cons

• Usually limited space, so fills up quickly.
• Ransomware risk with some services.
• Always need internet connection.

Not everyone likes cloud storage. Some are concerned that their files on servers are not secure. That others can access their data. In general, that is not the case. It is useful to keep your login details safe and to choose a secure password. Those who do not want to store many files can suffice with the free variant of the cloud services. It doesn’t matter which service. One drawback of cloud storage is the risk of ransomware. If the computer becomes infected, the encrypted files are also sent to the cloud service and therefore unreadable. Dropbox offers the most protection against ransomware because this service has version control. The user can always go back to an earlier version of a file. Another drawback, or more of a limitation: most cloud services work with a special folder on the computer. Everything in it is saved. That means anything you want to secure should be moved to that folder.

• What: personal list, not every location possible.
• How much: above 15 GB.
• True: online. So in the cloud.
• How: through the automatic options offered by the selected service.

Advantages

• Outdoor storage so files are always safe.
• Backups are made automatically.

Cons

• Not cheap.
• Ransomware risk on some services.
• Always need internet connection.

If you want to store large amounts of files online, you will end up with a paid version of a cloud service. Furthermore, such a service works the same as the free version.

The best-known online storage services are OneDrive, Google (Drive/Photos) and Dropbox and iCloud.

OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft’s online storage service. OneDrive is installed by default on a computer with Windows 10, but it can also be downloaded for other computers. Mobile devices require OneDrive apps. You can read more information in the article ‘What is OneDrive?’

Google Drive

Most people know the company Google from the search engine. Google also has several storage options, under the name Google Drive (Google One for the paid version) and Google Photos. Google Drive mainly focuses on storing documents and other files. Google encourages users of an Android smartphone or tablet to use a Google account and its services. In the article “What is Google Drive?” we explain everything about the service.

Dropbox

Unlike the other three services, Dropbox isn’t strongly tied to any particular type of device. The files can be accessed via the internet page or by installing a program or app. Learn more about the storage service in the “What is Dropbox?” article.

iCloud

iCloud is a service from Apple. It is therefore completely aimed at users of a Mac, iPhone and/or iPad. iCloud is installed by default on those devices. Apple directs users to use the service. In the article “What is iCloud?” we will discuss this service in detail.