Backing up data files that are stored on the internal hard drive of your computer can seem like a difficult and complex task. In reality, however; a good backup plan is quite the opposite, in fact, one that is difficult and complex is not a good backup plan at all.
A good backup plan is one that can be executed by you in a very easy manner. The plan must work for you – you must not work for the plan.
In a nutshell, a backup plan simply makes copies of your data files to another location – preferably two or more locations. Such a plan can be as simple as copying data to an external hard drive or burning it to DVD discs.
By using more than one storage media, you can be sure that you are always making multiple copies. For second and third copies, you should look at storing that data offsite. This means storing it in a location that is physically different than the original data.
Multiple computers can be a bit more complex to backup, since you may need to burn different discs between computers, or disconnect/reconnect external hard drives.
Another option is to setup and install a central storage server for storing data from multiple computers. By creating a server, you can easily just save the data to one central location, and from that one location you can easily run a backup job to backup all the data from all computers. Large organizations have been doing this for years, and now it is becoming more common in homes as well. More information can be found at Technically Easy.
A good backup plan shouldn’t be difficult or complex to implement. When creating a plan, ensure that the plan works for you – and not the other way around.