Although backing up your files in the cloud may seem like a complicated option, it is a decision that you won’t regret as it will help you to keep your data protected. Those who are just about to start may have many questions and one of the things that you may be wondering is how much space do you actually need in order to backup your files in the cloud. The good news is that this is very easy to find out and there are not advanced applications or complicated processes required. The first step is to think about the type of data that you use more regularly and how important it is to you.
In order to determine the amount of space required, it is important to ask yourself if you are mainly using presentations, word documents, photographs, or videos. Once you have considered the kind of data that you need to backup, you may need to know how much data you have in total. While there are many low priced options available, it is advisable to choose a high quality solution to backup your data. Another aspect to consider before knowing how much storage space you require is that there are two main types of online backup providers. The first category refers to the online backup providers that have limited storage. The second type of providers promise to give you unlimited online backup.
Although unlimited storage sounds very appealing, it is not necessarily the best option in every case. That being said, nowadays, it is possible to find unlimited online backup for affordable prices. However, when you chose a cheap plan, there may be some important features missing. In order to help you to understand how much storage you really need, we will take a closer look at some aspects to consider, depending on the operating system you use. We will focus on the most popular desktop options: Mac and Windows.
Mac
Apple makes things very simple for users when it comes to getting the storage information from their Mac. Regardless of where your files are stored, all you need to do id to right-click on the folder and select “Information”. The information window displays all the important data on a folder or file. It is advisable to add the information you collect to an Excel chart, so that you can easily sum up all the results of the folders that you want to back up.
Windows
Many users keep their files in the Microsoft Windows My Documents Folder. This enables users to add the file sizes and find out the total storage capacity that they need in the cloud. Regardless of where you store your files, the main thing is to know the way to figure out the amount of storage that these folders take on your hard drive. Once you locate the folder that you want to check, right-click on that folder and select “Properties”. In the new window that is shown, you will be able to see the amount of megabyte of gigabyte that this folder uses on your hard drive.
Take note of this amount and enter the number in an Excel chart for future reference. If the folder is very large, Windows may take some time to get all the storage information so you may need to wait for a while. In order to backup the entire hard drive, you can also complete the whole procedure with drives. You just need to right-click on the C:/Drive to get all the data needed.
How to get more than enough space
Once you have measured the amount of storage needed using the above process, you will have a good notion of how much storage is needed. You can go to the Excel spreadsheet and sum the figures entered in the field. Keep in mind that you should get at least double the amount of cloud storage that you get in your result so that you don’t have to worry about not having enough space, even if your data storage needs increase.
If you start taking more photos or capturing more videos, you won’t run out of space so quickly if you choose a solution that is bigger than the amount of data that you currency have. In other words, don’t just opt for having enough storage for what you have at the moment. It is likely that you need more in the near future. Simply multiply your final storage results by 2 to get an idea of how much cloud storage you require.
Take a look at the features and choose a provider
Once you know the amount of storage required, you are on your way to start backing up your data effectively. The next step is to check the features and additional options offered by each provider. Options like Backblaze, Carbonite, pCloud, SugarSync and SOS Online Backup are highly recommended, but in the end, the decision will depend on your specific needs.
