Backing Up vs. Syncing Your Data

Here we go again! Another oft-asked question: What is the difference between backing up and syncing my data? How do I get it back in the even that things go totally wrong?

I’ve been doing this work for quite a while, and I’m pretty good at it. I’ve seen it all, including total no-warning computer crashes. Sometimes there are signs; sometimes, it comes as a complete shock. In fact, it’s happened to my computer. Twice. No Signs. One day, all good, the next, it’s boat anchor time.

So, when that happens, the first thing you think is “I hope my data is safe!” Is it? Well, all depends on how things were set up initially. Or modified upon the advice I gave you or from some other Apple expert. (Are you cheating on me?)

OK, here’s the story: There IS a difference between BACKING UP and SYNCING your data.

Syncing means your data is shared across multiple locations. For example, if you’re syncing your data, a change on one device (your desktop computer, for example) is reflected on your other devices (your laptop, perhaps). iCloud does this, as well as Google Drive and Dropbox.

Backing up, on the other hand, is a method of creating a copy of your data, which is important in the event that any files are lost or become corrupt.  This usually includes backing up locally to a hard drive attached to your computer, or less common, a network-attached storage (NAS), which is far less common, or using a backup service, such as Carbonite, Backblaze, or CrashPlan.

So – which road should you travel?
Answer: Both.

Both scenarios have their own pros and cons. Syncing, using a service like Apple’s iCloud, is excellent in the event your computer dies, and you need to restore your data to your new one. Services like Dropbox and Google Drive deliver the same end result. The same can be achieved with a backup (Apple’s Time Machine is a stellar way to back up your data). That way, if you want to go back to a version of a file from two weeks ago, it’s simple to restore. However, using Google Drive or Dropbox for restoring a previous version of a document is a little more dicey, so consider yourself warned!

But the question that begs to be asked: What do YOU do?

Both, actually. I use iCloud’s sync function to make sure the same versions of my documents are on both (desktop and laptop) computers of mine; I back up the desktop to ensure that I have a copy of not only my most recent data, but historical versions as well. Plus, a few times a year I make a copy of my entire drive and lock it in my safe. Better “safe” than sorry!