Having your files in the cloud does not mean having them backed up. Confusing the two causes data losses we see every month.
It is the most widespread misunderstanding in home and small business computing. A synced folder faithfully copies what happens on your machine - including when what happens is a deletion, corruption or encryption by ransomware. A backup, by contrast, keeps an earlier state you can go back to.
Syncing - OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud as they are normally used - keeps an identical copy. It is excellent for working from several devices and for not losing a file to a hardware failure. But if you delete a folder by mistake, it disappears everywhere within seconds.
A backup keeps successive versions and lets you go back to a date of your choosing.
The good news: most syncing services include a version history that brings them closer to a real backup - provided it is switched on, that you know how long it keeps things, and above all that you know how to use it on the day it matters. That is precisely what we set up and what we show you.
The cloud's version history. Even when encrypted files have been synced, the earlier clean versions often remain restorable for several weeks. Many people give up before checking, when it settles the situation in an appreciable number of cases. See ransomware protection.
The first backup is slow. Sending several hundred gigabytes of photos over a home connection takes days. It is the point that discourages people most, and it can be planned for: you start with what matters most, the rest follows.
Restoring depends on the connection. Retrieving 500 GB over the internet is far slower than from a disk sitting on the desk. That is why a local copy keeps all its value alongside.
You depend on an account. Losing access to that account means losing access to the backup. Two-factor authentication and an up-to-date recovery address are not optional here.
The cost is recurring. A monthly subscription eventually exceeds the price of an external disk. In return, it brings what no disk gives: being off site.
The real volume to back up, often far smaller than people imagine once system files and software are set aside. The nature of the data: business documents and customer records do not call for the same guarantees as holiday photos. The location of the servers and the provider's terms, which matter for a business. And encryption: ideally, files are encrypted before they leave, with a key only you hold.
That last point deserves a straight warning: encryption where only you hold the key means that nobody, not even the provider, will be able to help you if you lose it. It is safer, and it is riskier. We discuss it beforehand, not afterwards.
A home or business connection is not symmetrical: upload speed is often far lower than download speed. And an online backup only ever sends data. That is why a first backup announced as a few hours ends up taking several days.
We measure that speed before committing to a timescale, and we adapt the strategy: an initial upload of essential documents only, a gradual ramp-up, or an initial backup done locally then switched online. That avoids the disappointment of the first few days, which pushes many people to abandon the whole thing.
Online storage for everyday documents and photos, with version history switched on, covers the essentials. Add an external disk plugged in occasionally then put away, and you have the three copies of the usual rule. See our article on how to back up your data.
The cloud is the off-site copy, rarely the only one. The most solid combination remains a fast local backup for everyday restores, plus an online copy for a disaster. See business backup and NAS installation.
They are syncing services: a deletion propagates, and losing the account means losing access. With version history switched on and understood they come close, but a local copy remains useful.
The large services offer infrastructure far more robust than a disk sitting on a desk. The real question is access to your account: that is where most incidents happen.
From a few hours to several days depending on the volume and your upload speed, often far lower than your download speed. You start with the essential data, the rest follows.
The data is deleted after a period that varies by provider. So it has to be brought back before cancelling, which takes time: plan ahead.
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