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Preventing data loss - How to backup files properly

Let's imagine a scenario that is not really unlikely to happen to you:
You are drinking a cup of coffee and checking some typos on your essay that you wrote yesterday. Obviously, your headphones were plugged in and you simply enjoyed the time that you had available all for yourself. Fresh air brings new ideas and is a must after intensive work so you get up from your chair. What you forgot is that your headphones were beneath your coffee mug and as soon as you got up, your laptop and smartphone got full of liquid. 
Now every minute counts: You turn your notebook off immediately and let it dry for a bit. But what If you are one of the Mac users with a soldered storages device or even with a T2 Security chip and your notebook does not turn on at all to save all your data that you had?
This is where a reliable and proper backup comes in. In some cases, your data such as pictures, documents for work or university are more important than a MacBook. They could be more expensive to you than a 1000$+ notebook because it is your work and work equals time. 

We all could try to take care of your things but what if a device gets stolen? All these scenarios make show us that having a proper Backup of your devices can make a headache go way in those situations. 
So let's start:
Backups can be done over the cloud and with physical storage devices


Backup for PCs (including macOS)

What you need in both operating systems is a storage device. You can buy a hard disk drive with 1 TB of storage for around 50$ or try to get a good deal for an even faster Thunderbolt 3 SSD. SSD are much faster and are more resistant in the short run. Keep in mind that hard drives are sensitive and should always be handled with care. 

Microsoft Windows 10 already has an integrated backup software installed. 
For that follow this path: Go to the Windows Menu Bar -> Search "Control Panel" -> Click "System and Security" -> Search "Save backup copied of your files with File History -> Click "System Image Backup" -> "Create a system image" -> Chose your storage device where you want your backup to be stored -> Click "Start backup" and wait until the program is done.

Apple has Time Machine as a tool to backup an image of your whole system. It´s integrated to macOS since Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. You can always restore and have access to files with Finder that have been lost. The program is easy to set up. Just follow the instructions. You can launch the program by opening up Spotlight when pressing Command and Space. Search for Time Machine and you will be guided threw the setup process. 

You can always buy third party software or safe them manual to backup your files. These options can also be used simultaneously with the built-in software from Microsoft and Apple. 
If it's possible, save onto more then one storage device. There are many cheap and unreliable drives that can be your worst enemy when you need them the most.

Backup for mobile devices such as Smartphones and Tablets

Apple has a great iCloud Backup option for iPhone. iPad and iPod touch devices. You can set iCloud up to backup regularly without the need of a physical device since the backup is saved onto the cloud. 5 GB can be used for free and you have the option to upgrade when you have more devices in your possession. The backup settings for iCloud are accessible over the settings app under iCloud Account. 

Android smartphones also have built-in software to back up your personal data. It would be too long to list all hundreds of manufacturers and how they try to solve the problem. 
Samsung has an option to save most of your data onto your Samsung Account. Samsung gives you the triple of online storage for free. 
Since we are talking about Android, you have lots of third party options for backing up. 

Conclusion

Hard drives have gotten cheaper in price and many phones already take care of backups over cloud services. Most people regret not having backed up important data before something bad happened. Let's play it safe and keep our money so nobody needs to go to a professional data recovery center and spend thousands of dollars to get their data back. These alternatives are next to free. 
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Location: Rhein-Main-Gebiet, Deutschland

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