“I have no backup”
Backup setup, tested before we hang up
Every computer drive fails eventually, and it does not warn you first. An automatic backup turns that day from a disaster into an errand. Setting one up properly takes about a session and then runs by itself.
How to recognize it
- Your only copy of family photos is on one computer or one phone
- There is an external drive in a drawer with a backup from some years ago
- The cloud storage shows a warning you have been closing for months
- The business has a backup that nobody has ever restored from
- You are about to replace or repair a computer
What you can try yourself first
- Use what is built inWindows has File History and OneDrive folder backup. A Mac has Time Machine. Both need only an external drive or a cloud account and a few clicks.
- Follow the simple ruleKeep copies in more than one place, and at least one of them outside the building. A drive next to the computer does not survive a fire, a theft or a power surge that takes both.
- Check the phone tooOpen iCloud or Google Photos settings and confirm the last backup date. Phones hold most of the photos now.
- Test itDelete a copy of an unimportant file and restore it from the backup. A backup you have never restored from is a hope.
When to stop and call us
- You want it set up once, correctly, and checked
- The backup software shows errors you do not understand
- A business needs server, shared-drive or accounting data protected
- Files are already gone. Stop using that drive and read our lost-files page
How a remote session fixes it
In the session the technician looks at what you have and where it lives, sets up an automatic local backup and an off-site one, makes sure photos and mail are included, and then restores a test file with you so you have seen it work.
For offices we set a schedule, protect the shared data and the accounting system, and write down in one paragraph how to get a file back, so it does not depend on one person remembering.
Questions
What is the easiest backup for a home computer?
An external drive with the built-in backup tool, plus a cloud copy for the things you could never replace. We set up both in one session.
Is cloud sync the same as a backup?
Not quite. Sync copies your mistakes too: delete a file here and it disappears there. Most services keep deleted files for a limited time, which helps, but a real backup keeps older versions independently.
Related problems
Help with this across Colorado
Remote sessions work anywhere with an internet connection. On-site visits are for business clients, by appointment.
Still reading? Just call.
(720) 222-0110Mon–Fri 8 AM–6 PM Mountain. For emergencies, call or buy a session any time and we answer as fast as we can.