Backup Policy and Procedures to Avoid Data Loss
Follow these backup procedures or call for more help.
- Pickup a Backup Medium
There are multiple media that you can use to backup your computer. It is best to use a combination of all of them to provide maximum protection. Some examples include
- External Hard Drive/Solid State Drive: You can connect a fast, USB-connected drive for automatic or manual backups.
- Cloud Storage: There are multiple cloud services, including Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, and OneDrive that provide online storage and can automatically sync and backup files and data.
- Network-Attached Storage Devices (NAS): These are most valuable for businesses and allow backup over a network and offer more space and control than the other two options.
2. Decide on Backup Software
- You can use software Included in Windows or macOS or Third-Party Solutions. The built-in options offer basic backup services, while the Third-Party Solutions gives you more control over your backups. Also, cloud services have options for backing up that come with their service.
3. Built-in Software
- Windows: You can se the “File History” feature to back up to an external drive or network location, and the “Backup and Restore” option for full system images.
- Macintosh: macOS comes with Time Machine, which automatically backs up your system to an external hard drive or network storage. It will allow you to go back to various points in time and is good for going back to previous versions of files that may have been changed.
4. Third Party Software
- Windows: There are many, many backup options for Windows. AEOMI Backupper is a good option. Also, some applications, like QuickBooks and Quicken, offer backup options within them.
- Macintosh: To make a fully bootable image of your Mac, SuperDuper! is hard to beat, though Carbon Copy Cloner is a good bet as well. Having a bootable backup means that you can plug in your backup device and boot from it if your internal storage is corrupted or otherwise not functioning.
5. Schedule Regular Backups
- No matter which software you use, it won’t do you any good unless you set it to backup on a regular basis. Do it daily if you can, but no less than once a week.
6. Use More than One Software/Hardware Combination
- For extremely important files (such as documents, photos, spreadsheets, work projects, QuickBooks data files), consider making a manual copy of the files on an external USB flash drive/hard drive. These backups would be done in addition to the regularly scheduled backups described above.
7. Test Your Backups
- Periodically, check your data backup media to make sure that they are backing up properly. This is as easy as attaching the USB drive for manual/file-level backups and looking to see that the files are there.
- For bootable image backups, try booting up from your backup image to make sure that both the operating system and the files are working correctly.
8. Keep Multiple Copies
- It is folly to have only one copy of your backup. Ideally, you’ll have files backed up on a cloud drive, a manual backup, and an image backup. That’s three types of backups of your data.
- However, you should always store backup media in fireproof safes and have a copy stored offsite in case of disaster or theft.
This article is meant to give you a starting point for backups. However, if you have mission-critical data, we suggest calling for a backup consultation so that we can make sure you are following the best backup plan. You can reach out to us at help@computerdoctorpros.com or call (336) 979-8948. Don’t let another day go by without backing up.
