7 Computer Data Backup Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Backing up data on your computer is vital if you don’t want to lose everything. Did you know that 31 percent of PC users lost all of their data due to events outside of their control? Choosing to do a computer data backup is a great way to ensure that your information and pictures stay safe should your PC break or crash. 

In order to ensure that you keep all of your data and pictures, you need to have a strong data backup strategy. This is the only way to guarantee that you’re protecting your personal data. You should also consider strategies like using a data recovery system and use regular data backups.

The good news is that you’ve come to the right place to learn about the common data backup mistakes that computer users make. Continue reading to learn about the seven most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Not Having a Computer Backup Strategy or Computer Data Backup Device

The worst thought process and mentality that you can have when it comes to computer data backup is that it can’t or won’t happen to you. This leads to complacency and means that when it does happen to you, you won’t be prepared. This is the case until their laptop is stolen or they hear that dreaded grinding sound from their computer’s internals.

When either of these things happens you’re looking at a very high possibility of data loss. Backing up your data will not only help with protecting personal data, but it will ensure that you don’t lose pictures or important documents. You’ll still have everything safe and sound on a protected copy.

2. Not Verifying Your Data Backup System

Another common mistake that people make when it comes to the computer backup data process is not confirming that their recent data backups worked. The only thing worse than not having a computer backup strategy is having one and then discovering that it doesn’t work when you need it most.

When using quality software for computer backups like those at setapp.com, you won’t experience any issues getting all of your data back. Still, there is no guarantee that things will work out that way so you need to perform regular data backups and check that your backups actually work.

Create a schedule to check your data backups on a regular basis to ensure that they contain all of the information you want them to have. By doing this reality check on your data backups you’ll ensure that everything works in the event that your computer breaks or is stolen.

3. Only Backing Up Part of Your Data

Some people make the mistake of only choosing to backup a certain part of their computer data. Choosing to only backup certain files like their “Documents” files is a massive mistake. A lot of times, people choose to store pictures and important documents on the desktop part of their laptop and happen to forget to back that part up.

The problem with this is that the desktop isn’t included in the “My Documents” part of your computer. The same goes for important programs on your computer like Microsoft Outlook. Outlook stores its data elsewhere on your PC or Mac so you need to make sure that you’re backing up all of your computer’s data. 

This is the only way to guarantee that when you upload your backup to a new device, everything is where you left it.

4. Not Understanding Your Computer Data Backup’s Limits

While online data backup services are great and useful, they don’t cover every type of data that you’d like to have secured. The problem with using an online data backup service is that the files and documents you’re backing up take time when going over broadband. 

If you’re trying to backup files to an online data backup service and you have a poor internet connection it is possible that not everything you’re trying to backup is secure. The amount of data you’re trying to backup could take days. If anything happens to your laptop during that process, you’ll lose all of those files and documents you’re trying to backup.

5. Not Being Consistent With Backing Up Your Data

It is easy to get complacent when it comes to computer data backup, but it is a mistake to not stay on a schedule or a routine. This doesn’t mean that you need to backup your computer data every day or every hour. With that said, once every month isn’t enough. It might seem that way, but then your computer crashes and you lose weeks’ worth of data.

A good strategy to take is to invest in an external hard drive to store all of your data backups on. This device is independent of your computer and won’t be affected if your computer crashes. It is also one of the best ways to keep your data and information secure since no one can access it besides you.

6. Confusing “Sync” With “Backup”

There is a massive difference between syncing your data and backing your data up. Syncing your files is helpful for some things but it only means that if you make changes on one device to the files it will make those changes on a different device. When it comes to a computer being stolen or crashing, you won’t be able to get your data back unless you’ve got a backup.

7. Not Using the Right Methods

Using the wrong methods and equipment is almost as bad as not backing your data up at all. You need to make sure that whatever you’re backing your data up to is up to the task for the amount of data heading its way. This is crucial because you don’t want to have more data than space to back it up to.

Start Taking Your Computer Data Backup Seriously

Computer data backup is the difference between losing all of your data or paying thousands of dollars to get it back versus uploading it onto your new computer. It makes all of the difference in the world but you need to make sure that you’re able to access your previous backups.

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