Computers today hold so much more than homework assignments and our favorite websites. Today, our computers are full of data, from your account passwords and your browser bookmarks to your most cherished family memories and favorite music. Due to space limitations and the sheer amount of data our computers hold, it is often necessary to make decisions regarding what files you want to keep. Protect your computer by backing up often and take special care with files that mean the most to you.

The first thing to consider when deciding what to backup is to simply think of the files that are absolutely irreplaceable and how you would feel if you lost them. How would you feel if you lost this data forever?

In the event of a hard drive crash or an Internet virus, make sure that any file that is absolutely irreplaceable to you, your work, or your family is backed up. Most people often place high priority on backing up personal, school, or work-related files, such as family photographs, final papers, and business proposals. In addition, it is also important to backup your iPhone, Android, or tablet. Most people use their mobile devices to store valuable information, like their passwords, calendar appointments, memos, music, and photos. Therefore, it is important that you backup these files on a regular basis.  

Chances are that you have tons of pictures that document your story. However, probably only a select few are available any place other than your computer, but once you delete images from your SD card, the pictures are gone forever. Therefore, be sure to backup the photos somewhere else, like in the cloud, where you’ll have access to it anywhere there is WiFi. Any item that would devastate you in the event of data loss should be backed up immediately.

Another factor to consider when trying to determine which files to backup is to decide what information you would need in case of an emergency situation. If you have a family, you may store data that contains information regarding medical records, emergency contacts and pertinent financial information in your computer. Data that you would want handy in the event of an emergency is certainly important to backup. If you frequently update or make changes to these files, remember to back them up after each time you modify the document.

Lastly, think of files that would be a nuisance to replace and back those up as well. For instance, most music downloading services will allow you to re-download music you have already paid for in the event that you lose your files, but that process can be time consuming. If you already have your music and entertainment files backed up or stored via cloud storage, all you will need to do to replace the data is access your backup files.

The cost of losing these files is steep. Depending on which files are destroyed, you stand not only to lose your digital files but also your work, time, energy, and money. Therefore, make sure that all of your devices are protected.