I have to do it soon.
Do you have a proper backup of your PC? Disasters come suddenly one day. If you don't save important documents and images, it may be irreparable. So this time, we will introduce the "easy and robust" PC backup method that Wirecutter has chosen!
When was the last time you backed up your PC? 1 month ago? 1 year ago? Have you never done it? It's easy to think that backup is time-consuming and time-consuming, and it's a hassle, but that's not the case. Anyone can do it easily, and you should definitely do it! Whether it's an external drive or encrypted cloud storage, it takes less than 15 minutes to set up an automatic backup. Moreover, once you set it up, you can leave it alone. Just restore the data when you need it.
According to experts, backup has a basic rule called "3-2-1 rule". To keep your data safe, you need to keep three copies, two locally (of course on different devices) and one online. In other words, if you have the original data on your computer, backup with an external drive, and cloud backup service, it's OK. If you do this, even if your PC is stolen, your house is on fire, your hard disk crashes, or the Internet goes down, you should still have some data (well, if that happens). It's hard in another sense).
In this guide, we've focused on automatic incremental backups. Incremental backup backs up the parts that have been changed or added since the last backup. If you set this, you can rest assured. The above-mentioned "3-2-1 rule" automatically backs up the current data and past data, so even if you accidentally overwrite it, you can revert to the previous version of the file.
Just saying "I move only important files to the HDD or SD card from time to time" is not a "backup". Hard disks can break (rather, that's the premise), and SD cards are small and easy to lose. Unless you have multiple copies of your critical data so that your data isn't lost forever in the event of a disaster, you can't say you've backed it up.
In addition, Dropbox and Google Drive are services for synchronizing files between devices. Although it is excellent as a "cloud synchronization service", it is not a backup service, so it is not cost-effective to take a backup of the entire PC.
By the way, Google Drive costs 1,300 yen per month and has a capacity of 2TB, and Dropbox costs 1,200 yen per month, both of which are more expensive than Backblaze's "Unlimited $ 6 per month (about 670 yen)". Also, since these services do not support secret keys, it seems better not to use the cloud synchronization service for documents with a lot of personal information (tax returns, etc.).
Therefore, the cloud backup service firmly encrypts the files on the user side. In other words, the key to decrypt the data is owned by the user, not the provider, which gives you more peace of mind. If you still feel uneasy about the cloud, "1" of the 3-2-1 system will disappear, but make sure to back it up offline.
Specifically, in case of fire or theft, it is necessary to keep an "off-site backup" that saves data to another drive in a different location. For example, one at work and one at home. There are services for "off-site backup" and "remote backup" that manage this collectively, but we do not recommend it because it is quite complicated.
Some people create a system image instead of a backup. It's like a snapshot of the entire drive, storing all files, programs, settings, operating systems, drivers, and more. If something goes wrong with your system for some reason, it's very convenient because you can restore it to its original state on a new drive or computer without the hassle of reinstalling or downloading.
However, it takes a lot of time to create an image, it contains a lot of unnecessary files, and it is difficult to restore multiple files at once, which increases the burden on the user.
If you're still interested, check out PCWorld, a global computer information magazine for Windows system images, and Macworld for Mac information.
Wirecutter has spent hundreds of hours researching and testing in search of the best backup method for storage and cloud. Here are the gears that Wirecutter staff have chosen to actually back up their data.
Of course, if you already have a backup drive or service, you don't have to take the trouble and time to change it. I would like you to refer to those who are thinking of starting from 1 and those who are thinking about switching. We recommend a combination of an external drive, a subscription-based cloud backup service, and free tools installed in the OS. From here, let's introduce recommended products and services!
The best external hard disk. If you want to back up your files at home, an external USB hard disk drive is the most cost-effective option. Easy to set up.
For many, the first "defense" is a USB desktop HDD. Desktop HDD is the most cost-effective external storage and can be set up easily and speedily.
WESTERNDIGITAL Desktop HDD 4TB USB3.0 Encrypted Password Protection Backup My Book 2020 External Hard Disk / WDBBGB0040HBK-JESE 3 Year Warranty12,400 yen
The best portable hard disk drive. Despite its compact size, it has enough capacity to back up your laptop, so it is recommended for those who travel a lot on business trips.
Portable HDDs are recommended for those who travel a lot, who do not have a lot of stored data, and who use laptops in multiple locations. You can't expect the capacity and speed of a desktop HDD and the price is high, but it's small and doesn't require an outlet, so you can back up your laptop anytime, anywhere.
Seagate One Touch HDD [with 3 years of data recovery] 2TB black [PS5 / PS4] operation confirmed External portable HDD 3 years warranty Win Mac compatible Authorized distributor STKB20004009,280 yen
Manage data rationally. If you want to back up multiple computers at home, network hard drive is the most cost effective way.
If you want to back up two or more computers, a network HDD (NAS) connected to your router is convenient. NAS is powerful and flexible, but the setup is a little complicated. Recommended for those who own multiple PCs at home. There are other uses such as media streaming and private servers, but this guide focuses on backup.
[NAS kit] Synology DiskStation DS220 + [2 bays / dual core CPU installed / 2GB memory installed] Domestic genuine product + phone support compatible product40,299 yen
The best cloud backup service. The best cloud storage service that is simple and works in the background once you set it up.
The easiest and safest way to protect your data from thieves and disasters is to supplement your local backup with an online backup service. These services usually store monthly (or annual) encrypted data on the server. With Backblaze software, even if all the local data disappears or you accidentally overwrite it, you can get back the data you need at that time. It's pretty easy to use and recommended, so this guide will explain in detail how to use Backblaze to back up your PC. However, it is cost-effective when there is only one target PC. IDrive is recommended when you need to back up multiple devices.
One of the main reasons I recommend Backblaze is its simplicity. It works well without any settings or operations. Click here for the setup procedure.
Backblaze automatically backs up common folders such as document folders, photo folders and user folders. OS, application files, temporary Internet files, etc. are not backed up by default. It also backs up external drives connected to your computer, but the company's site states that it does not back up third-party backup product files such as Time Machine or file history.
Click here for how to exclude folders and files that do not need to be backed up, such as when the data traffic is limited by the provider contract.
In the case of Backblaze, the so-called opt-out system of "selecting files not to be backed up" is adopted instead of "selecting files to be backed up". Basically, all files are saved except the ones that have been excluded and the files that are not covered by the above.
Other settings (backup schedule, performance options, etc.) should be left at their defaults. If Backblaze causes network crosstalk, it's a good idea to reduce your bandwidth or schedule it when you're not using other PCs.
It takes time to make the first backup, so be prepared with that in mind. Of course, depending on the size of the drive and the amount of data, it can take hours or even days for a few TB. After that, only the files that have changed since the last backup will be uploaded, which will greatly reduce the time required.
Windows 10 has a backup feature for external drives called "File History". Once set, it will automatically back up after that. In addition to saving the file, you can also roll back to the previous version. The setting procedure is as follows.
Most of the time, you can use the default settings without any problems, but you can fine-tune them to your liking. If you make many changes to your files in a short period of time, you may want to back up more frequently than the default of 1 hour. If you don't need to revert a few months old version of a large file, such as a video, consider reducing the backup retention period.
To back up your Mac, use the “Time Machine” that comes free with macOS. Like Windows File History, Time Machine takes a snapshot of a file and saves it to an external drive. Click here for the setting method.
This is OK! After that, Time Machine will run in the background. By default, the entire drive, including the OS and system folders, will be backed up, so for unnecessary folders, open Time Machine from System Preferences and click [Options] to delete them from the target folders. Otherwise, we recommend that you leave the default settings.
■ Restoration from Backblaze
Backblaze uses a web browser to restore the files. Click here for the procedure:
Select the files you want to restore and Backblaze will create a ZIP file. This process may take some time if you have a large number of datasets to restore. After completion, you will receive an email with the link to download the ZIP file. Please access it and perform the necessary operations.
■ Restore from "File History" (Windows)
On Windows, there are three ways to access the backed up files, via Windows Explorer or "File History".
First, here's how to restore an older version of a single file:
Next, you can restore the entire folder or take a closer look at a particular file.
When you select individual files, such as text files and images, and do this, a preview of each file appears in the File History window so you can compare the differences.
Finally, I will show you how to go directly to the file history to browse and restore the entire library of backed up files. This is useful when you don't know where the files you want to restore are, or when you want to see all the backed up files over time.
If you get a new Windows PC, you can transfer files from an external drive, but the procedure is a bit complicated.
There are two ways to restore Time Machine backup data: access Time Machine itself or a supported app.
First, here's how to restore files from Time Machine itself:
Some applications support Time Machine within the app. In that case, you can view and read older versions of the document without leaving your app.
Time Machine is also a great way to migrate all your files when you get a new Mac. See Apple's support page for more information.
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