Knowledge Base: Library Help

Backing Up Your Information

First, some good reasons to back up your data:

• Storing your data somewhere that's disconnected from your computer greatly reduces the risk of it being corrupted, infected, or stolen.
• Having an up to date backup provides you with an invaluable tool in data recovery, in the case of viruses/malware or equipment failure.
• Having one or more backups increases the ease of transferring data between devices.

Now, the easiest method of backing up data is quite simple:

• Connect your backup device (USB drive or external hard drive) to your computer.
• A window for the connected drive should automatically open when connected, but in case it doesn’t, follow the next step.
• Click the 'File Explorer' icon on the task bar, and select the drive from the list on the left.
• Locate the files and/or folders you would like to back up, then drag and drop them into the connected drive.
• A status bar will appear with information on how long the transfer will take. Once it's gone, your files have been successfully backed up. Repeat this as many times as necessary.

This next method requires some additional steps:

• Begin by connecting your backup device to your computer.
• Open the start menu, click 'Settings', then 'Update and Security', and then 'Backup'.
• Click 'Add a drive' and select it from the drop-down that appears.
• Once the drive is selected, click on 'More options' to select which file locations you'd like to back up from, as well as how often you'd like the backup to run.
• To stop using the selected drive, scroll down and click 'Stop using drive'.

Depending on how many locations you need to back up, this method may require more time to initially set up, but may save time in the long run as this method is automatic once set up.

Always keep your backups in a safe, secure location, and never leave your backup drive connected to your computer if you aren't actively using it. In the case of a virus or malware attack, your backup drive can be compromised and your information corrupted or stolen.