Your data is the most important asset of in your computer. Hardware and software could be replaced, but if you don’t have a backup of your data and something were to happen to your computer, you will likely be in a lot of pain from the data loss. You would need to recreate all that information, and likely some of the data was irreplaceable and couldn’t be recreated.

There are multiple reasons for why you want to have a backup, here are some of the most common events:

  • Accidental deletion of files. (I’ve done this multiple times!)
  • Hard drive failure – The computer can’t read anything anymore.
  • Computer is lost or stolen – You are completely out of reach to it.
  • Environmental issues such as a fire or flood – Similar to a hard drive failure, your data is just no longer accessible.
  • Viruses and malware – Destroys your system and you don’t have access anymore.

This is why it is essential that you always back up your data and have a plan in place for recovery.