The Worst Backup Idea I’ve Heard (And What to Do Instead)

Ask Leo! April 10, 2025
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Videos from Ask Leo! - https://askleo.com Answers in plain language, presented so you can understand. I help you use technology more effectively, giving you the confidence to do more, be more, and explore more of the world that today's technology makes available to us all.

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❌ I see the appeal of slipping a little SD card into your computer for backups, but the safety of your data on that card has me worried. ❌ Backing up to SD cards and thumb drives SD (Secure Digital) cards and thumb drives are convenient, but not really safe for full backups. They can fail without warning, taking your data with them. Warranties replace cards (or money), not lost files. For more safety, use an external hard drive or cloud service. Still — any backup is better than none. Updates, related links, and more discussion: https://askleo.com/14343 🔔 Subscribe to the Ask Leo! YouTube channel for more tech videos & answers: https://go.askleo.com/ytsub ✅ Watch next ▶ How Should I Back Up When Traveling? ▶ https://youtu.be/Pd2o-84Is-s Chapters 0:00 Should I Back Up to an SD Card, USB Stick, or SSD? 0:55 Warranties don’t get your data back 1:30 Flash memory - SD versus SSD 2:40 SSD: still not really for backups 3:30 But any backup is better than no backup ❤️ My best articles: https://go.askleo.com/best ❤️ My Most Important Article: https://go.askleo.com/number1 More Ask Leo! ☑️ https://askleo.com to get your questions answered ☑️ https://newsletter.askleo.com to subscribe to the Confident Computing newsletter. ☑️ https://askleo.com/patron to help support Ask Leo! ☑️ https://askleo.com/all-the-different-ways-to-get-ask-leo/ for even more! #askleo #backup #SSD

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