As I attempt to become more paperless I am starting to understanding the importance of having multiple backups in case the files become corrupted/deleted. I have yet to buy a quality scanner that I can transfer paper files to digital but I am looking to setup the foundation to backup all of my files reliably/redundantly.
My plan is to try the 3-2-1 storage rule on the cheap. According to the rules you need:
- 3 Backup copies of anything you want to keep.
- 2 different storage media.
- 1 offsite storage site.
I already have a secondary 500 GB external drive (Seagate Expansion™ Portable Drive) I use for weekly backups of my data. I bought this hard drive new off of craigslist for $60. The third backup copy I plan to be online storage, that will satisfy a different storage media and offsite storage.
I will not be backing up my entire drive because I can’t replace my personal files/pictures. The OS and applications are replaceable (I should be able to re-download those with my activation keys). My personal files take up the following amount of spaces uncompressed:
- 2.5 GB of documents (Word, PDF, etc.)
- 15.6 GB of pictures
- 6.8 GB worth of music
I’ll be looking at various online storage services and will write about which service I decided to use in a future post.
