Back up your files before PC repair: prove the copy can be restored

LET’S DO THIS

Work through these checks

1. 01

   Make a file inventory

   List documents, photographs, projects, local archives and app-specific work. Include important folders outside Desktop and Documents. Do not assume a backup product automatically includes every folder or secondary drive.

2. 02

   Choose a separate destination

   Use a suitable trusted external drive, approved network backup or another appropriate backup service. A second partition on the same physical drive is not protection against that drive failing. Ensure the destination has enough capacity.

3. 03

   Check cloud-only content

   Confirm that essential cloud files are available through an account you can still access independently. If you need a local copy for backup, download it through the provider’s supported availability controls and wait for completion.

4. 04

   Use supported backup where appropriate

   Windows File History can protect included libraries and selected folders with versions. Inspect its coverage and destination. Add missing work through an appropriate supported method rather than assuming the word “backup” covers everything.

5. 05

   Test recovery without overwriting

   Restore or copy a sample into a new temporary review folder and open it. Check recent changes as well as old content. Avoid a restore action that overwrites your current work merely to prove the backup exists.

A sync service and a backup have different jobs

Sync makes devices agree. That can include propagating an unwanted deletion or edit. A backup should give you a way back to a known earlier copy. Some cloud products provide version or recycle-bin recovery, but the retention and account access conditions still matter.

Ask one practical question: if this folder were accidentally deleted today, exactly how would I get it back tomorrow? If the answer is uncertain, inspect the service’s recovery options before relying on it. An online-only placeholder is not a verified file on an external drive.

Cover the work that lives inside applications

An exported PDF is not always a substitute for the editable source project. Keep the original documents, associated images and any application-specific project files you need to continue working. Check whether the app has a supported export or migration procedure.

Do not copy credentials into an unprotected text file as part of a hurried backup. Make sure you can sign in to required accounts and access recovery information through your established secure methods. A repaired computer is not useful if your only sign-in route disappeared with it.

Give the repairer clear boundaries

State whether a reset, drive format or replacement is authorised, and require a discussion before an operation that erases data. Explain which problem needs repair without giving unrestricted access to unrelated documents. Follow the repair provider’s intake and privacy guidance.

If the drive shows repeated read errors or suspected physical failure, minimise experimentation and seek qualified recovery advice. Do not repeatedly run aggressive cleanup or repair utilities on the only copy. The safe next step depends on the evidence, not on how confidently a utility promises a fix.