For important work and personal files, choose a backup arrangement with a recoverable copy separate from the home computer; an online copy and a local copy give you different ways to recover. A disconnected drive is useful for a local copy, while cloud storage needs checks on folder coverage and restoration limits. A network-attached storage setup makes more sense when several computers and the responsibility of managing it justify the extra setup.
Start with the files you would need to recover, then consider who controls them and where they are stored.
If documents, presentations or project folders live on your home computer, identify every location that needs copying. The National Cyber Security Centre recommends backups so that important data can be restored after access to the original is lost.
Client projects outside a collaboration platform need their own recovery plan. An automatic computer-backup service or a cloud-and-local arrangement may reduce reliance on remembering manual copies, but check any client rules before choosing where the files go.
Photos, scans and documents may be spread across devices. Check which folders a shared cloud account covers and how much space other uses consume; keep a separate copy of files that would be difficult to recreate.
Decide what must be recoverable before comparing a disconnected drive, online storage, an automatic computer-backup service or a managed local network setup.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Recoverable files | List the folders to protect; check how to restore a deleted or overwritten file and how long earlier versions remain available. For an automatic service, check whether files removed from the computer remain recoverable. | I need to get work documents or family records back, not just see them on another device. A synced folder is useful only if it includes the right files and its recovery rules meet that need. |
| Copy separation | Check whether a local drive can be disconnected and stored apart from the computer, or whether an online copy provides another location. The National Cyber Security Centre warns against leaving a backup device permanently connected. | If the computer is stolen or affected by malware, I do not want its only copy sitting beside it or continuously attached to it. |
| Capacity and devices | Measure the data to protect and allow room for growth; check what else shares a cloud allowance and which operating systems the plan or drive supports. Confirm the connection and any software requirements for your computer. | My photos, documents and work folders need to fit together, and I need to be able to restore them on the device I use. |
| Work-data rules | Check your employer or client policy before using a personal account, drive or NAS. The Information Commissioner's Office advises remote workers handling personal data to use approved technology and keep organisation data separate from personal data. | For employer or client files, I need an arrangement the organisation permits, even if my personal storage has spare capacity. |
Other work folders may be outside the sync selection. Microsoft says deleted files in a personal OneDrive account can be restored within 30 days, while files permanently deleted from its Recycle Bin cannot be recovered.
List the locations you need to recover, check that each is included and keep another copy for files that would be difficult to replace.
The National Cyber Security Centre warns that storage attached to an affected computer can also be affected by malware; a local drive beside the computer may also be lost with it.
After a completed backup, disconnect the drive when it is not needed and store it securely, separately from the computer where practical.
Google says its account storage is shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos. Other people or uses may also draw on a plan's allowance, depending on the service.
Measure everything you intend to protect, check what shares the allowance and leave room for new files and any retained versions.
A convenient personal account or drive may not be an approved place for employer or client information. The Information Commissioner's Office advises using approved technology for personal data and keeping organisation data separate on personal devices.
Check the applicable workplace or client policy before copying those files, and use the approved arrangement where one is provided.
These are examples of different backup and storage routes, not substitutes for checking which files each setup protects.
Cloud storage and selected-folder protection for people using Microsoft services across computers and mobile devices.
Cloud storage to consider for an Apple-focused household; confirm how computer work folders will be included.
Cloud storage for files kept in Google Drive alongside other Google account data.
An automatic computer-backup route to assess when files are spread across a main computer rather than confined to sync folders.
A network-attached storage route for a household prepared to manage a central local backup destination.
These Joybuy drives represent the local-storage route: each can hold a copy away from the computer when disconnected. Choose capacity and connection for your files and device, then set a repeatable backup and restore routine; the drive alone is not an online or off-site backup.
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Consider this USB-connected local copy if 1 TB accommodates the folders you need to protect. Check your computer's port and establish a backup routine; disconnecting the drive after copying helps keep that copy separate from the active computer.
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The stated 2 TB capacity offers a local destination for documents and media if it fits your collection. Check any backup software's folder selection and restore process before relying on it, and disconnect the drive when the copy is complete.
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This 1 TB portable SSD is an option for a local copy you can disconnect after use. Check device compatibility and whether its capacity covers your files; plan how often you will copy them and test that you can restore one.
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The stated 5 TB capacity may suit a larger local file collection. This is the for Mac variant: check your operating system and any requirements before using it with another computer. Keep a separate copy if loss of the drive and computer together would matter.
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For a larger local copy, compare the stated 4 TB capacity with the files you intend to protect. Check compatibility with your computer, particularly if it is not a Windows PC, and make regular copies rather than treating connected storage as a backup routine by itself.
Not necessarily. Check which folders are included and whether deletion, earlier versions and restoration windows meet your recovery needs. Microsoft says personal OneDrive accounts can restore deleted files within 30 days, but files permanently deleted from the OneDrive Recycle Bin cannot be recovered.
Disconnecting it between backups is useful when you want a copy less exposed to problems on the active computer. The National Cyber Security Centre warns that a backup device left permanently connected can be affected by malware; reconnect it for your planned backups, then store it securely.
Choose an interval based on how much recent work you could accept losing. University of Cambridge guidance says more frequent backups reduce likely data loss; make the routine practical enough to follow and check that you can restore important files.
Check the applicable organisation or client policy before copying them there. The Information Commissioner's Office advises using approved technology for personal data and keeping organisation data separate from personal data on a personal device; convenience alone does not establish permission.
Confirm that the intended folders are included, then try restoring a small file to a separate location where possible. The National Cyber Security Centre advises checking that you know how to restore important files; a visible copy is not enough if you cannot use it when needed.