Angelica Leicht is a seasoned personal finance writer and editor with nearly two decades of experience but just one goal: to help readers make the best decisions for their wallets. Her expertise spans ...

Select Files and Folders If you need to back up only specific data, use software that lets you choose which files to save. (Simply moving a file doesn't back it up. You need at least two copies.) To ...

The difference is that the former copies your data to a location you choose, such as an external hard drive. The latter securely sends your data to the backup company's servers for off-site storage.