Why Backups Matter
Hard drives fail. Laptops get dropped, stolen or infected with ransomware. Files get accidentally deleted. Without a backup, any of these events can mean permanent loss of your photos, documents, financial records, and everything else stored on your computer. A backup takes minutes to set up and costs very little — and it's the one thing most people wish they'd done before something went wrong.
The 3-2-1 Rule
The gold standard for backups is the 3-2-1 rule: keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy stored offsite (or in the cloud). In practice, for a home user that means: the original files on your PC, an external drive at home, and a cloud backup.
Step 1: Set Up Cloud Backup (Free or Low Cost)
If you have a Microsoft account, OneDrive is already included and can automatically sync your Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders. Go to Settings → OneDrive on Windows and enable folder backup. You get 5GB free, or 100GB for around £1.99/month.
If you use Microsoft 365, you already have 1TB of OneDrive storage included per user — more than enough for most people's documents and photos. See our Microsoft 365 setup guide.
Alternatives include Google Drive (15GB free), Backblaze (£7/month for unlimited PC backup) and iDrive.
Step 2: Set Up a Local External Drive Backup
Buy an external hard drive (1TB drives cost around £40–£60) and plug it in. On Windows, go to Settings → System → Storage → Advanced storage settings → Backup options to enable File History, which automatically copies changed files to your external drive on a schedule.
The advantage of a local backup is speed — restoring large amounts of data from an external drive is much faster than downloading it from the cloud.
Step 3: Test Your Backup
This is the step most people skip — and the most important. A backup you've never tested is a backup you can't rely on. Once a month, try restoring a single file from your backup to confirm it actually works. It takes two minutes and gives you genuine peace of mind.
Backups for Small Businesses
For small businesses, the stakes are higher — data loss can mean lost client records, financial data, and potential GDPR implications. A business backup strategy should include automated daily backups, off-site or cloud storage, version history (so you can recover older versions of files), and a tested restore process.
We set up and manage cloud backup solutions for small businesses across Surrey remotely. See our cloud services page.
Need Help Setting Up a Backup?
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Related Guides
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Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I back up my computer?
For home users, a daily automatic cloud backup (like OneDrive) plus a weekly external drive backup is a solid setup. For small businesses handling client data, daily full backups are recommended.
Is OneDrive enough as a backup?
OneDrive is a good starting point but not a complete backup. It syncs files in real time, which means if you accidentally delete something or ransomware encrypts your files, those changes sync too. Pair it with a separate backup that keeps file versions.
What happens if I don't back up and my hard drive fails?
Without a backup, data recovery from a failed hard drive is expensive (often £300–£1,500) and not always possible. A regular backup is far cheaper insurance.