Data Backup in Cessnock NSW

Most people only think about backups after they've lost something. Twenty years of family photos live on one laptop, the only copy of the wedding video is on an old external drive in a drawer, and the tax paperwork sits on a computer that has started making funny noises. One failure, theft, spilt drink or scam is all it takes to lose the lot.

Steven Galvin sets up home backups for people across Cessnock and the Hunter Valley. He works out where your important files actually are, sets up backups that run on their own, and checks they can be restored. Everything is explained in plain English, and you'll know the price before any work begins.

External drive or cloud?

An external drive is quick, holds a lot and restores fast. Its weakness is that it lives in the same house as the computer, so a fire, flood, burglary or ransomware attack can take both. Cloud backup stores your files somewhere else entirely and runs over the internet, though the first upload can take a while on a slower connection and it usually comes with an ongoing subscription.

For most homes the best answer is both. The drive gives you a fast local copy, and the cloud covers the disasters that would take out everything under your roof. If you work from home, the same goes for invoices, work files and anything else you'd struggle to recreate.

The 3-2-1 idea, explained simply

People who deal with lost files for a living talk about 3-2-1. Keep three copies of anything that matters: the original plus two backups. Keep them on two different kinds of storage, such as the computer and an external drive. Keep one copy away from home, which for most families means the cloud. It sounds technical, but in practice it's a laptop, a backup drive and a cloud backup, all running automatically.

Automatic is the important word. Backups that rely on someone remembering to plug in a drive tend to stop after a few weeks. Windows and Mac both have built-in backup tools, phones can send their photos to the cloud on their own, and Steven sets these up so they run quietly in the background without anyone having to think about them.

Checking they actually work

Once it's all running, Steven restores a few files to prove it works and shows you how to do the same. It's worth a quick check every few months, and especially after a new computer, a new phone or a change of cloud account. If you'd like someone else to keep an eye on it, ask about the Annual IT Care Plan. For extra peace of mind, a second drive can be kept unplugged, or at a family member's house, and refreshed every month or so. And if it's already too late and files have gone missing, stop using the device and look at data recovery before trying anything else.

How a job works

1. 1

   Get in touch

   Call or send an enquiry and describe the problem. Steven books a time that suits you.

2. 2

   Free diagnosis

   He looks at the device or system and explains what is wrong in plain English.

3. 3

   Clear price

   You get an upfront price before any work begins, so there are no surprises.

4. 4

   Fixed and tested

   The repair is done and tested before it goes back to you.

Data Backup: common questions