Back-ups
Back-ups
| What | Pros | Cons |
| 1. Memory sticks (USB flash drives) | They are portable and fit most computers. | You can lose it and can only access the files if you have the USB stick and a computer they fit. |
| 2. Copy your files onto CDs/ DVDs | They are portable and can be used in a variety of electrical equipment. | You can easily lose or break it and again need a suitable device to put them into. |
| 3. Sign up to dropbox | It can be accessed via the internet so you can reach it easily and you can use it to transfer files to a friend. | You have to have an internet connection. |
| 4. Back up to another computer | It is already on the computer so is really easy to use and access. | It takes up room and they might both be damaged at the same time especially if they are in the same house. |
| 5. Add an external hard drive to your computer | It does not require a different device to be used. | It can be complicated and difficult and the damage may also affect it. |
| 6. Install a second hard drive on your computer | It again does not require a different device to be used. | The damage done to the computer may effect it to. |
| 7. Sign up to cloud computing | You can access it from any computer. | You need a strong enough connection and it may be easier to hack into. |
| 8. NAS (network attached storage) | You can access it from anywhere in your house. | It may be easier to hack into and it may weaken your entire network making everything on it more susceptible to hacking. |
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What is it? It is a copy of your work on a different device so you can transport, protect and believe it or not back-up your work so if there is an emergency you can access it. It can be online or on an external device. |
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Why should you do it? If your computer is damaged, hacked into, receives a virus or simply doesn't have the correct power then you can still access the files you need. You can also move or access the file from a different device which can be very useful for instance taking work home from school or not having the correct software on a computer. |
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Example cases Imagine this; your house is unfortunately burnt down so your computer is lost, and your pen stick which you had backed up your work on. If you had any important files you have lost them. Even though you backed them up you didn't back them up onto something at a place outside of your house. This is why you should back up onto different kinds of things: one in your house, on at school and one online for instance, this way you will be protected against a wide range of eventualities. |
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