Poll: How Often Do You Back Up Your Data?
A 2019 poll that turned into one of the most useful threads on the old site. Real neighbors comparing real backup setups.
Is your data important to you? Guess what — hard drives are statistically the first piece of hardware to fail on a computer, because they're used the most.
So ask yourself: how often do you back up? And if that data disappeared tomorrow, how bad would it be to lose it? Not the most comforting thing to think about, but it's better to be prepared than to feel big regret.
Backing up your data is done in many ways, and depending on what you do on the computer or phone, your needs will vary. I specialize in data backup, migrations, and anything digital. If you need help, let me know — let's get you covered against any unnecessary accidents.
Note from 2026: the gear in the comments has aged (Time Capsule is gone, Western Digital cloud drives have moved on), but every piece of advice below still holds. Two copies on different media, one off-site. That's it.
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From the comments
6 repliesPreserved exactly as posted on the original site — names and dates intact. A small slice of the foothills checking in.
- Frank BMarch 4, 2019
Constantly. My Western Digital Cloud Backup drive notices the second a new file shows up on my C drive and copies it. Well worth the $100 or so I spent — it has 3 TB of space. Invest in one for peace of mind.
- Harinder SMarch 4, 2019
I have been using Apple AirPort Time Capsule for the last few years. Works seamless.
- Sona KMarch 5, 2019
I had Western Digital but it hardly worked. Now I don't back up. My only loss would be pictures and iTunes. Is Cloud enough for those two? I use USB drives to save other files that aren't so important.
- MichaelMichaelMarch 5, 2019
Hi Sona — try to back them up if possible. Photos are not replaceable, and music is the best to preserve too. At least once a year at minimum. You can find the Photos master folder hidden in the Photos application (right-click, Show Package Contents), and right-click on iTunes Music to view location → Show in Finder (switch to list view so you get the entire music library catalog folder). Hard drives are dirt cheap these days, so might as well get backed up. Cloud storage is monthly.
- Shawn DMarch 5, 2019
I use BackBlaze.com, which backs up to the cloud. They've already saved my tush once 🙂
- MichaelMichaelMarch 5, 2019
Hi Shawn! Wow — good thing for them then. Just keep in mind that for the price of backing up there for two years, you could buy a hard drive that lasts you 20+ years. I see the convenience factor, and if you don't have anything too confidential on the computer it's a great option — just hopefully they stay in business for the long run. Some of the folks above use Time Capsule, which is a wireless backup for when you're at home. That might be the next best option.
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