Quick Tip: Home Backup

1. External hard drive with included automated backup software.

Several of the better brands that sell external hard drives now include free automated backup software bundled with the package. This is usually noted on the packaging and often the quickest and easiest way to have a dependable backup for your home pc.

2. Online backup with automated scheduled backups.

There are several online backup solutions that give up to 2 gigabytes of free online storage. Mozy is a good example of such a service. Additional storage is available for a reasonable monthly fee. This is not as simple as using an external hard drive, but gives you the security of having your data offsite. This protects from local hazards such as fires, floods and theft.

Using both forms of backup is not unheard of and in most cases a better choice than only using them individually. This creates 2 layers of protection for your system while only taking a marginal amount of system resources.