Backing up your data is a crucial part of being a PC user, whether you use your computer for work or you use it for play. If it is a work computer, then you cannot afford to lose any of your precious files – this could mean the difference between getting a paycheck and missing an important deadline! If you use it just as a personal machine, then you still don’t want to lose your data – think of all of the family photos, music files, videos, games and more that you could lose in the event of a computer failure.

Many things can cause data loss. A computer crash is the most common. To keep your data safe in the event that your computer crashes, then you need to make sure everything important is safe and sound somewhere that is not actually on the computer. A hard drive can sometimes be recovered, but not always – it is best to have all of your important files saved to something else. Popular backup methods include CD and DVD ROMs, jump or flash drives, and external hard drives. Backing up your data to a CD or DVD is easy – simply burn your important files to a disc and it’s done. Make sure you label each disc clearly, though, so you know what you’ve put on them, otherwise, you may find yourself later shuffling through a pile of discs to find a single file – and no one wants to do that!

If you have a lot of stuff to back up, then you might want to stay away from CD or DVD backup discs, as you could end up with a ton of discs and still not be done. This is particularly true if you have large video files that need saved – they may not always fit on one disc, and then you are in trouble. If you have a lot of data or many large sized files, then look to a jump or flash drive, or an external hard drive as the solution. Jump or flash drives are small USB powered drives that you can save your files to. They range in size (in terms of how much data they can hold, not physical size!) from small like 256 MB to much larger, like 8 gigs or more. These are ideal for transferring files from computer to computer, especially if you go from a home PC to a work PC and back again while using the same file, but they can also work as a backup method, if you so choose. To back up all of your data, though, you may need a handful of drives, so it may be better to just go with an external hard drive and save the jump drive backup method for an emergency.

External hard drives are basically a big hard drive that isn’t connected to your computer except when you hook it up. Simply copy all of the files you want over and you’re done. When buying an external, look for one that has its own fans or other cooling mechanism, though, to make sure it stays safe and sound, as overheating can cause the drive to fail, and then where you will be?

Just remember: in the event of a computer failure, you do not want to lose any of your precious data, regardless of what it might be. Taking the time to back up your files now will save you a lot of grief and hassle later!