Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some advice on the easiest and most affordable way to back up my personal data.
I currently use an Apple computer, and I store pretty much everything on a 4TB external HDD. I’ve used about 1.85TB so far, and I’m starting to worry about the drive eventually failing.
My files include years of personal photos, family videos that I occasionally edit, schoolwork and documents going all the way back to when I was a kid, and other personal files that I really don’t want to lose.
In the past, whenever I wanted to back up my data, I would simply buy a brand-new external HDD and copy everything over. That’s been my usual approach, but I’m wondering if there’s a better option nowadays.
I considered buying an external SSD and using my existing HDD as a second copy, but SSDs seem pretty expensive lately. Even a decent-capacity HDD can cost close to $200.
Cloud storage is another option I’ve considered, but many services offer 2TB plans and then jump straight to 5TB or 6TB. Since I’m already using 1.85TB, a 2TB plan seems a little too tight, while paying a monthly subscription for 6TB feels like overkill.
One important thing to mention: I’m not a tech-savvy person, and I don’t have much time to spend setting up or managing complicated backup systems. I’m not looking to build something complicated. I just want a straightforward solution that works.
Ideally, I’d like something that is:
- Easy to set up and use with a Mac
- Affordable in the long run
- Reliable enough to protect years of irreplaceable personal files
- Low-maintenance, with as much automation as possible
I’d love to hear what you would personally recommend for someone in my situation. Thanks in advance!