--- title: "Data Backup - How to Create a Data Backup — ZEBR.ai" description: "What data should you back up? Simply put, back up data that is indispensable. Whether it is documents, accounting records, music, or videos. We also recommend…" url: "https://zebr.ai/en/knowledge-base/data-backup" markdown_url: "https://zebr.ai/en/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" language: "en" alternates: cs: "https://zebr.ai/cs/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" sl: "https://zebr.ai/sl/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" sk: "https://zebr.ai/sk/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" hr: "https://zebr.ai/hr/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" sr-Latn: "https://zebr.ai/sr-latn/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" bs: "https://zebr.ai/bs/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" sq: "https://zebr.ai/sq/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" fr: "https://zebr.ai/fr/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" es: "https://zebr.ai/es/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" de: "https://zebr.ai/de/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" pt-BR: "https://zebr.ai/pt-br/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" pl: "https://zebr.ai/pl/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" it: "https://zebr.ai/it/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" nl: "https://zebr.ai/nl/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" hu: "https://zebr.ai/hu/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" ro: "https://zebr.ai/ro/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" tr: "https://zebr.ai/tr/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" id: "https://zebr.ai/id/knowledge-base/data-backup.md" --- [Home](https://zebr.ai/en/) [Knowledge base](https://zebr.ai/en/knowledge-base) Data Backup - How to Create a Data Backup # Data Backup - How to Create a Data Backup **What data should you back up?**\ Simply put, back up data that is indispensable. Whether it is documents, accounting records, music, or videos. We also recommend backing up the entire operating system, including installed applications and data, using an image of the system partition. **How to back up data?**\ To back up the entire system, you need to use software designed for this purpose. When backing up data alone, it is up to you how you back up the data. **Backing up data by manually copying data**\ The simplest way to back up data is to simply copy the data to backup storage, from where it can be copied back to its original location if necessary. **Backing up data by manually copying data with compression**\ If there is a larger amount of data and we want to save the required space, we can compress the data. For example, compression programs such as Winzip and Winrar can be used to create a data backup that compresses its contents. **Backing up data by automatically copying data with compression**\ The previous two methods are functional, undemanding, and anyone can handle them. Data usually needs to be backed up regularly, sometimes even several times a day, and in such cases manual data synchronization is inconvenient. For automatic data backup with content compression, we recommend the software [Acronis True Image](https://www.acronis.cz/produkt/true-image/). The True Image program allows you to schedule data backups as well as run them manually. In addition, this program allows you to create a backup of the entire system. **Where should you back up data?** **Backing up data to a local hard drive**\ This method is the fastest way to back up data, but also one of the least secure. If the source and backup data are on the same hard drive, there is a risk that in the event of a disk failure, we will lose both the source and backup data. However, the least secure way to back up data is when both the source and backup data are on the same disk partition. This is a classic mistake when there is only one unpartitioned hard drive in the computer. If there are two hard drives in the computer, it is best to back up data to the second drive. In the event of a failure of one of the drives, the data will remain on at least one of them. **Backing up data to an external drive and network drive**\ This is a reliable way to protect data against failure of the entire computer. With the declining prices of external and network drives, this method of data backup is becoming increasingly popular, especially among laptop owners. **Backing up data to CD and DVD**\ For now, this is the most widespread method of data backup in small businesses and households. The advantage of this backup method is that you can create multiple backup copies and store them in multiple locations, thereby preventing data loss even in the event of incidents such as a local natural disaster. The disadvantage is the effort required to update backups (if you do not use DVD RAM media).\ A frequent topic of discussion regarding backing up data to CD and DVD media is recording reliability. For example, CD and DVD manufacturer Verbatim states that the lifespan of its media under ideal conditions is up to 100 years. It is necessary to realize that we can never achieve such conditions at home. In addition, each use of the medium shortens its lifespan. Other factors that shorten the lifespan of media include humidity, dust, light radiation, smoke, and more. If the medium is to remain readable for as long as possible, careful handling is essential. **Backing up data to network storage**\ This is a common method of data backup in companies. Individual users store their work data in shared storage on a server or network drives. A network administrator, who further backs up this data, is usually responsible for preserving data in shared storage. **Backing up data to an FTP server**\ Along with increasing connection speeds, this is also an increasingly used backup method. The advantage of this backup method is that backup data can be stored hundreds of kilometers away from the location where the source data is stored. In the event of a local disaster, the backup data remains safe. Backing up data directly to an FTP server is supported, for example, by Acronis True Image home. **Backing up data to tape**\ This is a widespread method of data backup, especially in larger organizations. Tape backups can be stored using tape drives or backup libraries (autoloaders). **Backing up data to a virtual environment**\ This method is usually not used for backing up data itself, but as a backup of a functioning system that can be run in a virtual environment in the event of a failure of the physical machine itself. More information about transferring a system to a virtual machine and transferring a system back from a virtual environment to a physical machine can be found in the chapters [Virtualization](http://www.acronis.cz/kb/virtualizace/), [P2V Migration](http://www.acronis.cz/kb/p2v/) and [V2P Migration](http://www.acronis.cz/kb/v2p/). --- - Source: - Site overview for AI agents: