If a hard drive fails, experts can usually save only a portion of the data saved on it and even that costs time and money, so it makes sense to regularly back up your data. Fortunately, the two major desktop operating systems, Windows and Mac OS X, have integrated solutions for data backup which make the process easy.
On a Windows machine the backup programme can be found under "Backup and Restore" in the Control Panel. On a Mac it's called "Time Machine." Once set up, both programmes back up data either at the click of a button or at specified intervals of time.
One useful function of Time Machine is that it allows users to pick a backup from a specific date and then reset the system to that system image.
It's best to use an external hard drive for backups, particularly one with USB 3.0 as that will transfer the data faster than USB 2.0 - assuming the computer supports the faster standard. The backup disc should have at least the same capacity as the disc built into the computer.
Another option for backing up your data is to use a cloud service. That has the advantage that you can generally access the data from anywhere, but to upload large amounts of data to the cloud you're going to need either a fast internet connection or plenty of patience. On a normal DSL connection uploading several gigabytes can easily take several hours.
In the case of a cloud service, there's also at least a lingering doubt that your data privacy may not be impregnable.
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