With an external hard drive, however, you still run the risk of it getting lost, damaged or dying entirely.

An external hard drive is more of an old-school approach to backing up your files, but some people prefer to have their files in their possession. The main difference? You have the external hard drive physically in your hands, whereas the cloud is virtual. What’s the difference between storing your files in “the cloud” versus using an external hard drive? An external hard drive is a separate device that you hook up to your computer to store all your files. The following video from IBM does a great job at illustrating cloud storage. It’s like having a bank security box, without the need to physically go anywhere to access your safe. But what exactly is cloud storage? Think of cloud storage as, well, a virtual space (like a cloud) that’s grounded by remote servers that keep your files and data safe and secure. If you’re looking for an easy, inexpensive place to store your files, cloud storage is an excellent option.

Our experts review a whopping 25 online back up providers! What Is Cloud Storage? So, what’s the best way to back up computers? Keep reading to find out the different (and easiest) ways you can store your files outside of your computer’s hard drive. If you’re not backing up your files elsewhere, you’re putting yourself at a huge risk. Even worse, ALL other files on your hard drive were wiped out as well. You’ve spent hours upon hours on a crucial presentation, report or proposal your computer crashes and you lose everything - all because you only saved your files on your computer’s hard drive. Working on a big project and afraid you could lose all your hard work? We’ve all been there.

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