Start here · Essential guide
Backing Up Your Data: A Beginner Guide
Why backups matter, what to protect first, and the simplest ways to start copying your important files so one failure does not erase them.
Owning Tech Well
Storing, protecting and recovering personal files.
Start here · Essential guide
Why backups matter, what to protect first, and the simplest ways to start copying your important files so one failure does not erase them.
Compare cloud and local storage on convenience, cost, privacy and control, with questions to ask so you can choose what fits your files and habits.
General information on planning access to your online accounts, devices and files so relatives can handle them if you die or cannot manage them.
A plain-language look at what encrypting files and drives does and does not protect, plus practical points about passwords, recovery keys and backups.
Compare external hard disk drives and solid-state drives for backup and portability, covering speed, durability, capacity, cost and what to check first.
What a home network attached storage device is, what it can do, who might benefit and the costs, risks and alternatives to weigh before buying one.
Practical ways to gather, back up, sort and keep years of photos safe, including folder ideas, duplicates, metadata and long-term file formats.
Honest expectations for undeleting and recovering lost data, covering recycle bins, file history, recovery software, physical damage and when to stop.
Breaks down the 3-2-1 backup rule of three copies, two media types and one off-site copy, with simple home examples and common gaps to avoid.
Related topics