Start with a backup that regularly copies important photos and files to a destination separate from the laptop; moving files off a full laptop without keeping another copy does not achieve that. An external hard drive suits a mainly home-based archive, while a portable SSD suits frequent transfers; cloud storage offers an off-site route with an ongoing plan to check. Consider network-attached storage (NAS) for shared household access, but keep another copy beyond the NAS, and use a USB stick chiefly for limited file transfers.
The useful distinction is whether you need another recoverable copy, more working space, or shared access for several devices.
Keep copies of important photos and videos away from the phone or laptop, allow for the collection to grow, and choose a backup routine the household can maintain. The National Cyber Security Centre defines a backup as a copy kept in a separate safe location.
Freeing laptop space and protecting files are different jobs. An external drive can hold files, but you must also decide what will be copied, how often it will be updated and how to restore it. Microsoft says File History can make regular backups to a configured external drive or network location.
A shared network destination may make sense when several people or computers need access or backup storage. Check each device’s backup method, then plan a further copy outside the NAS so the shared device is not the only place holding those files.
Choose the backup destination for the way you will use it, then check capacity, device compatibility and how a file would be restored.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| A separate copy | Identify the original files and a separate backup destination. Set up regular copying and try restoring a photo and document; simply adding storage is not the same task. | I want files I can recover if the laptop or phone is lost, damaged or erased, not just somewhere else to put them. The National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping backups in a separate safe location. |
| Local drive type | Compare the exact drive’s capacity, connector and intended use. Which? describes external HDDs as suited to longer-term computer-file backup and SSDs as usually faster but pricier; individual results remain model-specific. | For an archive kept mainly at home, I would consider an HDD. If I often move or restore large collections or carry the drive, a portable SSD may better fit that routine. |
| Capacity and retention | Measure the files to be copied, allow for new photos and videos, and account for older versions if your backup method retains them. Check the chosen destination’s capacity rather than relying on the laptop’s free-space figure. | My photo library is growing, so I need room for the existing files and the copies I intend to keep. |
| Cloud access | Check which folders or photos upload, the storage limit, internet requirements, account access and ongoing plan terms. Confirm that the service covers the files you expect to recover. | I would value an off-site copy and access across household devices, provided the plan and upload routine suit my collection. |
| Shared local storage | For NAS, check router setup and each computer’s backup method. Confirm Time Machine support for a Mac where needed, and arrange another external, remote or cloud copy beyond the NAS. | Several of us need a shared destination, but I do not want a single device in the house to hold the only copies. Synology describes external, other-NAS and cloud destinations for its Hyper Backup software. |
| Device compatibility | Check ports, cables, file-system format and backup software before formatting a drive. Apple says ExFAT is Windows-compatible, but a Windows-formatted disk cannot serve directly as a Time Machine backup disk. | Our Mac and Windows computers may need different backup arrangements even if we can exchange ordinary files on one drive. |
| Protection and recovery | Decide when a removable drive will be disconnected and whether a carried drive needs encryption. Keep any recovery key accessible, and practise restoring files. | I want the backup to remain usable after a problem, not just to finish copying. The NI Cyber Security Centre advises disconnecting an external drive after backup and practising restoration. |
| Limited transfers | Check the USB stick’s capacity and connector for the files being moved. Keep the household archive backed up elsewhere; the NI Cyber Security Centre notes that sticks can be easy to lose and have limited storage. | If I only need to hand a few files to another computer, a USB stick has a clear role without becoming the sole photo archive. |
A new partition or a drive used only to move files can leave you without a separate, recoverable copy. The National Cyber Security Centre defines a backup by its separate safe location.
Choose the folders and devices to protect, schedule or automate the copying, then restore a sample photo and document to check the process.
Apple lists ExFAT for Windows-compatible file exchange, but says Time Machine cannot back up to a Windows-formatted disk. A format suitable for moving files is therefore not necessarily suitable for a dedicated Mac backup.
Copy existing files elsewhere before changing a drive’s format. Decide whether it is for file exchange or Time Machine, and use separate drives or volumes where those jobs conflict.
Reformatting can permanently remove files already on the drive.
USB sticks are useful for moving selected files, but the NI Cyber Security Centre notes their limited storage and ease of loss as drawbacks for backup.
Use a stick for a limited transfer or temporary extra copy, while maintaining a separate backup for the household archive.
A cloud plan has a storage limit and ongoing terms. A NAS provides local storage, but does not itself put another copy outside the home; bundled software may also have licence conditions.
Compare the current library with the capacity you expect to need, check the provider’s plan or software terms, and decide where the further copy will live.
Cloud storage can involve recurring charges; a NAS also brings network setup and management work.
Use these names as starting points for checking an exact drive, service or storage system, not as a substitute for model-level compatibility and backup planning.
Seagate external HDDs and SSDs appear in Which? UK external-drive testing for laptop storage and photo-backup uses.
Western Digital is represented in Which? UK portable external-storage testing.
Samsung is relevant to portable SSD and USB-storage choices; Which? covers USB sticks as file-transfer products.
Synology offers home network-storage products and describes backup destinations through its Hyper Backup software.
Apple’s iCloud+ provides a cloud-storage route for photos and files, while Time Machine is a separate Mac backup method with disk-format requirements.
These portable SSDs and external hard drives provide local destinations for household photos and laptop files. Choose a capacity and connection for your devices, then configure the separate backup process; buying a drive alone does not start one.
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A portable local destination for photos or laptop files if 1TB accommodates your library and planned growth. The listed connection is USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (3.1 Gen 2); check your device and set up regular backups of the folders you need.
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This portable SSD can hold a local copy of laptop files or photos if 1 TB meets your capacity needs. Its listed interface is USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (3.1 Gen 2); check your device connection and configure the backup schedule and folders separately.
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A 2TB portable SSD is a local-copy option for a photo collection or laptop files. Compare that capacity with your present files and expected growth, and confirm the connection, file format and backup software needed by your laptop before relying on it.
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This portable SSD offers a 1TB local destination for files from a compatible USB-C device. Its listed interface is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C; check the laptop’s connection and backup method, and do not assume it will reach the advertised transfer maximum on every device.
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This 4TB external hard drive is a local destination to consider for a larger photo, video and document archive. Check that its capacity covers your planned copies and configure regular backups. The listing notes that use with operating systems other than Windows may require reformatting, so protect existing files before changing the format.
No. Copy the files you need or configure backup software to do it regularly. Microsoft says Windows File History can back up monitored files and folders to a selected external drive or network location; check which folders it covers and try restoring one.
A format for sharing ordinary files is not necessarily suitable for both backup tools. Apple lists ExFAT as Windows-compatible, but says Time Machine cannot back up to a Windows-formatted disk and prefers APFS or APFS Encrypted for its backup disk. Decide each drive’s job before formatting it, and copy off existing contents first.
A NAS can be a shared local backup destination, but it should not be the only place holding your separate copies. Arrange another external, remote or cloud destination; Synology lists these among the destinations supported by its Hyper Backup software.
Consider encryption particularly if the drive will be carried or stored away from home, and keep its recovery key safely accessible. Microsoft says BitLocker To Go can encrypt removable drives, but BitLocker Drive Encryption requires Windows Pro, Enterprise or Education.
Check that backup is enabled on the intended account, that storage is sufficient and that uploads complete over your internet connection. Google Photos Help states limits of 200MB or 200MP per photo and 10GB per video; confirm that the files you intend to protect fall within them.