Essential tips to backup, save and protect your data

Being a victim of a hard drive failure, not just once but twice, I have learned several lessons on how to keep my data safe. Here are some quick and essential tips on how to master the art of ‘not so boring’ backup routine.

Triple/Quadruple Backup Routine

Synchronizing files is a double-edged sword that can usually end up being a disastrous mess once you or the software screws up. It’s always wise to backup your data manually into three or four different devices.

• Local
• Cloud
• Offsite/External
• Master

While the local backup is the one that stays on your drive, the cloud backup could depend on this as you most probably are going to synchronise this with your local. Now if you are using the horribly designed software like OneDrive, you have very little to no options to protect or lock your synchronised files. At least, that is how it works, yet the user experience speaks otherwise! If the actual files are deleted, then the synced files would quickly poof off your so-called cloud.

This is where the external and master backups step in to save the day. If you value your data so much, then you have to spend some money and get something really durable and trustworthy external drives to safeguard it!

If you the contents are so sensitive and personal, you should probably get your own drives and do a routine at least once a week or twice depending upon the frequency of your data needs.

If your contents are huge chunks of media files or music collections, you probably wouldn’t have to worry that much as most music services will allow you to download or sync the files that you have purchased, for free. Despite that, to save some time that you spend under the mercy of your crappy internet, you can get an exclusive drive dedicated to media alone.

I know! I promised you that it’d be a ‘not so boring’! The truth is! There are no such things as boredom when it comes to protecting your data. There’s only laziness! …and some crappy internet speeds, perhaps! Okay! You still need a ‘not so boring’ routine, don’t ya?

Prettify and organize your files

Organizing your files is one way to make backups less boring. I know it’s easier said than done, but once done, it’s easier for eternity. I always have the habit of organizing my music collections (my priorities are weirdly programmed) with proper ID tags, sorted well under different categories of my tastes! So every time I buy new music, I’ll have that spidey sense kicking in automatically looking at the extra item in the structure. Don’t ask how! It’s something that happens if you develop the habit of organizing your files.

Do you still think it’s a lot of work? -_- Okay!

Automate your backup routine

How about making your backup routine from ‘not so boring’ to ‘fire and forget’? If you have way too many time at your hand, you can develop scripts that can backup your selected folders to your local devices. For a complete solution to save time and resources, I’d recommend Crashplan, which is free by the way, to automate your backup process. With the free version, you can create a backup once daily to your local drive and to a remote computer that has Crashplan installed.

Hope these tips are helpful.