Practical guide to backup: how to protect your data without errors
Discover the difference between a copy and a disk image, the three-copy rule, and how to schedule your backups securely.
What to save and the difference between methods
To protect your data, you must first understand what you want to save. There are two main ways to make a backup. The first consists of copying individual files, such as personal documents, photos, and videos. This method is useful for data that changes every day, but it does not save installed programs or the operating system.
The second method is the complete disk image. This operation takes an exact snapshot of the entire computer at a specific moment. The image includes the operating system, settings, programs, and all personal files. If the computer stops working, the complete image allows you to restore the entire system to a new disk without having to reinstall everything from scratch.
Where to save data and the three-copy rule
Saving files to a different folder on the same computer is not a real backup. If the hard drive physically breaks down, all data is lost. Furthermore, in the event of an attack by a ransomware-type virus, even files copied onto the same system are encrypted and rendered unusable by criminals.
To avoid these risks, the three-copy rule is applied. This strategy involves keeping three copies of your data. The first copy is the working one on the computer. The second copy must be saved on a local external medium, such as a portable hard drive. The third copy must be kept in a different physical location, for example, on a network storage service.
How often to back up
The frequency of backups depends on how much data you can afford to lose in the event of a sudden failure. Those who use the computer for work and modify important documents every day should set up a daily backup. In this way, in the worst-case scenario, only the last day of activity is lost.
For those who use the computer occasionally, for example to surf the internet or to store personal photos every now and then, a weekly or monthly backup may be sufficient. Many modern programs allow you to schedule these operations automatically, so you do not have to remember to start them manually.
How to verify that the backup actually works
A backup is only useful if the saved data can actually be recovered. Too often, people realize that something went wrong only in the moment of need, when it is already too late. For this reason, it is essential to perform periodic checks on the readability of the saved files.
To perform this check, simply connect the external disk or access the network space and try to open a sample of some important files. If the documents open correctly and the images are displayed without errors, it means that the copy is intact. This simple habit guarantees the security of being able to restart quickly in an emergency.