Top Five Data Backup Methods for Home Computer Users

You already know that you need to back up your data-it's all your company's tech talks about, and frankly, it's common sense. You've got lots of pictures, taxes, and crucial documents on your computer--to protect yourself against catastrophic hard drive failure, your only real choice is to constantly back up everything important that you do.

However, many personal computer users don't really know what they need to back their data up. What's the best way to keep data in a safe location that isn't going to be subject to crippling data loss?

There are hundreds of ways available to back up your data, but some of them are far and away better than the others. Here's a list of some of the best and most secure ways to back your data up without spending too much money.

4. CD/DVD-ROMs
It may seem obvious, but these days, nearly every computer has a DVD-ROM drive that can write large amounts of information relatively quickly to either a DVD-R or CD-R disc. The discs themselves are relatively inexpensive, and they're a great form of data backup, as long as they're kept properly labeled and checked for consistency.

Beware of underrun errors, and check your data occasionally to make sure everything's ready if your hard drive goes out on you. Generally speaking, it's preferable to use CD/DVD-ROM backup as a secondary method of data backup, but it can do quite nicely in a pinch if you've got a few files or folders you need a backup of quickly.

3. Remote data storage via the Internet.

Some companies offer services with small monthly fees for online data storage, usually starting around ten bucks a month. The advantages to these services are pretty awesome; your data is encrypted, so it's kept very safe. Since it's not in your physical location, if there's a natural disaster, your files are still fine; no matter what happens, you're never more than a click away from your data.

The big problem, of course, is the monthly fee, which can add up over time. If your data's extremely important and you don't want to take any chances, remote data storage might be your preferred method of backup, though.

2. Flash drives/ USB thumb drives

If you don't have a massive amount of data to back up, a portable flash drive is a great backup method. Flash media is extremely hard to break, very reliable, and modern thumb drives can hold upwards of three or four gigabytes of information. Plus, the portability means that you're never without your crucial files. They're also fairly inexpensive, and they're pretty stylish, to boot. Flash drives are a fantastic form of data backup, and they're catching on quickly.

1. External hard drives

External hard drives are my choice for the most reliable, simplest, and most affordable method of backup for home users. They're gradually increasing in size and reliability, and many now come with software that can be used to back up your data regularly and perfectly. You can even set up a nightly backup to take place when you're sleeping and wake up with your crucial data safe and secure.

As with any other form of backup, it's important to regularly check what you've been backing up to ensure that everything's always where it should be. Good backup habits are a very important part of computer repair-and can leave you with some much-deserved peace of mind.