Backing up to CDs or DVDs

• Backing up your hard drive to CDs or DVDs is probably the safest method. However, if you have a very large amount of data to back up, using CDs or DVDs can be extremely problematic. You have to shuffle a large quantity of disks, replacing each disk with a new one when it has been filled. You'll also need to label, organize and store your disks when they're complete. Backup CDs and DVDs can take up a lot of space if you're backing up a large amount of data. It can be difficult to find a specific backup file when you have a large quantity of backup disks. Also, there's a limit to the size of the data files you can store on disks; CDs can usually hold about 700 megabytes (MB) of data and DVDs can hold either 4.7 or 8.5 gigabytes (GB). Therefore, using CDs and DVDs for backup is best when you only need to store a few smaller files. It's also best to create multiple backups of the same files and keep the duplicates in a fireproof safe or an alternate location to guard against theft or fire.
  
  

Backing Up to an External Hard Drive

• External hard drives are very convenient devices to use for backups. They typically come with their own software that will back up your hard drive automatically. External hard drives come in very large sizes that generally range from 250 GB to 1 terabyte (TB). They can usually interface with your computer using eSATA, USB or FireWire. External hard drives can also be easily detached from one computer and attached to another one to do additional backups. Some external hard drives will work with your home network. However, external hard drives are just as subject to failure as internal hard drives. If you have critical files that you can't afford to lose, consider backing them up to CD or DVD and storing them away from the computer.
  
  

Backing Up to Online Storage

• There are several websites that will allow you to back up your data for free or for a small monthly fee. Typically the website provides its own backup software or allows you to upload your files in a web browser. Online backup is convenient and can often be done automatically on a regular schedule. It doesn't require the installation of any additional hardware. The backup files are stored in a location that's separate from your computer, so if you fall victim to theft or fire, the files will not be lost. You should have high-speed Internet service to properly take advantage of online backup. Also, online backup services are not immune to data loss, so you should create redundant backups of important files on CD, DVD or another backup method. Also, free online backup services may delete your files if you don't log into your account regularly.