Staying Safe Online · Backups & Bad Days · Lesson 2 of 5

Cloud or External Drive?

Two easy ways to back up, and why sync is not quite the same as a backup.

Two easy ways to back up

There are two common ways to keep a backup at home. Many people use both.

1. The cloud. Cloud storage keeps copies of your files on a company's computers, over the internet. Popular ones are:

• OneDrive, from Microsoft. It comes with Windows.
• iCloud, from Apple. It comes with Macs, iPhones and iPads.
• Google Drive, from Google.

Each one gives you some free space. More space costs a monthly fee. Once it is set up, it works on its own whenever you are online. If your laptop is lost, you sign in on a new one and your files are there.

2. An external drive. You plug it into your computer with a cable. Then a built-in tool copies your files to it.

• On Windows, the tool is called File History. Type "File History" in the search box on the taskbar to find it, then turn it on.
• On a Mac, the tool is called Time Machine. Find it in System Settings, under General.

Both tools keep older copies of your files too. So you can go back to how a file looked last week.

An external drive works without the internet and has no monthly fee. But it only backs up while it is plugged in. It can also be lost in the same fire or theft as the laptop. That is why using the cloud too is a good idea.

Sync is not quite a backup

Cloud services like OneDrive, iCloud and Google Drive mostly sync your files. To sync means to keep the same files matching on all your devices. Change a file on your laptop, and it changes in the cloud and on your phone too.

That is very handy. But it has one catch.

If you delete a synced file on your laptop, it is deleted in the cloud too. And on every other device. Sync copies your mistakes as well as your work.

Luckily, these services have a safety net:

• A recycle bin. Deleted files wait there for a while before they are gone. OneDrive, iCloud (called Recently Deleted) and Google Drive (called Trash) usually keep them for about 30 days.
• Version history. Many services keep older versions of a file. If a file gets changed or damaged, you can often go back to an earlier version.

So if a synced file disappears, don't panic. Sign in to the service's website and look in its recycle bin.

Here is the main point. Sync is great, but don't count on it as your only copy. Keep a separate backup too, like an external drive with File History or Time Machine. Your daily changes don't touch that copy.