Why Don’t You Back Up Your Computer?

I’m asking you, and theorizing about your response

Some time ago, I posted a recommendation for a specific backup program, and it got me thinking about backing up in general.

It’s a common topic here on Ask Leo! for good reason. Not a day goes by that I don’t see somebody suffering needlessly for lack of a backup. Not a day goes by that I don’t see somebody who could have avoided a serious problem by having taken a backup.

So … why don’t you back up?

Why don't you back up?

Backing up your computer isn’t something most people think about until they lose something important. You’re not lazy; you just haven’t been burned yet. In an ideal world, backups would be built in. They’re not. So please, back up your stuff before you need it.

Computers should just work

It’s tempting to think you’re just lazy, but I believe that’s very unfair.

We all expect computers to just work. Unfortunately, as we see over and over, it’s not a realistic expectation. Computers aren’t toasters or coffee pots that work fairly consistently and without much thought.

Those of us who have used computers for any length of time know better. Not because we’re any smarter, but because, in all likelihood, we’ve experienced catastrophic data loss at some point or another. We know better because we’ve been burned.

Unfortunately, it’s not until you’ve seen or had that gut-wrenching experience that you begin to realize that the inconvenience of backing up pales in comparison to the inconvenience of losing your precious data, like irreplaceable photos or the documents you’ve worked so long and hard on.

All of a sudden, that backup doesn’t look like such a bad idea.

So how can we prevent you, or anyone else, from having to go through the experience? How do we convince people to back up their computers?

I’m not sure we can. I honestly think this is one of those cases where there is no substitute for living through the painful experience — hopefully only once.

All we can do is be ready with solutions so it doesn’t have to happen again.

Related

How to Back Up Windows

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Wishing for an ideal world

In an ideal world, none of us would have to consider backing up. In a truly ideal world, data would never be lost, hardware would never fail, and we’d never accidentally permanently delete something we would need later.

Needless to say, we don’t live in an ideal world.

But I think there might be an opportunity to make things better.

The fundamental problem here is that users — you and I — have to recognize the issue and then, separately, proactively take preventative action.

What if we didn’t have to?

What if backups were baked in?

What if, as part of setting up every machine, installing the operating system included a true, full-featured backup solution, instead of the typically crippled, hard-to-use applications? What if, like choosing a password, you couldn’t even complete initial setup without having done something to address the risk of data loss — something better than enabling a Recycle Bin and something more complete and robust than Windows’ System Restore? What if every machine came with a backup hard drive or a free compleete online backup service?

I have to acknowledge that the Mac’s Time Machine is pretty close. It still requires user initiative and a second hard disk to set it up, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Even OneDrive’s backup “feature”, while an unmitigated disaster in many respects, at least pays lip service to the concept. But it is a disaster, and it’s no replacement for a “real” backup; not even close.