Having a backup of your important personal files and pictures in case of a hardware failure, fire, or any other issue that would cause you to lose your data can be financially troubling (your quicken files for instance) as well as mentally painful (irreplaceable family photos). There are several methods on how to back up your home PC so that this never happens and all of the options I will give are rather inexpensive.

External USB Drive

I just went down to my local computer store a week ago and bought a 1TB USB 3.0 external hard drive for under $100. Super cheap and very easy to use to perform your backups. Just plug it in, copy all of your important files to it and then store it in a safe location. If you have a fire proof safe, that works great, otherwise you could store it at a friend’s or relative’s house or safety deposit box etc. Just make sure it’s not at the same location as your computer for maximum safety. If you were to store it in the drawer next to the computer, then you have a fire…well, both the computer and the hard drive will not survive. The drawback of this method is that your backups are only as current as the last time you backed it up. It can become a chore which is quickly neglected. Next thing you know, 2 months have gone by and your data is now vulnerable.

Online Backup

This method is fantastic because it will be offsite without you having to do the footwork. Also, you can set it up to run automatically. Both are excellent and will keep your newest files backed up. The drawback is that it can be more expensive. If I were to make a suggestion, I always tell people about Carbonite. It is very user friendly and specifically made for the home user.