Developing Healthy Screen Time Habits
Developing Healthy Screen Time Habits
If there’s anything we should have learned by now, it’s that all technology comes with its own share of risks. Between our computers crashing or getting a virus to our phones losing power or breaking, there are just so many ways that the digital world can let us down. In fact, millions of people lose data every day due to computer crashes and other unexpected occurrences. The moral of the story is that you should never stop backing up your digital life!
But how do you do it? Luckily, there are plenty of tools out there that are affordable and easy enough for anyone to use. So consider the following to be your comprehensive guide to making sure that your data is always protected, even if your laptop or camera or other device goes haywire!
Online Backup
Consider a cloud backup service to be the most convenient and affordable solution for protecting all of your files. Companies like Microsoft OneDrive and Amazon Cloud Drive allow users to store their files in “the cloud,” so that they’re accessible from any computer. And while this may not seem like it’s particularly helpful when it comes to backing up photos from your camera, you can actually set up an automatic upload feature that will make sure all of your photos are stored online as soon as you take them! Pretty convenient if you ask me.
The catch: these services come at a cost. The more you opt for, the more you pay, but they’re also very convenient! And because they’re in the cloud, you won’t have to worry about backing up all of your files manually. But if your computer is infected with malware or breaks down and you need to restore all of your files from a backup, expect to pay a small fee to get everything back on track again.
Offline Backups
If you’re not into cloud backups, there are still plenty of other options out there. But before you begin, make sure that all of your files are stored on a hard drive that is not connected to a computer or network. And don’t forget to backup them! Once your hard drive dies, you’ll have to ask yourself how did I not back up all of my data? Some people opt for CD or DVD backups that they only have to make copies of when they need them. But this can intimidate some of us. Instead, consider investing in a USB Data Security Device Key (DSEK), which is essentially a mini-harddrive that stores all of your data and automatically backs it up on the go! It’s very sleek and unobtrusive, so it won’t add any unnecessary bulk to your bag.
Backup Software
As I mentioned earlier, you don’t have to backup every single file on your computer. There are software programs out there that will let you choose the files that need backing up based on their importance to you. I recommend looking at the following programs:
Windows Live OneDrive or Backup and Sync for Windows, Mac, or Android
Files from DropBox or Google Drive
Mac OS X “Back Up” function (also accessible from “System Preferences”)
Backup Your Digital Life Series
This will allow you to backup to the cloud, but also on your own portable hard drive. You can even use the Windows or Mac version as a bootable external drive using a USB thumb drive. The program is great, but it doesn't show files that are in 'hidden' folders. If you're an iPhone user, you can use the 'Files for iPhone' app to back up your files and folders.
Best of all, it's free!
If you want to compare two (or more) backup software, see wikiHow How to Choose the Best Software for Backing Up Data for a comparison of 10 different software packages.
External Hard Drives
I have a bunch of these that I use for my photos. But they are also great if you want to back up your entire computer or even share lots of files with other people on transfer. I would not say they are a good substitute for cloud backup, but it's a good idea to have one or two of these on hand.
To get the most out of your drive, make sure to get one with lots of space (2 TB is really the minimum as you do not want them to fill up so fast) and speed (a 7200 RPM drive will be significantly faster than a 5400 RPM). You will also want more than one port on them so that you can share them easily. Here's another way to back up your data if you need the space: consider getting an external hard drive with Wi-Fi! These are perfect in order to back up files without having to plug in extra cables. If you are looking at one of the less expensive ones on Amazon, read this review of the Western Digital My Passport.
Backup your digital life with a secure cloud storage!
Cloud backup is a useful way to safeguard your data, but for many people, it's not really necessary because they already make frequent backups to their computer or external hard drive. If you are in that latter category, consider using an online storage service like DropBox or Google Drive that allows you to sync and share files with other people without actually storing them in the cloud (DropBox stores all files on its servers). But if you want to back up your entire hard drive, an online backup service is a better bet. Another strategy is to use an online storage service like DropBox or Google Drive that allows you to sync and share files with other people without actually storing them in the cloud (DropBox stores all files on its servers). But if you want to back up your entire hard drive, an online backup service is the way to go. Of course, the easiest way to use DropBox or Google Drive is by letting your other devices sync and backup automatically.
Here's an article I wrote about how to keep yourself from losing information while on the go: Back up Your Digital Life While You Travel.
Conclusion
Backing up your digital life is an important part of keeping yourself in the clear. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments below!
Happy backing up!
References & Resources: https://www.howtogeek.com/244023/how-to-make-a-complete-computer-backup/ http://lifehacker.com/5958491/recovering-your-data-from-the-cloud http://lifehacker.