Frequently Asked Question
External Drive vs. Cloud Backup
Last Updated 8 hours ago
External drives and remote or cloud backups both have advantages. The best choice depends on how quickly you need to restore data and how much protection you want against local problems.
External Drive Backups
- Provide fast local backups.
- Can make restoring large amounts of data faster.
- Do not require an internet connection for local restores.
A local backup drive can still be damaged, stolen, lost, or affected by the same event that damages the computer.
Remote or Cloud Backups
- Store a copy of your data away from your computer and physical location.
- Provide additional protection against theft, fire, hardware failure, and other local problems.
- Can help protect important files if both the computer and local backup are lost or damaged.
For important data, using both a local backup and a remote backup provides stronger protection than relying on either one alone.