Some online accounts allow you to use backup codes to log in if you get locked out or don’t have access to two-factor authentication. For example, this is an option for most Google accounts. Consider taking advantage of it and printing off the codes in case you have trouble logging in.

If you have an old hard drive or USB thumb drive, think twice about throwing it away once you no longer need it. The data that was on it might still be recoverable if it had been technically deleted. Keeping the device in storage is a safer option.

All storage drives deteriorate over time and become prone to failure. For traditional hard disk drives, this can happen in as few as four or five years. Free drive cloning utilities like Macrium and Clonezilla can create complete copies of an existing drive on a new disk. That means that you can usually insert the […]

Backing up your files is essential not only for preserving important photos and documents, but also for having recourse if your computer is ever attacked. On Windows 8 and 10, you can use File History to back up to an external hard drive over USB. In Windows 7, Windows Backup does mostly the same thing. […]

Viruses and malware can compromise your devices and result in data loss. To keep your photos safe, consider using a combination of online backup and local media. For example, you might pair Google Photos with an external hard drive so that you have multiple backups in case something goes wrong with any one of them.

Ransomware is a scourge. It denies you access to important files while demanding you pay for the right to have them back. Maintaining regular backups is a great hedge against ransomware. Instead of paying the ransom (which doesn’t guarantee safe return of your assets anyway), restore from a backup.