A disk backup (whether to an internal or an external drive) creates a copy of your files so you can still access them in an emergency, such as a virus attack or an operating system or hardware failure.
If the backup failed or does not exist, the files may still be on the original device. In that case, see Bot’s professional data recovery, which starts with a free diagnosis.
In other words, regular backups are the best way to make sure you don’t lose important files.
But how do you do it safely? Which is the better drive for your backup: internal or external? What are the pros and cons of an external disk? Is a full or a partial backup better? And is automatic backup really worth it?
That’s what we’ll cover in this post!
How do I back up a hard disk?
To back up your disk — your photos, videos, documents and applications — you need backup software.
You can use the tools built into macOS or Windows, or third-party software.
Some examples of backup software:
Backing up a disk may seem simple, but there is a catch: if the backup fails and you don’t notice, you will only find out when an emergency strikes and you need to restore your data.
In other words, exactly when you need it most. That’s why it is worth checking your backups from time to time.
Internal disk
Backing up to the internal disk means saving a copy of your most important files on another partition or on a second internal disk.
For example, you can copy your Documents folder to a folder on another partition — say, copy the contents of “C:\Users\You\Documents” to “D:\Backups”.
This protects you against accidental deletions and changes and against file corruption: you simply restore the files from your backup copy.
However, it does not protect you if the disk itself fails: if the copy is on another partition of the same disk, a hardware failure takes both the original and the backup with it. This approach also makes it difficult (if not impossible) to back up the entire system.
In other words, if Windows or macOS stops working for any reason, you won’t be able to restore the whole system from that copy.
With that in mind, here is how to back up to an internal disk on Mac and Windows.
On a Mac, follow these steps:
1 – Open the Apple menu, go to “System Preferences” and click “Time Machine”.
2 – Click “Select Backup Disk”.
3 – Select the second internal disk you want to use. To keep your data secure, check “Encrypt backups”. Then click “Use Disk”.
On Windows, you can use “File History” to back up to another internal drive.
Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Backup > Add a drive.
Then select the internal drive where you want to store your backups.
External disk
This is the recommended approach: you save a copy of your photos, videos, documents, applications and other files on a drive outside your desktop or laptop, connected via USB.
Backing up to an external disk protects your files in the event of:
- Accidental deletion, changes, corruption or damage: you can restore your files from the copy on the external disk
- Hardware failure: if the system disk fails, replace it and restore your data from the backup
- Most system failures: if your operating system stops working for any reason, you can restore a backup instead of reinstalling everything from scratch
- Most malware: you can restore a full system backup made before the infection.
However, an external disk backup does not protect you from malware that infects connected drives, nor does it help in the event of theft or disaster if the disk is kept next to the computer.
Follow these steps to back up Windows to an external disk:
1 – Connect the external drive to a USB port on your desktop or laptop and wait for the system to recognize it.
2 – Click the “Start” button or press the Windows key and open the “Control Panel”.
3 – Under “Adjust your computer’s settings”, click “Backup and Restore”, the feature that creates backup copies of your PC.
4 – A window will open with information about your backup settings. Click “Set up backup” (or “Change settings”) to configure the backup tool.
5 – Select the external disk you connected and click “Next”.
6 – Choose “Let Windows choose (recommended)” for a standard backup, or “Let me choose” to select the files you want to copy yourself. Then click “Next”.
7 – The wizard will show a summary of your choices. Click “Save settings and run backup” to start backing up Windows to the external disk.
8 – Wait for the backup to finish. You can follow its progress on the progress bar shown on screen.
To back up your Mac, follow these steps:
1 – In the Apple menu, select “System Preferences” and click “Time Machine”.
2 – Click “Select Backup Disk”.
3 – Select your external disk, check “Encrypt backups” and click “Use Disk”.
Time Machine may need to format the disk you select for backups.
If it asks you to, click “Erase” to continue — but bear in mind that this will erase all the data on the backup disk, so use an empty disk or move its files elsewhere first.
Using external disks for backup
External disks are widely used for backups for several reasons: they are affordable, easy to set up and easy to carry around. However, they have both advantages and disadvantages.
Here they are:
Advantages
Backing up to an external disk is cheaper than other alternatives, such as paid cloud backup services.
It is also faster, since it doesn’t depend on your internet speed — especially with USB 3.0, USB-C or Thunderbolt drives (on computers with compatible ports, of course).
And it doesn’t slow down your internet connection while the backup is running.
Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage of external disks is that, like any disk, they can fail at any time, whether due to mechanical problems or other causes.
For example, you might plug it in and find it simply doesn’t work, leaving you unable to access the data stored on it.
With automatic backups — where the external disk has to stay connected all the time — your files are also exposed to viruses and ransomware that can corrupt or encrypt them.
In addition, if you accidentally delete a file, an automatic backup that does not keep older versions will replicate the mistake and create a copy without that file.
And if they are not encrypted, external disks can easily be accessed by unauthorized people.
Full vs. partial backup
A full backup copies all the data and files on your disk, whether to an internal or an external drive.
This is not always the best option, because it produces very large backups, often full of unnecessary data.
So if you prefer a full backup, first clean up your laptop or computer by deleting unnecessary files and uninstalling apps you no longer use.
A partial backup, on the other hand, copies only part of the data, so it takes up less space and is quicker to complete.
The idea is to copy only your most important files and data — the ones you would need if your disk failed.
Automatic backup to an external disk
An automatic backup copies your files, apps, videos, photos and other documents at a frequency you choose, on specific days and/or at specific times.
On Windows, you can set up automatic backups to an external disk in two ways: with “Backup and Restore” or with “File History”.
Remember: both options require the external disk to stay connected to your laptop or computer for the backups to be updated.
1 – Backup and Restore
- 1 – Go to “Settings” > “Update & Security” > “Backup” > “Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)”.
- 2 – Select “Change settings”, choose the external hard disk where you want to store your backup from the list and click “Next”.
- 3 – Select “Let me choose” and click “Next” to choose the files you want to back up.
- 4 – Click “Change schedule” and choose how often you want backups to run (daily, weekly or monthly). Set the time and click “OK”.
- 5 – Finally, select “Save settings and run backup” and wait for the process to finish.
2 – File History
- In the Control Panel, select “File History”.
- Click “Select drive”.
- Choose the external disk, which will usually appear as “Removable Disk” or with its name, followed by its drive letter (for example, E:).
- Click “OK” to continue.
- Go to “Advanced settings” and choose how often you want your files to be backed up (from every few minutes to once a day).
- Finally, click “Run now”.
On a Mac
If you have a Mac, desktop or laptop, you can use Time Machine to make automatic backups.
As with Windows, you need to keep the external disk connected for the backup to stay up to date.
To use it, open the Apple menu (in the top left-hand corner), select “System Preferences” and then “Time Machine”.
Then select your external disk from the list to set it up.
Time Machine keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month and weekly backups for all previous months.
Remember: when the disk is full, Time Machine automatically deletes the oldest backups.
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Conclusion
A backup copies the files from your disk and stores them on another partition or disk inside your computer (internal backup) or on an external hard disk.
External disks are generally a better choice than internal ones, but each option has advantages and disadvantages. Choose the one that suits you best.
A backup doesn’t always have to be complete (which can mean copying a lot of unnecessary data). It can also be partial, copying only your most important files.
Backups can be made manually or automatically. If you choose automatic backups to an external disk, you will need to leave it connected to your computer so that the backup stays up to date.
Although it may seem easy, backing up properly can require some technical knowledge.
What’s more, if your backup fails, you won’t notice until an emergency arises and you need to restore it — exactly when you need it most.
If that happens to you, count on us! At Bot, we can recover your data safely.
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