#FILE HISTORY OR BACKUP AND RESTORE PLUS#

Simply take an external drive (see above), plug it into your computer, and open up Time Machine to configure it as a backup drive. In fact, there’s probably an icon for it that’s been waiting at the top of your menu bar. If you’re on a Mac, then you already have a great backup tool at your fingertips called Time Machine. And remember, a $70 hard drive now could save priceless files and memories later.

#FILE HISTORY OR BACKUP AND RESTORE PLUS#

Seagate’s Backup Plus or Western Digital’s My Passport are pretty reliable options that won’t break your budget.

Generally, you want your backup drive to be (at the bare minimum) as big as your internal hard drive, and ideally around one and a half to two times as large. Whether you’re on a Mac or a PC, both major operating systems include pretty robust backup systems built into your computer already, both for a couple folders or your entire computer.īut first, you’ll need an external hard drive. No backup system is ever going to be perfect, and there’s always the chance that something may go wrong, but you should still consider it a critical necessity. After all, you really don’t want to be the person who loses their entire thesis a month before it’s due because their computer got stolen in the library, or has to say goodbye to years of family pictures that were all stored on that old computer in the basement that got fried in a power outage or flood.įortunately, backing up your computer is easier than ever with the advances in cloud storage and local software. That means routinely backing up your computer. Accidents happen, and if they do, you’ll want to be readyīut accidents happen, and if they do, you’ll want to make sure that you’re ready.

File history or backup and restore