Ever experienced your computer being infected and your files getting deleted unexpectedly? I have and what a learning experience that was. When my computer got infected, I panicked. I didn't know whether I would be able to get my files or restore my computer's normal functioning.
The first thing that I thought was to back up my files. I was able to access the computer through safe mode and I rushed to buy an external hard drive to transfer all my important files.
Having done that, I set out to see if the virus could be removed. After a lot of tinkering and researching, I successfully restored the computer without any files being removed. But I never wanted to experience that ever again. It was like having a mini heart attack.
The frustration of not having backups of your files is a common one. Thankfully, nowadays there are various ways to back up your files. Like I mentioned, external hard drives are the best way. You could also use cloud services. But the question is, how frequently should you do it?
“How often you need to back up your computer is going to depend largely on what you use your computer for,” says Mike Towler of Mike’s PC Repair. For example, “someone who uses their computer for business as well as for [extensive] personal use is going to need to back up their computer daily [ideally through a pain-free automated process].”
On the other hand, those who mostly use their PC to “play solitaire and watch cat videos” might not have the same pressing need to back up their computer. Joking aside, Towler suggests that “everyone back up their computer at least weekly.”
What other ways can you use to back up your files? Read on to find out more.
(Image credit: Samuel Zeller/Unsplash)