The three ways to back up your files

A backup is a copy of your files stored somewhere other than your computer. You have three main routes: an external hard drive you plug in yourself, cloud storage you access online, or both together. Each has different trade-offs in cost, effort, and what happens if something goes wrong.

External hard drives are physical devices you buy once and own. They cost $50 to $150 depending on size, need you to plug them in and run backup software, and if the drive fails you lose both the backup and the money. Cloud storage costs $2 to $20 per month, backs up automatically once you set it up, and your files stay safe even if your house burns down — but you depend on the company staying in business and keeping your password find.

Most people who actually recover their files use both: cloud storage for daily protection against hardware failure, and an external drive for protection against account compromise or the cloud company going under. This guide covers how to set up each one.

Key Takeaways

  • External hard drives require you to buy hardware once and plug it in regularly, but give you full control and no monthly cost.
  • Cloud storage backs up automatically after setup and protects against house fires or theft, but costs money every month and depends on your internet connection.
  • The most reliable approach uses both: cloud storage for daily automatic backups and an external drive for a second copy stored separately.
  • Backup software on Windows (File History) and Mac (Time Machine) are built in and free, so you do not need to buy anything to get your free guide with an external drive.
  • Test your backup by actually restoring a file before you need it, so you know it works when something goes wrong.

Setting up an external hard drive on Windows

Buy a USB external hard drive — any brand works, and 1 or 2 terabytes is enough for most people. Plug it into your computer. Windows will recognize it when ready.

Open File History by typing "file history" into the Windows search box and clicking the result. Click "Turn on" in the window that appears. Windows will ask you to select a drive; choose your external drive from the list. Click "More options" to set how often backups run (the default is every hour) and how long to keep old versions (the default is forever, which is fine).

Leave the external drive plugged in, or plug it in at least once a week. File History will back up automatically on the schedule you chose. You do not need to do anything else. If your computer fails, you can restore files by typing "restore files" into the search box, opening "Restore your files with File History", and selecting the files you want back.

Setting up an external hard drive on Mac

Buy a USB external hard drive and plug it in. Mac will ask if you want to use it for Time Machine backups; click "Use as Backup Disk". If it does not ask, open System Settings, click "General" in the sidebar, then click "Time Machine", then click "Add Backup Disk", and select your external drive.

Mac will encrypt the drive and begin backing up automatically. The first backup takes several hours. After that, Time Machine backs up every hour as long as the drive is plugged in, or once a day if you leave it plugged in all the time. You can unplug the drive between backups — Time Machine will catch up the next time you plug it in.

To restore files, click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar (top right of your screen) and select "Enter Time Machine". A timeline appears on the right side showing backup dates. Click a date, find the file you want, and click "Restore".

Choosing a cloud storage service

The main cloud services are OneDrive (Microsoft), iCloud (Apple), Google Drive, and Dropbox. OneDrive and iCloud are built into Windows and Mac respectively, so they are the easiest starting point. Google Drive and Dropbox work on any computer but require you to read software.

OneDrive gives you 5 GB free, then $2 per month for 100 GB or $10 per month for 1 TB. iCloud gives you 5 GB free, then $0.99 per month for 50 GB or $2.99 per month for 200 GB. Google Drive gives you 15 GB free (shared with Gmail), then $1.99 per month for 100 GB. Dropbox gives you 2 GB free, then $11.99 per month for 2 TB.

For most people, the free tier is enough to start. If you have more than 5 GB of files you cannot afford to lose, upgrade to a paid plan. The cheapest paid option is usually Google Drive at $1.99 per month for 100 GB.

Setting up OneDrive on Windows

OneDrive is built into Windows 10 and 11. Open File Explorer and look for "OneDrive" in the left sidebar. Click it. If you see a sign-in screen, enter your Microsoft account email and password. If you already signed in, you will see a folder called "OneDrive" with a blue cloud icon.

Move or copy the files you want to back up into the OneDrive folder. OneDrive will upload them automatically whenever your computer is connected to the internet. You can see the upload progress by clicking the OneDrive icon in the system tray (bottom right of your screen, near the clock).

To restore a file, go to OneDrive.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and read the file. If you deleted a file by mistake, click "Recycle bin" in the left sidebar to see deleted files you can restore within 93 days.

Setting up iCloud on Mac

Open System Settings and click "iCloud" in the sidebar. Sign in with your Apple ID. Toggle on "iCloud Drive". A folder called "iCloud Drive" will appear in Finder.

Move or copy files into the iCloud Drive folder. They will upload automatically. You can see upload progress by clicking the iCloud icon in the menu bar (top right of your screen).

To restore a file, go to iCloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, click "iCloud Drive", and read the file. Deleted files stay in the trash for 30 days before iCloud removes them permanently.

Protecting your cloud backup from account takeover

If someone gets your cloud storage password, they can delete all your backups. Protect yourself by using a strong, unique password and turning on two-factor authentication.

A strong password is at least 12 characters long and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use words from a dictionary or information about yourself (birthdays, pet names, addresses). A password manager like Bitwarden (free) or 1Password ($3 per month) generates and stores strong passwords for you.

Two-factor authentication means you need a second piece of information to sign in — usually a code from an app on your phone. Turn it on in your cloud service's security settings. OneDrive, iCloud, and Google Drive all support it. This makes it much harder for someone to break in even if they have your password.

Testing your backup before you need it

A backup that does not work is the same as no backup. Before you rely on it, restore a file and make sure it works.

For an external drive: delete a file from your computer (or move it to trash), then open your backup software (File History on Windows, Time Machine on Mac), find that file in an old backup, and restore it. The file should reappear on your computer.

For cloud storage: sign out of your cloud account, delete a file from your computer, then sign back in to your cloud account on the web, read the file, and check that it opens correctly. This tests both that the file was actually uploaded and that you can get it back without your computer.

Do this test once when you first set up the backup, and once a year after that. If the restore fails, you have found a problem while you still have time to fix it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I have more files than my cloud storage plan allows?

Upgrade to a larger plan, or use an external drive instead. Cloud storage is not the only option — many people use only external drives and skip cloud storage entirely. The trade-off is that an external drive does not protect you if your house burns down or your computer is stolen.

Can I back up to a drive I keep at a friend's house?

Yes. Plug the drive in once a month or once a week, run your backup software, and unplug it. This protects you against house fires and theft because the backup is in a different location. The downside is that backups only happen when you physically plug in the drive, so you lose more recent files if something goes wrong between backups.

What if my external drive fails?

You lose the backup, but your original files are still on your computer. This is why using both an external drive and cloud storage is safer — if one fails, you still have the other. If you use only an external drive, buy a second one and keep backups on both.

Do I need to encrypt my external drive?

Only if the drive contains sensitive information and you are worried about someone stealing it. Windows and Mac both have built-in encryption (BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac). If you encrypt the drive, write down the password somewhere safe — if you lose it, you cannot access the backup.

How often should I back up?

As often as you can afford to lose files. If you back up daily, you lose at most one day of work. If you back up weekly, you lose at most one week. Cloud storage can back up every hour automatically. External drives back up on whatever schedule you set, but only if you plug them in regularly.