Hard drives fail, laptops get dropped and ransomware exists. A backup is the only thing that turns any of these from a disaster into an annoying afternoon.
You do not need anything complicated. One copy in the cloud plus one on an external drive covers almost everything.
Step 1: Decide what actually matters
For most people this is Documents, Pictures, Desktop and any folder with work or family files. Programs can be reinstalled; your photos cannot.
Step 2: Turn on cloud backup
Windows includes OneDrive. Open Settings → Accounts → Windows backup (or the OneDrive icon in the taskbar) and switch on folder backup for Documents, Pictures and Desktop. From then on, every change is copied automatically.
The free OneDrive plan includes 5 GB; if your photos need more, a paid plan or Google Drive are reasonable options.
Step 3: Add an external drive copy
Plug in an external USB drive, then open Control Panel → File History (or Settings → Accounts → Windows backup on Windows 11) and select the drive. Windows will keep copies of your files and older versions, so you can also recover a file you changed by mistake.
Step 4: Test that it works
A backup you have never tested is a hope, not a backup. Once a month, pick a random file and check you can open it from the cloud or the external drive.
Tips and tricks
- Follow the 3-2-1 idea: three copies, on two different types of storage, one of them off-site (the cloud counts).
- Do not leave the external drive plugged in permanently — ransomware that hits the PC can also encrypt an attached drive.
- Back up before big changes: a Windows upgrade, a new hard drive or a move.
- Passwords and browser bookmarks are covered if you sign in to your browser with a Microsoft or Google account.
Fifteen minutes of setup today means you will never lose a photo or document again. If you want help choosing between cloud and external drives for your situation, ask during a Digital Checkup.