Choose by how you will make and recover the extra copy: a portable drive can travel away from the main computer, while a desktop drive suits a large archive kept in one place. Network-attached storage (NAS) can give several household devices a shared destination; a paid cloud-backup service can keep a copy in a separate location if its account, connection and subscription meet your needs. Whichever route you choose, check capacity and compatibility, and plan how you will restore files if the main device fails.
If photos and documents are accumulating across the years, the decision is about enough space for a repeatable copying routine and a separate copy you can recover. The National Cyber Security Centre describes a backup as a copy kept in a separate safe location.
A portable copy can be useful when files need to move between devices or be kept away from the main computer. Check the connection and the computer’s backup requirements before choosing a drive.
A shared network destination may be more convenient than attaching one USB drive to each computer, provided someone can set up and maintain the storage and its backup jobs. Synology describes its DS225+ NAS as a central destination for files and photos.
Decide where the additional copy needs to live and how each device will create it; capacity and transfer speed matter only if the resulting backup can be used when needed.
Consider it when: You regularly carry a copy or make large direct transfers between compatible computers.
Bear in mind: A stated maximum transfer speed depends on the computer port and connection, and a ruggedness rating does not guarantee that files will survive damage.
Consider it when: You want a USB-connected copy that can be moved between locations without selecting a drive for its SSD speed rating.
Bear in mind: Leaving it connected or beside the computer can expose both to the same incident.
Consider it when: A substantial local archive will stay beside one home computer.
Bear in mind: Desktop models such as Seagate’s Expansion Desktop need mains power and do not provide an off-site copy simply by having more capacity.
Consider it when: Several household devices need a central destination over the home network.
Bear in mind: A NAS needs compatible internal drives and ongoing administration; one kept at home still needs a separate recovery plan.
Consider it when: You want a copy away from home and the service supports the files and backup routine you intend to use.
Bear in mind: Recovery depends on account access, internet access, available storage and continuing service terms; a connected cloud location is not immune to an incident.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Room for a growing archive | Measure all files to be copied, allow for future additions and backup history, and compare that need with usable drive capacity. | If my photo and document collection keeps growing, I need a local archive with room for the next copies, not just today’s files; about 33% of consumers put archive capacity first. |
| Recovery after a local problem | Check where each copy lives, whether it can be altered from the main device and whether you can restore important files. | A second folder on the same computer would not give me the separation I want if that computer fails; for about 25% of consumers, a separately recoverable copy is the primary need. |
| Moving a copy between places | Check the drive connector, computer port, cable and required backup format before relying on a portable drive. | When I need to take a copy away or transfer files to another computer, carrying and connecting it easily matters most; about 25% of consumers prioritise portable transfers. |
| One destination for several devices | Confirm the intended devices’ backup methods work with the NAS, and plan its internal drives and separate recovery copy. | Attaching a drive to each household computer would make my routine harder to maintain; shared access is the main priority for about 17% of consumers. |
The National Cyber Security Centre notes that connected USB, network and cloud backup locations can be affected by the same incident as live files.
Keep at least one copy separate from the main device, consider a disconnected or off-site copy, protect account access and try restoring important files.
Other files, future additions and backup history also use space. Apple says Time Machine removes older backups when its disk becomes full.
Count every location you plan to back up and leave room to grow. For Time Machine, Apple recommends a disk with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity; size a wider household archive separately.
Samsung UK says the T7 Shield’s stated maximum speeds require a USB 3.2 Gen 2 host and cable, with UASP enabled.
Check the conditions attached to the exact drive’s speed rating against the computer and cable you will use for the initial copy.
Apple Support says Time Machine cannot back up to a Windows-formatted disk without reformatting it, which permanently removes existing data.
Copy existing files elsewhere before changing a disk’s format, then confirm the requirements of the backup software you intend to use.
Its T7 Shield portable SSD is one reference point for a compact, directly connected copy.
The Expansion Desktop range illustrates a USB-connected archive intended to stay in one place.
The DS225+ is a two-bay NAS for centralising files and backups over a household network.
File History is a Windows backup workflow to consider when choosing an external drive or network destination.
These portable and desktop drives are options for keeping an additional local copy of family photos and documents. Match the capacity and connection to your devices, then decide where the copy will be kept between backups.
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Consider this portable SSD if a 4TB copy needs to move between computers. Its name specifies USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2; check the computer connection and the file-system requirements of your intended backup software before buying.
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This portable hard drive is an option for a moveable 5TB copy. Its for Mac variant matters: if Windows computers also need access, check the required format and driver workflow. Confirm the warranty terms for this exact model before relying on them.
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A 4TB portable hard drive can serve as a direct-attached copy that is put away after use. The product name specifies USB 3.0; confirm the computer connection and intended backup format, particularly if the drive will be used with a Mac.
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Consider this desktop external hard drive when a 10TB archive will remain in a fixed location. Plan for desk space and power, and check the format needed for your computer and backup software; a drive beside the computer is not a separate off-site copy.
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This portable SSD is an option if the files and backup history you intend to keep fit within 2TB. Before choosing it for a particular computer, confirm the connector and file-system requirements of the backup workflow.
For Time Machine, Apple recommends a backup disk with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity. That is a starting point for one Mac, not a capacity rule for files stored elsewhere in the household; Time Machine removes older backups when its disk fills up.
It needs planning before you use the drive for both. Apple says Time Machine cannot back up to a Windows-formatted disk, and reformatting permanently removes existing files. Check the intended disk layout and backup requirements, and copy existing files elsewhere before making changes.
Yes, if the particular NAS supports Time Machine over SMB and is configured for it. Apple Support notes that some network disks do not support Time Machine, so confirm the exact model and setup before purchase.
No single drive or service guarantees recovery. The National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping important data in a separate safe location and considering an offline backup; check that you can access and restore your copies, including after a problem affects connected storage.