There are various methods to keep files you don’t want to lose, and it’s wise to preserve your vital information. The backup strategy that best suits your needs and budget is the ideal one.
Introduction
In this modern-day earth, our smartphones and laptops or devices aren’t just gadgets they store our lives. School papers, family photos, business records or files, personal notes. Losing them isn’t just an inconvenience it can be heartbreaking or costly. Regardless of where you’re here are practical ways to protect your data so your life can keep going even when tech fails
Why do I have to secure my data?
Can you imagine your phone getting wet in a sudden rainfall in Accra, or a power surge frying your laptop at home. Or you leave your USB in a Bolt or Uber and never see it again. These aren’t far-fetched, they mostly happen. That’s why having backups is like having an insurance policy for your digital life and safety.
TIPS:The internet is a safe place to store your data. With cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox, Ghanaians can back up files online and access them anywhere, even if their phone or laptop gets lost
If your laptop crashes or gets robbed, you can still access your backed-up files from any phone or computer with internet. To get access to them, you must log in with your credentials. Some cloud services even use zero-knowledge encryption, meaning not even the provider like Google Drive or Dropbox can see your files without your password.
How to Back Up and Secure Your Data: A Complete Guide
There are many ways to back up your computer’s data online, both free trail or subscriptions. In Africa especially in Ghana, most people prefer services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud(one of the biggest names in cloud storage). Let’s look at a few simple steps to keep your files safe and secure. iCloud is among the largest players.
1.Store it on a separate hard drive
Pros:
- Software allows you to plan backups so you never have to worry about them again.
Cons:
- Failure of hard disk drives is a possibility.
- Solid-state drives can be costly for large-capacity drives, but they carry less risk.
- Solid-state drives can be costly for large-capacity drives, but they carry less risk.
A USB connection is used to connect external hard drives to computers. Simply connect it in and move or copy your files to the drive, which can be done automatically with a backup application or manually. This method works just like the storage inside your laptop, it allows you create folders, save, or delete files without stress. When you’re done, you can unplug it and keep it somewhere safe.
In our communities, you can find external hard drives in shops at places like Circle, Kumasi Kejetia, Cape coast or online stores like Jumia and Alibaba. They come in different sizes, so you can buy one that fits your needs no need to pay for more space than you’ll ever use.
2.Burn it to a Blu-Ray, DVD, or CD.
Pros:
- Able to be securely stored in a second location (such as a safety deposit box).
- Basic classification: one category for documents, another for movies, etc.
Cons:
- The backup management process takes a lot of time.
- Disc drives are no longer found in some systems.
- Can become costly as you continue to purchase more CDs for larger data sets.
Burning data onto a disc used to be the main route to back up files, but it’s less common today. Still, it’s an affordable and reliable option if your computer has a CD or DVD drive or if you buy an external one. In some communities, people still use this method in offices or schools, especially in areas that have low internet access
3.Use a flash drive to store data.
Pros:
- Incredibly reasonably priced.
- Incredibly portable
Cons:
- Easy to misplace (because to this risk, it is not advised for long-term preservation of important information).
- Limitations in capacity
Using a flash drive is another easy and reliable way to store your files. It’s a small hard drive you can carry in your pocket and easy to move around with. Making it easy to transfer important documents or photos to another computer or keep them safe. In Ghana, you can find affordable flash drives at places like Circle, Accra Mall, Franko phones and Kejetia market and even the cheaper ones can hold a lot of videos, songs, or school projects
4.To a NAS device, save it.
Pros:
- Able to simultaneously backup many PCs.
- Able to be configured for automatic backup
Cons:
- Pricey
- Possibility of drive failure
FAQs
1.How do I create a backup of my iPhone’s data?
Connect your iPhone to your Mac, launch it in Finder, then choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac to create a backup. Tap Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup to access iCloud. iTunes can also be used to backup your iPhone.
2.How can my Android phone be backed up?
Go to Settings > System > Backup or, on certain devices, Settings > Cloud and accounts > Backup and restore or Systems > Backup to create a backup of your Android phone. Additionally, you can move your Android files to your computer.
3.How frequently should my data be backed up?
Important files you need on a regular basis should ideally be backed up every 24 hours in case of a system failure. Automatic backups are strongly advised.
4.How can I backup my PS4’s saved data?
Select Settings > System > Backup and Restore > Back up PS4 after inserting an external drive into one of the USB ports to backup your PS4’s save data. You can download games again for free once you’ve bought them. Additionally, PlayStation Plus members have the option to back up data.
Conclusion
Choosing the right USB flash drive depends on what you use it for. For everyday activities like saving school project work, company files and photos, 128GB or 256GB is enough. If you handle bigger files like videos or business records can go for 512GB or 1TB.
You can buy quality drives from places like From Jumia Ghana, Franko phone and Freddies coner and they are located in every region across the country. For speed, look for at least 50 Mbps read and 20 Mbps write speeds, or higher if you transfer large files often. And don’t forget that durable metal designs like Corsair or SanDisk last longer in Ghana’s heat and dust. Grab more ideas on this 12 Common Reasons Your Android Phone Is Slow (And How to Fix Them) in 2025
