How To Backup Files On The Cloud

Ah… it’s another beautiful day outside. The sun is shining, there’s a nice breeze, and large fluffy clouds rolling across the bright blue sky.

Except for one thing- those aren’t the clouds we’re talking about. When people refer to the “cloud,” they’re really referring to cloud servers where massive amounts of data are stored and backed up. The concept of cloud servers is still relatively new to many people. Some people are using a cloud server and don’t even know what it is or how it works!

So, in today’s article, we’re going to skip doing a VPN review and instead focus on how to backup files in the cloud. If you’ve never used a cloud server before, then you’re missing out; because cloud servers are one of the best ways to ensure that your data is always accessible, safe, and isn’t taking up valuable space on your computer.

It’s time to take you into the modern age!

What Is “The Cloud”?

Even if you don’t know what exactly it is, the chances are that you’ve heard tech geeks refer to “the cloud” plenty of times before. So, what are they talking about? Are they talking about satellites? Have they figured out how to store information in floating clouds?

Cloud servers are a lot simpler than their name makes them sound. In a nutshell, “the cloud” just refers to a third-party external server (computer) where your information is backed up and stored.

A good example would be how our modern banking system works…

Let’s just say that you have $10,000. You don’t want to keep it in your house because it takes up space and it’s a security risk (somebody could come to steal it, or your house could burn down). So, you decide to put it in a bank. It’s still your money and you can spend it on a debit card or withdraw it from an ATM, but you don’t have the responsibility of directly caring for it.

Cloud servers operate on the same principle. Instead of storing your cash, though, they store your files and data. When you back up your files on the cloud, you can then delete the files from your physical hard drive so they don’t take up space. Once they’re on the cloud, you can view them anytime you want, share them digitally, or re-download the physical copies onto your device.

Manual Backup vs. Syncing

There are two basic models for backing up your data on the cloud; manual backups and automatic syncing.

With a manual backup, you’ll have to manually upload files onto the cloud; with an automatic sync model, your device will automatically upload new files to the cloud in specified intervals (once a day, once a week, once a month, etc.).

Generally speaking, automatic syncing is the easiest as you don’t have to think about it. The only problem is that all of your files will be backed up, including junk files that you may just want to delete. This means you’ll have to go through your cloud drive periodically and delete unwanted file backups.

Is It Safe To Backup Files On The Cloud?

For the most part, it’s completely safe to back your files up on the cloud. As long as your cloud drive is protected with a strong password and two-factor authentication, your files should be safe and secure. If you’re accessing your cloud drive on a public or unsecured wi-fi network, we do suggest you use a VPN service like ZenMate or NordVPN to ensure that your file transfers are completely secure, though.

How To Backup Files On The Cloud

So, now that you know a little bit more about how cloud servers work, let’s take a minute to show you how to backup files on the cloud. For the purpose of this example, we’ll be using one of the most popular cloud drives, Google Drive. With a Google account, you’ll automatically get 15GB of space for free, which you can upgrade to 100GB, 200GB, 500GB, 1TB, etc.

There are other cloud servers like Microsoft OneDrive, Apple’s iCloud, and the Samsung Cloud. However, Google Drive is one of the only cloud servers that are compatible with almost any device and operating system. That being said, the process is pretty much the same, no matter what cloud drive you’re using.

1. Open Your Cloud Drive: First, you’ll want to open up your cloud drive. In this case, you’ll just open Chrome and find ‘Drive’ in your Google apps list (or type ‘Drive’ into the URL bar of the Chrome browser).

2. Create An Organized Folder System: Here, you’ll be able to organize and view all of your stored files. To add a new folder or upload new files/folders, simply click the large ‘+’ button in the upper left-hand corner of the interface.

The more organized your files are, the easier they’ll be to find in the future. Once you upload files to your Drive, you can re-download them or share them with others at any time by right-clicking the file and selecting the corresponding option.

3. Optional – Turn On Automatic Sync: Google allows users to install a syncing program on their computer or smartphone that automatically uploads files, images, ad chosen content to the Drive on a scheduled basis.

What Happens If I Don’t Pay For My Cloud Subscription?

If you forget to pay for your cloud subscription, your files won’t be deleted. You’ll still be able to access your existing files. However, you won’t be able to add any new files or share your existing files with others until you renew your subscription.

How Long Does It Take To Backup Files On The Cloud?

This all depends on how many files you’re backing up, the size of those files, and the speed of your internet connection. For example, if you’re backing up 10GB worth of pictures on a high-speed internet connection, it might take around 6 to 10 minutes.

In Conclusion

Cloud drives are an excellent way to manage your files and backup important files that you don’t want to lose. Once they’re stored on the cloud they’re 100% safe. Your computer or phone could break or be stolen at any time, causing you to lose all of the files that you didn’t have backed up. As long as they’re on the cloud, though, you’ll be able to access them from any device anywhere on the planet.