How to Back Up Your Data

Owned by Dylan Ashton
Last updated: yesterday at 5:08 PM
4 min read

Backing up your data is essential to protect against data loss from unexpected events. This guide will walk you through three reliable methods to back up important folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures) on your computer.

Instructions to backup your web browser profile/settings

 

Windows 10/11

WARNING: EMAIL ARCHIVES(.PST FILES) SHOULD NEVER BE SYNCED TO A CLOUD LOCATION! DOING SO CAN RESULT IN THE CORRUPTION AND LOSS OF YOUR ARCHIVED EMAILS AND HINDER THE BACKUP/SYNC OF THE REST OF YOUR DATA! Click here for instructions for backing up your PST files.
Archive(pst) File Instructions

Method 1: Back Up Data Using OneDrive for Business

Step 1: Set Up OneDrive for Business

  1. Open OneDrive by clicking the cloud icon in the system tray (bottom right corner of the screen) or by searching for "OneDrive" in the Start menu.

  2. Sign in with your OneDrive for Business account credentials.

  3. Select the folders you want to sync or back up. By default, OneDrive will back up your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders.
    SEE FIRST: Archive(pst) File Instructions

Step 2: Transfer Files

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folders you want to back up (e.g., Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures).

  2. Right-click the folder you wish to back up, select Move to OneDrive, or drag and drop it into the OneDrive folder in File Explorer. This will start uploading the folder’s contents to OneDrive.

  3. Check the OneDrive status icon next to each file to ensure the files are successfully uploaded (a green checkmark indicates a successful backup).

Note: Files in your Downloads folder will not sync automatically. To back up the Downloads folder, drag and drop it into OneDrive manually.

Step 3: Verify Backup

  1. Log in to OneDrive for Business via a web browser and check your files to ensure they are successfully backed up.

Method 2: Back Up Data Using Dropbox

Step 1: Set Up Dropbox

  1. Open Dropbox by clicking its icon in the system tray or by searching for "Dropbox" in the Start menu.

  2. Sign in with your Dropbox account credentials.

Step 2: Transfer Files

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folders you want to back up (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures).

  2. Drag and drop each folder or file into the Dropbox folder in File Explorer. Dropbox will automatically begin syncing these files.

  3. Check the Dropbox sync icon (a green checkmark) to ensure your files are successfully backed up.

Note: Like with OneDrive, you will need to manually move files from the Downloads folder to Dropbox.

Step 3: Verify Backup

  1. Log in to Dropbox on a web browser and check that your files have been uploaded.

Method 3: Back Up Data to an External Drive

Step 1: Connect Your External Drive

  1. Plug in your external hard drive or USB drive to your PC. Windows should automatically recognize it.

Step 2: Copy Files to the External Drive

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your important folders: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures.

  2. Open a new File Explorer window and navigate to your external drive.

  3. Drag and drop each folder (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures) from your PC to the external drive.

Tip: If you have a large amount of data, consider copying folders one at a time to prevent file transfer issues.

Step 3: Safely Remove the External Drive

  1. Once all your files have been copied, click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the system tray.

  2. Select your external drive to safely eject it from your computer before physically disconnecting it.

 

MacOS

Method 1: Back Up Data Using OneDrive for Business

Step 1: Set Up OneDrive for Business

  1. Download OneDrive from the OneDrive website.

  2. Open OneDrive and sign in with your OneDrive for Business account.

  3. During setup, choose the folders you want to sync with OneDrive. By default, you can select Desktop, Documents, and Pictures.

Step 2: Transfer Files

  1. Open Finder and navigate to the folders you want to back up (e.g., Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures).

  2. Drag and drop each folder into the OneDrive folder in Finder, or right-click a folder, select Move to OneDrive, and it will begin uploading to the cloud.

  3. Check the OneDrive status icon next to each file to ensure the files have been successfully uploaded (a green checkmark indicates successful backup).

Note: Files in your Downloads folder will not sync automatically. You’ll need to drag and drop it manually into OneDrive if you want to back it up.

Step 3: Verify Backup

  1. Log in to OneDrive for Business via a web browser and check your files to ensure they are successfully backed up.

Method 2: Back Up Data Using Dropbox

Step 1: Set Up Dropbox

  1. Download Dropbox from the Dropbox website.

  2. Open Dropbox and sign in with your Dropbox account.

Step 2: Transfer Files

  1. Open Finder and navigate to the folders you want to back up (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures).

  2. Drag and drop each folder or file into the Dropbox folder in Finder. Dropbox will automatically begin syncing these files to the cloud.

  3. Check the Dropbox sync icon (a green checkmark) to ensure your files are successfully backed up.

Note: Like with OneDrive, files in the Downloads folder must be moved manually to Dropbox if you want them included in your backup.

Step 3: Verify Backup

  1. Log in to Dropbox on a web browser and check that your files have been uploaded.

Method 3: Back Up Data to an External Drive

Step 1: Connect Your External Drive

  1. Plug in your external hard drive or USB drive. Your Mac should automatically recognize it, and it will appear in Finder.

Step 2: Copy Files to the External Drive

  1. Open Finder and navigate to your important folders: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures.

  2. Open a new Finder window and navigate to your external drive.

  3. Drag and drop each folder (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures) from your Mac to the external drive.

Tip: If you have a large amount of data, consider copying folders one at a time to prevent any potential transfer issues.

Step 3: Eject the External Drive

  1. Once all your files have been copied, click the Eject icon next to your external drive in Finder.

  2. Once it has safely ejected, you can disconnect the external drive from your Mac.

 

Contact the ITS Help Desk in the Library Room 230 or at (203) 254-4069 for assistance.