Have you ever lost a file or had one become corrupted and no longer be useable? It’s the worst feeling in the world. The first thing that we always say is, “Where did I put my backup!?” When you back up your important folders it gives you peace of mind. You can sleep sound knowing that even if disaster strikes, there are copies of all your work and photos safely tucked away to grab anytime. From hard drive failures to human error, backing up data is an important step in protecting against catastrophes! Thankfully, backing up these folders only takes minutes! Here are the most important folders to back up for Windows 10 users.
Your Documents
It’s not uncommon for people to have their entire life in one folder. Usually, that is the Documents folder on your computer. If something were to happen and you lost everything – it could be devastating! Make sure to back up this area of your computer regularly and keep it organized to make sure you have the most important files on your computer in order.
Your Desktop
Another place where people commonly place all of their computer files is on their Desktop. I’m sure you’ve seen a friend’s desktop with endless icons on the screen, or perhaps this is even what your home screen looks like at the moment. Because of this, if there were ever a computer issue and your files were lost, you may be missing very important content from this home screen.
Your Pictures
Photos are important to back up to make sure that you don’t lose any meaningful memories and documentation. Photo files are more than personal memories. They also often include all of the images you use for your jobs and hobbies. Losing this data could be catastrophic if you rely on images for work.
Your Videos
Videos on your computer may include recorded conference calls, webinars, educational pieces of training, or personal videos. Make sure that when you transfer these files to an external hard drive that you do it consistently. Video files tend to be quite large and it can consume a lot of time to transfer several gigabytes of video data at once.
Chrome Profile Folders
Your Chrome profile stores your browser settings, bookmarks, extensions, apps, and saved passwords. The profile is one of the important folders you want to grab. It’s stored in a separate folder on your computer, so if anything goes wrong with Chrome, your information is saved.
Your Chrome browser stores a tremendous amount of your personal information, so it may be a good idea to back it up in case of a computer malfunction. The Chrome profile stores your apps, extensions bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, and browser settings.
For Windows 10 Users, you can find this folder here on your computer at:
C:\Users\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\
How to Back Up Your Computer Files
The best way to back up your files is by using an external hard drive. They can be purchased relatively cheaply at any electronics store. Even if you have a laptop with a built-in hard drive, it’s important to keep backups of all the documents that are saved on your computer and in your email account.
Another option is to upload your files to the internet. There are several hosting services that can hold copies of your files. A benefit of this method is that you are then able to access your files from anywhere that you have internet access without needing to carry an external hard drive with you.
In Conclusion
You should back up these important folders because hard disk crashes happen, and very important data can be lost. Your drive may also be damaged by some other means, like vandalism, theft, or fire. Sometimes your computer becomes infected with a virus that corrupts the data on your drive. And sometimes something as mundane as tripping over the power cord at just the wrong moment can result in a total loss of everything.
When it comes to digital files, we’re all vulnerable. A single accident can wipe out years of work and memories in an instant – but there are ways you can avoid these unfortunate accidents with just a little preparation. The best thing you can do is get organized today by backing up your most important folders so that they will be protected from any mishaps or disasters. This way you won’t have to watch helplessly as everything on your hard drive gets erased or corrupted! And if anything does happen, at least you know where the backup file lives.
Technician at Computer PRO Unltd, father of one, gamer.