I’d like to ask everyone a few questions:
How many copies of important files do you usually keep?
How often do you perform backups?
Are there any simple backup solutions suitable for average users?
Or are there any specific backup software programs you would recommend?
I’d also love to hear about your long-term experiences using WD hard drives for backups. Thanks!
I like to keep things simple as an average user: I keep the original files on my main computer and maintain two separate backups—one saved on an external hard drive (like a WD My Book or My Passport) and another synced to cloud storage. For timing, setting up automated weekly backups via backup software usually works best so I don’t have to remember to do it manually.
There are various backup software programs you can choose from on the Internet. I have tried MiniTool ShadowMaker, EaseUS Todo Backup, and AOMEI Backupper, which work great. They let you schedule automatic file or system backups to another drive without any complicated setup.
I also tend to agree with that approach. A colleague of mine has used MiniTool ShadowMaker and mentioned that setting up automatic backups is really convenient. Once it’s set up, you basically don’t have to worry about it. I’m planning to give it a try myself.
One thing I’d add is that the 3-2-1 rule matters more than the particular backup software or drive: keep 3 copies of important files, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy somewhere separate from your PC. For a normal Windows 11 user, an external WD drive plus OneDrive is a simple setup, and I’d run backups automatically rather than relying on memory. I’d also occasionally open a few backed up files to make sure the backup actually works, and keep the external drive disconnected when you’re not backing up so ransomware or a bad Windows update can’t affect both copies. WD drives can work well for years, but no hard drive should be treated as permanent storage
