If you are a smart user, you might already have a robust data backup plan. But if you have recently encountered a severe data loss or have heard some horror story related to the loss of critical files then it makes sense to strengthen your backup plan. Backing up your business data or personal files helps in avoiding unexpected nuisance. Data Backup is essential for every user and business. It not only preserves your memories but also keeps the business running in the event of a hardware failure or natural disaster. Now, you may wonder how to maintain a backup of files affordably and reliably.
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Whether it’s a desktop, laptop, or even a smartphone, most users store a massive amount of important data on their devices such as photos, videos, audio files, documents, and more. To keep these files safe, there are various methods and devices for taking backup of your data. Choosing the right storage device or backup media is the first and most important step of backing up files. The medium you choose for backing your data largely depends on your budget, type and amount of data you’re looking to back up, and how often you need to perform a backup. Once you figure out your specific needs, you can choose between several data storage devices available in the market such as tape drives, optical drives, SD cards, hard disk drives, NAS, and cloud storage services. Now, let’s check out the most popular devices used for backing up personal or professional data.
Hard Drives
The most popular data storage device for both home and business users is a hard disk drive. Most people buy an external hard drive of a reliable brand like Western Digital or Seagate to maintain a copy of their important files. The external hard drives come in several storage capacities and price ranges to help users easily find a product that suits their needs. All portable hard drives have USB connectivity to easily connect it to your computer and backup files to it. However, HDDs of all brands may get damaged, broken, or crashed easily. Even if you’re using one of the best devices like the WD My Passport Slim external hard drive, there are chances of breakdown and data loss. However, no matter how you have lost your data, a WD data recovery engineer can always help you get back your lost files.
Flash Drives
Due to their compact size and ease of use, USB flash drives have become the most favorite choice of students and working professionals. This plug-and-play portable storage device allows users to store, carry, and transfer files from one device to another. USB drives use non-volatile memory to store data and come in various storage capacities. However, when connecting to different computers and laptops, they may catch malware infection or spread viruses from one computer to another.
Solid-State Drives
Many enterprises prefer using SSDs because these are more reliable than HDDs. For small businesses or home users who find NAS storage an expensive option, an SSD with sufficient storage capacity can be the right choice. Solid-state drives (SSDs) are expensive than normal hard drives, but they’re more durable and fast in performance.
