Safer Internet: Offline: Backups

Quotes

You can never be too rich, too beautiful,... or have too many backups. ~Anon
"When was the last time you backed up your work?"...
Back up my hard drive?... How do I put it in reverse?
"Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.

Three things are certain:
Death, taxes, and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.

With searching comes loss
and the presence of absence:
"My Novel" not found.

A file that big?
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.

Rather than a beep
Or a rude error message,
These words: 'File not found.'" ~Haiku Error Messages

Summary

"Data loss is when you no longer have access to your own data...
"Data theft is when someone else gets access to your data illicitly...
Backup frequency poll (2020) -- never: 19%; annual: 39%; monthly: 20%; 12%: weekly; daily: 10%; ~Backblaze; 6/18/2020
"3-2-1" backups: 3 copies of your data; 2 different, local methods (formats); 1 offsite
Disks & solid state drives (SSDs) -- and CDs, DVDs and thumb drives -- will eventually fail /corrupt
Recover from accidental deletions, theft, ransomware (Malware, Encryption), and incomplete system updates
3Rs: Redundancy, Resiliency, Reliability
1. Incremental: user files, settings -- to local or network external drive;
often maintains some older file versions -- hourly/daily/weekly;
2. Complete: user files & settings plus system and applications
-- ideally an exact copy and bootable clone -- to local or network external drive -- weekly/monthly
3. Offsite: cloud service -- ongoing (with internet connection), preferably automatically;
partial: email, photos, contacts, notes, calendar, e.g., iCloud;
selected files, folders (manually), e.g., iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive;
passwords: synced between cloud & devices via password manager, e.g., 1Password;
complete: cloud backup service such as Backblaze
Backups don't usually take long, e.g., < 30 minutes -- start before a coffee break or meal
World Backup Day March 31st (just before April Fool's)
International Verify Your Backups Day every Friday the 13th; TB
Check periodically that your backups actually occurred and that you can restore files!
When changing device settings, it's best to 'backup' the current settings, either via paper or screenshot, in case you change your mind.
References

Where to Backup?

Device or disk manufacturer may provide backup software, e.g., Time Machine, Retrospect
What is the total size (used + available) of your internal disk/SSD?
Option 1: Separate external drives, one for incremental, one for clone
-- if you're concerned about the risk of a single drive failing or disappearing;
some (newer) partitioned drives don't support bootable clones
Incremental (TimeMachine): size: 4x internal -- or more, if you'd like more versions and deleted files to be preserved
format: Disk Utility > OS Extended Journaled -- Encrypted (recommended); save recovery key!
you can enable encryption later: Time Machine Preferences > Encrypt Disk, which uses FileVault also
-- however, enabling later is much s-l-o-w-e-r
Bootable clone(s) [Carbon Copy Cloner]: size: 1x internal -- or more, if you'd like multiple macOS versions, each in a separate partition
format: Disk Utility > OS Extended Journaled -- not Encrypted; CCC will convert to AFPS format (encrypt later)
before backing up [first time], System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy: exclude backup drives
before cloning [each time], disable any automatic cloud-based backup,
e.g., Backblaze Preferences > Settings > Schedule > Only When I Click Backup Now
after cloning [each time], renable any automatic cloud-based backup,
e.g., Backblaze Preferences > Settings > Schedule > Continuously
to encrypt bootable clone backup, option-Restart; in Startup Manager, select backup disk/partition
after clone booted, System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault: Turn On; save recovery key!
after clone encrypted, option-Restart; re-select internal disk/SSD
Option 2: [2] single local external disk partitioned to contain both incremental and clone backups -- convenient and economical; however, some cloned backups might not boot from newer partitioned drives?
e.g., 1x: 250G (clone); 3x: 750G (incremental; multiple versions/deleted files accessible)
Option 3: Cloud storage, e.g., iCloud, Backblaze. How secure is the cloud?
Very -- depending on how files are encrypted and stored, and who has access.
For brief explanation of different levels of security (via encryption) for Local and Cloud, see P@s$w0rdz:Storing:Encrypt
Option 4: [2] Shared local network drive (possibly with redundant drive arrays, e.g., RAID)

[1] Incremental Backup

Backup only what's changed, automatically: user files, multiple versions, settings, contacts, bookmarks
Frequency: hourly/daily/weekly -- esp. if many files added/changed; also, before any system updates
Alternatively, you could periodically backup selected files/folders manually to USB drive and/or cloud folder, e.g., DropBox, Box, Google Drive, Microsoft, OneDrive -- but, will you remember to do it?
macOS: Time Machine > Open Time Machine Preferences: select disk; Backup Now
(restore): Time Machine > Enter Time Machine [image]
Win: Settings > Update & Security > Backup > Backup Using File History
File History tool automatically saves multiple versions of a given file, so you can restore a file before it was changed or deleted

[1] Complete Backup

A complete, bootable clone contains everything, including applications and system files, and can help you recover from incomplete software updates
Frequency: weekly/monthly; also, before major system cleanup & updates -- and after successful updates
iOS (USB): Finder > Preferences > Sidebar > CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices
macOS (to disk): Carbon Copy Cloner
Due to increased security in macOS, backup apps need to be granted permission for 'full disk access':
macOS: System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Full Disk Access --
apps provide directions, e.g., Carbon Copy Cloner, Backblaze; permission needed also for system cleanup tools like Titanium's Maintenance or Onyx
Win: Settings > System & Security > Set up backup
Backup and Restore creates a single backup of the latest version of your files on a schedule. It can also create a “system image,” which is a snapshot of your entire system -- operating system, programs, documents, and all -- which makes it easy to restore everything

[1] Offsite: Cloud and/or Other Physical Location

Store backup(s) somewhere other than your house/office in case your device and local backups are damaged, stolen, hacked, ...
USB/external disk/DVD at a remote site, e.g., bank Safety Deposit box, trusted friend's house
For desktop systems, a cloud provider can provide an automatic, complete backup with 'unlimited' storage for relatively small cost, e.g., ~$5/mo.
Frequency: ongoing
macOS (to cloud): Backblaze
Initial backup may take days, depending on number/size of files, and speed of internet connection
Restore selected files via download; since restoring everything from a remote backup could take awhile, service may ship a loaner drive, e.g., Backblaze
see References for other products, e.g., Retrospect; Carbonite: Windows ok, but Mac not, due to lack of private keys
Other cloud options are available for mobile devices and selected data and settings -- often free if default storage used, e.g., iCloud < 5GB
A password manager can store/sync encrypted passwords, e.g., 1Password on 1password.com, iCloud or Dropbox
Email backup may not be necessary if using IMAP, i.e., messages already stored on ISP's mail server and cached on each device
Share -- and backup -- documents & photos via services like Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive
Back up/sync system settings, bookmarks and certain types of documents and data via iCloud
iOS: Settings > (your acct) > iCloud: Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, Safari, News, Home, Game Center, Siri, Keychain, Find My iPad/iPhone, iCloud Backup
iOS: Settings > (your acct) > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage > Backups: device; Documents&Data
iOS: Settings > (your acct) > Family Sharing -- setup
iOS: Settings > (your acct) > iCloud > Manage Storage > Share With Family -- share iCloud storage
What's shared: Apple media purchases, Apple Music family plans, iCloud storage plans, Photo album, Calendar, Reminders, Locations, Find My iPhone family view
Not shared: songs in iTunes Match (not purchased in the iTunes Store), in-app purchases, items hidden by a group member, some apps from the App Store (this is left up to each developer)
macOS: System Preferences > iCloud: Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari, Notes, Keychain, Back to My Mac (File/Screen Sharing), Find My Mac
macOS: System Preferences > iCloud > Manage... (lower right)
macOS: icloud.com > Settings (home) > Storage
Is cloud storage safe?
Encryption depends on the strength & security of the encryption key -- in addition to the password you use to login to cloud provider (plus its security practices)
Encrypting in transit (via HTTPS:) is assumed; is file decrypted by provider before being re-encrypted?
If cloud provider has that key, files are vulnerable to hacking or government request -- only you should know / control separate 'private key' (which is not same as login password)
Conclusion: Extremely secure if file already encrypted 'end-to-end', e.g., password manager;
or cloud service uses a separate (non-account) key which only you have, e.g., Backblaze
Ideally, 2-step authentication is available to protect account login -- section: Passwords

What I Use

two separate external drives: for TimeMachine and for Carbon Copy Cloner
cloud services: iCloud, Backblaze
incremental [ext disk]: macOS: TimeMachine -- files; several times/week
incremental [cloud]: macOS, iOS: iCloud -- Safari, Settings, etc.; notes; ongoing; 1password.com
incremental [cloud]: macOS: Backblaze -- all files; ongoing (also external non-backup partitions);
if you subscribe to Backblaze, use this referral link (or code: 00gxf7) to receive a free month; Steve receives a free month credit.
complete [ext disk]: macOS: Carbon Copy Cloner -- files, apps, system; monthly, esp. before macOS updates
complete (via macOS) iOS: files, settings, etc. (Manual) before iOS updates -- see screenshot on right {???}

Other

[1] Paper: important device & account passwords (esp. for password manager!) in SD box
[1] Save .pdf of various paper documents, e.g., manuals for devices & appliances from manufacturers sites
[1] While travelling, backup digital photos to local drive, other device or cloud
[2] Customize photo storage settings to optimize space, cost, sync time, esp. if you have many GB of photos & devices
[3] If you host a blog or website, make backups, e.g., WordPress.com > Dashboard > Tools > Export

References

sections: Refs: Android; Backblaze; Carbon Copy Cloner; Cloud; Death; Dropbox; Future; Google; Hard Drive; iCloud; iOS; macOS; Natural Disaster, esp. Cascadia Quake; OneDrive; Paper/Other; Photos; Retrospect; SuperDuper; TimeMachine; Windows; see also Mobile Privacy
topics: hardware reliability, music, restore
Wikipedia: Backup; List of backup software; ransomware
Computer Backup Options pros & cons: manual, external, online (by Backblaze)
How to Properly Archive Your Digital Files open file formats; 7/14/2024
How to Back Up Your Digital Life Time Macine, Backblaze, iDrive, Duplicati; Wired; 3/31/2024
Back Up and Secure Your Digital Life
product reviews: Hard drive;
Online backup service; Cloud sync;
Local backup software; ... NYT; 3/7/2024
A Reminder That Trusting Everything to Cloud Storage Can Screw You Over
having just one copy of your files stored anywhere -- even if it's in the cloud -- isn't safe; LH; 11/29/2023
Start Looking for Drobo and Retrospect (StorCentric) Replacements TB; 5/16/2023
How to Prepare for a Lost, Stolen or Broken Smartphone NYT; 2/8/2023
Best file compression apps for macOS and iOS ApIn; 1/27/2023
International Verify Your Backups Day TB; 1/13/2023
How to Create a PDF From Any Website, on Any Device LH; 6/21/2022
The Best Mobile Scanning Apps
Adobe Scan, SwiftScan, Microsoft Lens, Apple Notes; NYT; 5/27/2022
Do I Really Need to Back Up All My Data? Wired; 4/25/2022
Steps to Simple Online Security: 6: Backups NYT; 4/8/2022
How to Back Up Your Computer NYT; 9/29/2021
How You Can Lose a File Despite Three Layers of Backup (and How To Avoid It) TB; 9/27/2021
What to do when your laptop is stolen (and how to prepare for it)
Before: Encrypt your data; Keep a current backup;
Enable your laptop’s tracking feature;
After: 1. Locate and lock your laptop (Find My Device);
2. Notify the authorities: File a police report, Tell your bank,
File a claim with your insurance company, Contact your computer manufacturer;
3. Protect your personal information: Wipe your data,
Change your passwords, Disable autofill and clear your browsing data,
Deauthorize your account and devices; PC; 7/14/2021
The Best Ways to Compress PDFs for Free LH; 6/14/2021
How to Back Up Your Most Important Emails Forward Emails to a Backup Account; Use POP and IMAP; Download Everything To a Desktop Client; Other Options; Wired; 1/24/2021
How to Restore Apple Watch from Backup OSXD; 1/19/2021
How to Backup Your Apple Watch automatically to iPhone; OSXD; 1/16/2021
Poll Shows Backup Frequency Increasing, Results Still Depressing never: 19%; annual: 39%; monthly: 20%; 12%: weekly; 10%: daily; Backblaze's poll/report; TB; 6/19/2020
How to create a backup strategy with terabytes of files MW; 1/29/2020
We're Living in a Subscriptions World. Here's How to Navigate It. avoid losing control of content/data; Maintain Your Own Backups; Create a Personal Entertainment Cloud; NYT; 1/15/2020
Get Those Records, Tapes and CDs Onto Your Smartphone NYT; 12/25/2019
Unencrypted hard drives with payroll data, including names, bank account numbers, compensation info of 29,000 Facebook employees, stolen in a car break-in Bloom; 12/13/2019
You Should Consider Replacing Your Old Surge Protectors every 3-5 yrs? LH 12/8/2019
Myspace apparently lost 12 years’ worth of music, and almost no one noticed User uploads corrupted in server migration, and Myspace seemingly has no backups; Ars; 3/18/2019
How to get your Mac or iPhone ready before you take it to Apple's Genius Bar AppleID email and password; device pw; sales receipt; backup! 3/16/2019
How to Declutter and Organize Your Personal Tech in a Few Simple Steps NYT; 1/23/2019
How to Delete Your Online Accounts but Keep Your Data Blogger, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Livejournal, Myspace, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, Whatsapp, YouTube; LH; 1/7/2019

Cloud

Wikipedia: online backup; cloud storage; file hosting; Dropbox
HowStuffWorks: How Cloud Storage Works; Cloud Quiz
HowStuffWorks: Do I need to back up files that are already in cloud storage?
HowStuffWorks: Are my files really safe if I store them in the cloud?
Take Control E-Books: Cloud, Dropbox, iCloud
free Take Control Cheat Sheets: Cloud
The Best Cloud Storage Services Wired; 3/3/2024
Online backup: We test the best services -- Carbonite, iDrive, Backblaze, Livedrive PC; 8/18/2023
The best cloud storage services for Apple users Google One/Drive, Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox?; MW; 3/8/2023
The Best Online Cloud Backup Service Backblaze is top choice now; 1/24/2023
Cloud Storage Forecast Unsettled, with Possible Storms TB; 2/4/2022
7 of the Best Cloud Storage Services That Are Cheaper Than iCloud, Google One, and OneDrive
Microsoft 365 Family: 6TB storage, split six ways;
iDrive: 5/10TB personal storage for the price of 1TB;
TeleDrive: Free, unlimited cloud storage via Telegram;
pCloud: Own cloud storage for your lifetime;
Icedrive: A lot of storage, but privacy first;
Mega: Take 20GB for free, and 8TB for cheap;
WeTransfer: Free, but short-lived data transfer;
LH; 1/12/2022
How to Recover Any Version of a File
access to your edits in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Apple Pages are just a click away; Giz; 6/25/2021
WD My Book Live users wake up to find their data deleted Ars; 6/25/2021
How to Prepare for the Next Time the Cloud Goes Down Giz; 8/31/2020
The Cheapest Cloud Storage Services of 2020 for All Your Files LH; 8/13/2020
9 Tips to Keep Your Cloud Storage Safe and Secure
1. Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication;
2. Audit Your File and Folder Shares;
3. Clear Out Your 'Deleted' Files;
4. Check Your Connected Apps and Accounts;
5. Turn on Account Alerts;
6. Deactivate Old Devices That Still Have Access;
7. Enable Account Recovery Options; Wired; 7/26/2020
Cloud storage plans you can use to replace your Mac’s external storage MW; 6/17/2020
What's the Diff: Sync vs Backup vs Storage BB; 3/31/2020
Cloud Computing More Energy Efficient Than Initially Thought TB; 3/3/2020
Dropbox and iCloud Drive: How each service approaches cloud storage different approaches to reducing storage on a local drive; MW; 2/21/2020
How to Deal with Running Out of iCloud, Google, and Dropbox Space TB; 2/17/2020
How to Share Files Securely Online Firefox Send, Dropbox, WeTransfer, Google Drive, OneDrive, SendAnywhere, iCloud; Wired; 2/9/2020
Google Drive vs. Microsoft OneDrive PC; 12/19/2019
Stop paying monthly cloud storage fees with 3 lifetime options as low as $39.99 limited time; unknown companies? TNW; 11/11/2019
More From Our Annual Survey: Choosing the Best Cloud for Backing Up types of backup: HD/NAS, cloud backup/drive/sync; BB; 7/16/2019
[2] Backing Up VM Image Files to Internet Backup Services TB; 5/15/2019
CloudBerry Backup for macOS: Feature-Rich but Unreliable TB; 3/7/2019
Backblaze vs. Cloud Backup Services; Backblaze vs. Cloud Sync Services BB price increases 3/11/2019

Death, Divorce

Preparing for the Unthinkable: A Brief Guide to Digital Legacy Planning TB; 4/26/2024
How to Keep Anyone From Accessing Your iCloud Data After You Die Advanced Data Protection (encryption); LH; 1/26/2024
How to Close the Social Media Accounts of a Dead Relative LH; 1/3/2024
Why You Need a Digital 'Dead Man's Switch'
from alerting your family to trouble to ensuring folks have access
to your accounts, there are several reasons to set one up; LH; 9/25/2023
The Digital Fragments We Leave Behind After Death
the photos, texts, playlists and to-do lists that we find after loved ones die can offer poignant glimpses into their lives; NYT; 5/3/2023
There may be a problem with Apple's Digital Legacy feature ApIn; 3/7/2023
What Stories Have You Learned From Digital Messages Left Behind? NYT; 12/15/2022
Here's What Happens to Your Crypto When You Die LH; 12/8/2022
You can take it with you: How to destroy the data you leave behind MW; 8/15/2022
How to Preserve Your Digital Legacy (and Why You Should) LH; 5/10/2022
How to Leave Your Photos to Someone When You Die Wired; 3/17/2022
The Morbid War Over Online Obituaries
'Obituary pirates' scrape websites and publish their own versions of death notices, reaping commissions on flowers and gifts; Wired; 12/26/2021
How to arrange for your digital legacy Verge; 12/2/2021
How to Decide What Happens to Your Data When You Die Giz; 12/2/2021
Apple will soon let you pass on your iCloud data when you die
new program coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs, Digital Legacy allows you to
choose five Legacy Contacts who can see your stuff; MW; 11/10/2021
What Should Happen to Our Data When We Die?
Anthony Bourdain’s A.I.-generated voice is just the latest example of a celebrity being digitally reincarnated.
These days, though, it could happen to any of us; NYT; 7/24/2021
What to do about Apple devices and iCloud content when the owner dies ApIn; 1/2/2021
How to recover data from a Mac with T2 or FileVault encryption and without a password short answer: it may not be possible; MW; 11/19/2020
How to prepare your digital assets in case of death
someone's passing could leave their data and devices locked up forever. But there are some preparations and techniques you could try;
Make a plan before it's too late;
Manage hardware;
Retain account access; MW; 10/21/2020
A look at startups that provide end-of-life services, from estate planning to online forums for grieving virtually, amid a surge in interest during the pandemic NYT; 7/16/2020
How to Request Access to a Deceased Family Member's Apple Accounts TB; 6/17/2020
Estate planning 101: Your guide to wills, trusts and all your end-of-life documents CNet; 6/8/2020
Can I keep my partner’s Apple purchases and account after they die? MW; 6/4/2020
What Happens to Your Domain When You Die? expires unless the hosting site exists and you've renewed ($); LH; 12/17/2019
Twitter halts plan to remove inactive accounts until it can memorialize dead users Verge; 11/27/2019
Get Your Digital Accounts Ready In Case of Death
1. Share your account logins and other secure information with a password manager
2. Record and save emergency info
3. Set up dead-man switches and assign custody for your digital accounts
4. Drill practice: teach your loved ones how to survive without you; NYT; 10/3/2019
Please get your digital affairs in order password manager, backup codes; TC; 9/15/2019
Who Gets Your Digital Assets: Heirs or Hackers? A digital executor can help ensure your heirs inherit online assets while protecting your privacy after death; NW; 8/29/2019
Here's how billionaires are planning their immortality TNW; 6/28/2019
We're all going to die -- what happens to our Facebook accounts? Verge; 6/12/2019
Hacking My Mother's Phone to Save Her Memories After she died, breaking into her phone was the only way to put together the pieces of her digital life; NYT; 6/10/2019
Dead Facebook users could outnumber the living by 2069 TNW; 4/29/2019
R.I.P. to a Startling Facebook Feature: Reminders of Dead Friends' Birthdays NYT; 4/10/2019
Facebook is introducing a new 'Tributes' section for memorialized accounts TC; 3/4/2019
The weird rise of cyber funerals Digital undertaking is the act of erasing and tidying up your public data after you die -- contacting the social media companies, search engines or even media companies who publish personal information, and request for it to be deleted when their client dies; Wired; 2/17/2019
What is a Facebook 'legacy contact' and why do you need one? allowed to have limited access to your account after your death; TNW; 2/15/2019
Planning For Your Digital Legacy In Seven Easy Steps 1. Digital Executor; 2. Inventory Your Digital Assets and How to Access Them; 3. Determine the Terms of Service for Your Accounts; 4. Ensure Your Key Estate Planning Documents Contain Relevant Language; 5. Store Your Information in a Safe Place; 6. Decide and Document the Fate of Your Digital Assets After Your Death; 7. Consult Your Estate Planning Attorney; .pdf; IPPF; 2/2019

Dropbox

HowStuffWorks: How the Dropbox Mobile App Works
free Take Control Cheat Sheets: Dropbox
Dropbox: What does Dropbox do to protect my stuff?
Had It With the Dropbox App? Here Are Five Alternative Dropbox Clients
Maestral, CloudMounter, Mountain Duck 3,
Transmit 5, Strongsync; MR; 12/1/2021
Replace a Shared Dropbox File without Changing Its Link TB; 12/13/2019
Are Dropbox's Paid Plans Worth It? free: 2Gb; Plus($12/mo): 2Tb; Pro($20/mo): 3Tb; LH; 10/4/2019

Future

A DNA-based storage system with files and metadata
queries can take days, but it's possible to pull out specific files; Ars; 615/2021
Microsoft's Project Silica offers robust thousand-year storage high purity glass extends storage reliability goals from "decades" to "centuries"; Ars; 11/7/2019

Google

What Is Google One, and Should You Subscribe? Wired; 3/27/2022
How to back up your Gmail Verge; 7/28/2021
Google is finally doing something about Google Drive spam Ars; 7/23/2021
How to Back Up All of Your Google Data LH; 3/11/2021
How to Prepare For Google's New Cloud Storage Restrictions LH; 12/7/2020
How to Access & Edit Google Drive Files from iPhone & iPad OSXD; 6/8/2020
Google Drive gains an important security feature on iPhone Privacy Screen: authenticate using Touch ID or Face ID; PC; 5/5/2020
How to get more space in your Google storage clear out the clutter; Verge; 3/19/2019

Hard Drive, SSD

HowStuffWorks: How to Back Up a Hard Drive
Best external SSD for Mac MW; 8/19/2024
Best external hard drive for Mac MW; 7/24/2024
How to Choose the Right SSD to Buy LH; 2/21/2024
Best external drives for backup, storage, and portability PC; 8/14/2023
The best SSDs: Reviews and buying advice PC; 7/24/2023
Backblaze's 2022 Drive Stats Reveal Manufacturer and Model Reliability Trends drive failures by brand; BB; 1/31/2023
Best external hard drive and SSD CNet; 11/17/2022
Backblaze's 2020 Hard Drive Reliability Statistics TB; 2/12/2021
How Do I Transfer Data When I Switch Out My Laptop's Hard Drive for an SSD? LH; 2/5/2021
[2] Six Lessons Learned from Dealing with an iMac's Dead SSD TB; 4/27/2020
The Shocking Truth -- Managing for Hard Drive Failure and Data Corruption BB; 7/11/2019
How to Partition Your Hard Drive and Why You Would Want To dual-booting OS; emergency recovery partition; Mac: DiskUtility; Win: Disk Management; Giz; 1/22/2019

iCloud (Apple)

Apple's Advanced Data Protection Gives You More Keys to iCloud Data
requires latest OS on all devices; TB; 12/8/2022
Apple will finally encrypt iCloud Backups as part of major security push
iOS 16.2 and macOS 13.1 will include several new features to protect your data; MW; 12/7/2022
How to use iCloud Folder Sharing and replace Dropbox ApIn; 5/30/2022
Bad Apple #5: iCloud Drive Folder Sharing Risks Data Loss TB; 5/12/2022
Apple turns off iCloud Documents and Data, but you can still find your files MW; 5/9/2022
How to Make Sure You Can Recover Your iCloud Data Wired; 4/24/2022
Apple will soon let you pass on your iCloud data when you die
new program coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs, Digital Legacy allows you to
choose five Legacy Contacts who can see your stuff; MW; 11/10/2021
How to use iCloud Folder Sharing and replace Dropbox ApIn; 2/23/2022
Apple releases iCloud for Windows version 13 update MW; 11/10/2021
How to Share iCloud Storage with Family on Mac OSXD; 11/1/2021
How to use iCloud Data Recovery Service MW; 10/11/2021
Apple Outlines Security and Privacy of CSAM Detection System in New Document
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) scanning on iCloud; MR; 8/13/2021
How to Share iCloud Storage with Family on iPhone & iPad OSCD; 7/29/2021
How to Free Up iCloud Storage Space on iPhone & iPad OSXD; 4/21/2021
Beware! iCloud Backups Deleted after 180 Days TB; 6/11/2020
How to Sync and Access Your Data Across Devices switch between your phone and laptop seamlessly; Wired; 6/2/2020
How to Access iCloud Drive Files from Windows PC OSXD; 5/27/2020
How to use iCloud to cope with a Mac that's low on storage MW; 4/27/2020
How use your Mac to get more info about your iCloud Drive storage Files for iOS and iPadOS omits nested information on folders; MW; 4/20/2020
How to Recover Lost or Deleted iCloud Drive Files or Documents OSXD; 2/18/2020
Folder sharing brings iCloud Drive closer to Dropbox, but there's work left to do MW; 2/7/2020
How to restore deleted files, photos, bookmarks, and more from iCloud iCloud keeps many items you delete for up to 30 days; MW; 1/2/2020
How to free up iCloud storage space MW; 1/1/2020
Find the parts of iTunes now spread throughout different apps in macOS Catalina: Finder MW; 10/21/2019
How iCloud Drive works with multiple users on a single Mac MW; 10/14/2019
EFF Calls on Apple to Let Users Encrypt iCloud Backups as Part of 'Fix It Already' Initiative with user's own key; 2/28/2019
Inside the illicit world of 'iCloud unlocking', where cybercriminals trick iPhone owners or Apple staff into removing an iCloud account to resell the iPhone MB; 2/6/2019
iCloud storage plans and pricing if you need more than 5 GB of free storageApple; 1/18/2019

iOS

Apple: Use Quick Start to transfer data from your previous iOS device to your new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
How To Backup Your iPhone iCloud, iTunes, Google Photos; Wired; 3/31/2024
How to back up an iPhone or iPad MW; 9/8/2023
How restore an iPhone from a backup MW; 6/29/2023
How to transfer all your data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone MW; 1/5/2023
How to Borrow iCloud Storage for Free to Transfer Data to Your New iPhone temporary iCloud backup that can be deleted in 21 days; LH; 9/21/2021
How to Restore an iPhone Without the Password LH; 9/10/2021
How to Reduce Your iCloud Backup Data Size on iPhone / iPad OSXD; 5/19/2021
How to Open & Extract RAR Files on iPhone & iPad iZip; OSXD; 4/16/2021
Can't Remember Password for Encrypted iPhone Backup? Here's What To Do OSXD; 3/31/2021
How to set up a backup plan for your Mac, iPhone, and iPad for your New Year's resolution ApIn; 12/31/2020
iCloud Backup Failed on iPhone or iPad? Here’s How to Fix & Troubleshoot OSXD; 12/19/2020
How to Restore iOS Backups in MacOS with Finder (Big Sur & Catalina) OSXD; 9/28/2020
How to get back 'Other' storage on the iPhone or iPad ApIn; 9/7/2020
How to Backup iPhone or iPad to Windows PC OSXD; 8/24/2020
How to Delete iOS & iPadOS Device Backups from MacOS Finder in Catalina OSXD; 3/18/2020
How to open zip files on your iPhone or iPad MW; 2/19/2020
How to Backup iPhone or iPad to Mac in MacOS Catalina with Finder OSXD; 1/13/2020
Documents 7 review: Free iOS file manager puts Apple’s Files app to shame Documents 7 is a free iOS app for reading PDF, EPUB, Word, and Excel documents, opening ZIP archives, viewing images, downloading; MW; 1/2/2020
How to transfer all your data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone MW; 12/24/2019
Locate backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Apple; 12/4/2019
macOS Catalina: How to make your iPhone and iPad appear on the Desktop Finder > Preferences > Sidebar > CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices (incl. iPadOS); MW; 11/11/2019
How you back up your iPhone and iPad in macOS 10.15 Catalina iTunes app may be gone, but you can still back up your iOS device to your Mac; MW; 7/26/2019
How to Archive an iTunes Backup of iPhone or iPad OSXD; 7/10/2019

macOS

Wikipedia: FileVault
Apple: FileVault 2
Take Control: Backing Up Your Mac; Online Appendixes; free cheat sheet
Carbon Copy Cloner; SuperDuper
Best Mac backup software MW; 8/19/2024
Best Mac data recovery software MW; 8/2/2024
Should you shut down your Mac when away for long periods? pay attention to backups; MW; 6/21/2024
How to back up and wipe your Mac Verge; 6/11/2024
How to back up a MacBook or Mac MW; 4/23/2024
Proton Drive encrypted cloud storage service arrives on Mac TC; 11/23/2023
Getting started with macOS Disk Utility: The basics ApIn; 5/13/2023
What to do if your Mac is stolen
Preventative measures: enable Find My, strong Lock Screen password, encrypt with FileVault, TimeMachine backup;
Locate your device using Find My; Put your Mac into Lost Mode;
File a police report; File an insurance claim; Erase using Find My;
ApIn; 6/3/2022
How much storage should you leave unused on a Mac’s SSD? MW; 5/30/2022
How to Use Extra Space on an APFS Time Machine Drive TB; 5/20/2022
Disk Utility in macOS 12 Monterey Manages APFS Snapshots TB; 11/11/2021
How to copy a failing drive to a backup using Mac Recovery MW; 9/3/2021
How to use Disk Utility in macOS to manage your hard drive MW; 8/25/2021
How to check if your Mac has a Recovery partition installed MW; 8/20/2021
How to verify your Mac's drive health using Disk Utility
Disk Utility: First Aid; MW; 7/14/2021
Apple's moves point to a future with no bootable backups, says developer ApIn; 5/24/2021
The Role of Bootable Duplicates in a Modern Backup Strategy TB; 2/23/2021
Can't find the Scheme menu in macOS's Disk Utility? for backwards or multi-platform compatibility; MW; 1/27/2021
How to restore a previous version of your Pages, Keynote, and other documents in macOS autosave; MW; 12/23/2020
[2] This quirky method could let you use drives that won’t mount on your Mac after a bad ejection MW; 9/14/2020
How to Create a New Disk Partition in macOS OSXD; 6/29/2020
How to clone a macOS Catalina drive Time Machine, Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper; MW; 1/20/2020
What's the difference between Save, Save As, and Duplicate in macOS apps? MW; 12/16/2019
How to perform backups more complicated than Time Machine allows ChronoSync; MW; 12/12/2019
Why you might see a new "Data" disk in Catalina Catalina now splits the operating system and data files into two volumes, but they should never appear on the desktop; MW; 11/6/2019
How to manage the dance of disk images, Time Machine, and excessively large backups MW; 9/10/2019
How to Show All Drive Devices in Disk Utility for MacOS OSXD; 8/16/2019
Don't use cloud backup services to make copies of your Time Machine volumes MW; 8/2/2019
You need a backup plan before you move to macOS Catalina TimeMachines, online backup services; AI; 7/20/2019
[3] How to Work with and Restore APFS Snapshots TB; 5/9/2019
ChronoSync 4.9.2 TB; 3/6/2019
The most important thing to do if your Mac has a Fusion Drive: Backup your data the Fusion Drive combines data on an SSD and hard drive, so the loss of either is a huge problem; MW; 1/11/2019

Natural Disaster

OLLI Course: Disaster Preparedness: Almeda, Cascadia, Zombies
The Best Emergency Preparedness Supplies reviews; 12 essentials; WireCutter (NYT); 10/7/2020
Disaster Preparedness For Your Finances 10/7/2020
To Prepare for a Natural Disaster, Call Your Bank LH; 10/14/2019
Safe Deposit Boxes Aren't (Completely) Safe no federal protection; NYT; 7/19/2019
The 7 Most Important Supplies for a Starter Earthquake Kit
assembling relevant tools piecemeal is a better bet than buying a premade kit;
water storage; gas shut-off tool; emergency radio; portable headlamp; first aid kit;
phone chargers or battery packs; emergency contact numbers; NYT; 7/18/2019
Keep These Financial Records in Your 'Go Bag' LH; 7/1/2019

OneDrive (Microsoft)

Microsoft to Kill OneDrive for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 in Early 2022 11/6/2021
OneDrive simplifies document sharing by making it even more complex PC; 7/1/2020
Microsoft's OneDrive Personal Vault locks down a portion of your OneDrive cloud storage with time-limited two-factor authentication; PC; 9/30/2019

Paper, Other

Prey an app designed to help you find a stolen or lost tablet, laptop or phone. The app will help you locate these items by taking pictures from the camera on the device, screenshots from the computer or even wipe data remotely from the device. Prey is a type of software installed on your devices and then tracked with an online system. There is a free version as well as various pay versions available.
Stolen Property an international stolen property database. It allows users to report that their item has been stolen. You can also search the database to see if any device you are considering purchasing was stolen.
Stolen Lost Found Another online database offered to track, find and report found, lost or stolen property
Take Control of Your Paperless Office digitize your documents while reducing incoming and outgoing paper
Should You Keep That Document or Shred It? LH; 9/18/2020
What to Do If You Lose Your Credit or Debit Card While Traveling LH; 1/24/2020
How to Scan Documents into Notes App on iPhone & iPad OSXD; 1/21/2020
How to Go Paperless in Your Home Office NYT; 4/9/2019

Photos

Apple: iCloud: Photos FAQs, Setup: iCloud Photo Library; My Photo Stream; iCloud Photo Sharing
Apple: Reduce the size of -- your iCloud Photo Library: delete photos; optimize storage; buy more storage; your Photo Library: use just Camera Roll; manual backup of photos
Apple: iCloud Photo Library FAQ esp. Can I use iCloud Photo Library to save space on my device?
Apple and Google expand on their data portability initiative to allow users of Google Photos to transfer their collections directly to iCloud Photos Verge; 7/10/2024
Deleting duplicates, bad shots and files from your phone's photo library can help to free up space NYT; 7/3/2024
How to move photos to iCloud to save space on an iPhone MW; 1/12/2024
How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac Without iCloud OSXD; 12/6/2023
How to Transfer Your iPhone Photos to a Windows PC Wired; 10/18/2022
How to Keep Photos and Videos from Taking Up Space on Your Phone Wired; 10/17/2022
How to Leave Your Photos to Someone When You Die Wired; 3/17/2022
How to Batch Convert HEIC to JPG (Mac & Windows PC) OSXD; 1/25/2022
The Easiest Ways to Shrink Large Image Files on Your Mac LH; 1/19/2022
How to Rescue Your Photos From an Old Computer Wired; 12/28/2021
How to Lock Up Your Photos and Videos in Google Photos LH; 12/3/2021
How to back up iPhone photos and video with iCloud Photos turned off MW; 10/14/2021
How to copy your Photos library from one Mac to another MW; 8/25/2021
Stingle is a privacy-focused open source photo backup application Ars; 8/8/2021
How to Back Up All Your Photos Without a Cloud Subscription Giz; 3/11/2021
Apple now lets you automatically transfer your iCloud Photo Library to Google Photos some things won't xfer; Verge; 3/3/2021
How to Save All Photos from Facebook on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows PC OSXD; 2/27/2021
How to Back Up and Move Your Photos Between Services leaving Google Photos now that it's no longer free and unlimited? Considering Apple Photos or OneDrive? Here's how to take your library with you; Wired; 12/1/2020
How to Manage Your Google Photos or Move Them Somewhere Else LH; 11/13/2020
Understanding how iCloud Photos optimizes photo storage and keeps your originals MW; 7/29/2020
What the HEIC? Apple's Highly Compressed Image Format Still Confuses High Efficiency Image Container? HEIF and HEVC; TB; 6/26/2020
Your Google Photos video backups may have been sent to complete strangers CNet; 2/4/2020
iOS: What to do if iCloud Photos uploads are paused due to a low battery, but you’re actually near a full charge MW; 1/14/2020
How to Access iCloud Photos from Windows PC OSXD; 1/8/2020
How to switch from iCloud Photos to just plain Photos local only; MW; 10/15/2019
Thoughts on Sharing Vacation Photos TB; 8/26/2019
Can't download photos from your iPhone to your Mac? it could be a trust issue; MW; 7/3/2019
How to use iCloud to help manage Photos libraries too large for an internal Mac drive MW; 4/12/2019
Organizing Your Unwieldy Photo Collection Is Easier Than You Think on smartphone; People; Places; NYT; 4/10/2019
How to cope with a Photos library too big to fit on an internal Mac drive MW; 4/2/2019

Retrospect

Retrospect site
Retrospect 18.5.2 TB; 3/27/2022
Retrospect 17 Solo review: Backup software that gives you everything Win, macOS, Linux; PC; 4/23/2020

SuperDuper (Mac)

SuperDuper
SuperDuper 3.8 TB; 10/2/2023

Thumb / USB Drives

How to format a thumb drive for both Mac and Windows ExFat format allows larger file sizes than the old FAT32; MW; 10/8/2020
How to Back Up All the Devices That You're Not Backing Up Kindles; Games consoles; Memory cards and USB sticks; Media streamers and boxes; LH; 12/23/2019
USB Storage with iOS 13: The FAQ TB; 10/16/2019

TimeMachine (Mac)

Wikipedia: Time Machine
Apple: Time Machine
Time Machine vs iCloud: Do you need to use both and can one back up to the other? MW; 7/19/2024
How to use Time Machine to back up a Mac MW; 7/18/2024
Apple Time Machine review MW; 4/19/2024
How to manage Time Machine snapshots using Disk Utility in macOS Monterey MW; 11/24/2021
How to encrypt Time Machine backups MW; 8/27/2021
How to delete Time Machine local snapshots in macOS ApIn; 6/26/2021
Take control of Time Machine backups with the TimeMachineEditor utility free; advanced options; MW; 5/4/2021
How to format a drive for networked Time Machine access
use OS Extended (Journaled) (HFS+) -- APFS prevents networked access; PC; 4/26/2021
How to reserve Time Machine space on an APFS drive MW; 1/19/2021
macOS Big Sur supports Time Machine on APFS-formatted drives, but there are a few catches MW; 12/15/2020
What to do when a Time Machine copy to an external drive is enormously larger than expected it's all about the hard links; MW; 7/8/2020
Howard Oakley's Deep Dive into Time Machine TB; 1/23/2020
[2] How to set your Mac as a shared backup destination for Time Machine MW; 11/18/2019
Can't find your Time Machine backup after upgrading to Catalina? Look for a backupbundle MW; 10/17/2019
Why you're prompted to erase an external drive when you use it with Time Machine not in the supported format; MW; 10/8/2019
Time Machine: No FAT or exFAT drives, only HFS+ and APFS MW; 9/12/2019
Understanding how Time Machine manages its file archive and how it affects what you can restore the deletion process only removes older versions of files; MW; 8/15/2019
How to Use Multiple Hard Drives With Time Machine BB; 3/7/2019

Windows

How to Reset Your Windows PC for a Fresh Start LH; 12/4/2023
The best Windows backup software PC; 8/28/2023
The best free backup software and services: Reviews and buying advice for protecting your data iDrive, iDrive Online Cloud Backup; PC; 12/6/2022
How to Read Mac Formatted Drives on Windows PC OSXD; 9/16/2000
How to check and monitor your hard drive's health PC; 7/31/2020
How to Install & Setup iCloud for Windows PC OSXD; 11/29/2019
How to partition a hard drive PC; 6/11/2019
[2] Update WinRAR on Your PC Right Now LH; 3/16/2019

Printer-friendly version

Safer Internet: Offline: Backups

Quotes

Summary

Where to Backup?

[1] Incremental Backup

[1] Complete Backup

[1] Offsite: Cloud and/or Other Physical Location

What I Use

Other

References

Android

Backblaze

Carbon Copy Cloner (Mac)

Cloud

Death, Divorce

Dropbox

Future

Google

Hard Drive, SSD

iCloud (Apple)

iOS

macOS

Natural Disaster

OneDrive (Microsoft)

Paper, Other

Photos

Retrospect

SuperDuper (Mac)

Thumb / USB Drives

TimeMachine (Mac)

Windows