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Data backup checklist that actually works

A backup that has never been tested by restoring something from it is a guess. This is built around proving it would actually work, not just running.

15 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Everything that actually needs backing up listed outDocuments, photos, and anything that only exists on one device — not a vague sense of 'my files'.
  2. Local backup running — an external drive or Time Machine or File HistoryFast to restore from, and the first line of defence for the ordinary case of a dropped or corrupted drive.
  3. Cloud backup running automatically, not just a synced folderSync mirrors deletions across every copy instantly. A real backup keeps versions a sync tool was never built to keep.
  4. Backup schedule confirmed to actually be runningCheck the date of the last successful run rather than assuming it — quietly failed backups are common.
  5. Backup drive kept somewhere other than next to the laptopA fire or a burglary usually takes both at once if they're sitting in the same bag or the same room.
  6. One file actually restored, to prove the backup worksThis is the step that turns 'I have a backup' from a guess into a fact.
  7. Photos backed up separately from documentsBigger, harder to recreate, and worth checking on their own rather than assuming they're swept up with everything else.
  8. Important paper documents scanned×3Passport, certificates, anything replaceable only slowly and expensively if lost with the originals.
  9. Phone included in the backup plan, not just the laptop
  10. Password manager's own backup or export checkedA single point of failure for every account you own deserves its own copy, kept somewhere separate.
  11. Sensitive files backed up with encryptionA cloud backup is only as private as the account protecting it — encrypt anything that would matter if that account were breached.
  12. Emails backed up or exported, if the provider doesn't keep them indefinitely
  13. Work files checked against company policySome employers prohibit personal cloud backup of work documents — worth knowing before, not after.
  14. Shared family photos or drives backed up too, if you're the one who'd notice they were gone
  15. A reminder set to re-test the restore in six monthsBackups fail silently. The test that mattered today is not proof about six months from now.

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

Is syncing to the cloud the same as backing up?
No — a synced folder deletes a file everywhere the moment it's deleted in one place. A backup keeps a version you can go back to, which sync was never built to do.
How do I know a backup would actually work?
Restore an actual file from it and open it. A backup nobody has ever restored from is a guess about whether it works, not a fact about it.
What's the '3-2-1' rule people mention?
Three copies of anything that matters, on two different types of storage, with one kept somewhere other than the building the original is in.