Watch CBS News

Digital Spring Cleaning: Backing Up Your Computer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hard drives don't last forever: yours could kick the bucket when you least expect it.

"Most people don't think about that until it's gone."

Until it's too late.

"Every day! Every day."

At Micro Center in St. Davids, Jeff Kemper sees customers whose digital data has disappeared.

"At least five, six, seven, eight, nine times a day."

Before we backup, let's back up: is your PC protected?

"Get a really good antivirus program that's proven."

He recommends ESET because it doesn't bog down your system.

"...Some malware protection, and follow what it asks you to do."

Malware Bytes is highly-rated, and can help protect against things like ransomware attacks -- teaming up with you avoiding suspicious links, double-checking your web address spelling, and keeping your operating system, Internet browsers, and other software updated.

"I can't stress enough backing up your stuff."

For less than $100, you can buy an external drive bundled with software that automatically transfers files from your computer and keeps them updated. Backup #2 goes in the cloud: services that let you 'set it and forget it' include Backblaze, iDrive, and CrashPlan -- each about $5/month. (Make sure to use two-factor authentication.)

For your phone pics, consider switching on auto-upload to Apple iCloud, Google Photos, or Amazon Prime Photos.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.