3-2-1 Backups for Real People: Laptop, Photos, Kids’ School Stuff

3-2-1 Backups for Real People: Laptop, Photos, Kids’ School Stuff

ByEvan Parker

Let’s be real: most backup advice out there sounds like it’s written for IT departments or that one friend who runs their own mini data center in the basement. The rest of us? We’ve got laptops, a tangled pile of chargers, a cloud account or two, and an ever-growing folder of family photos and school PDFs that we’d actually like to keep. If you’ve ever lost a hard drive or had a child “accidentally” delete their science fair project, you know the pain.

Why the 3-2-1 Backup Rule Still Works (Even If You’re Not a Geek)

The 3-2-1 rule is basically the golden retriever of data safety: loyal, reliable, and easy to understand. Here’s the deal:

  • 3 copies of anything you care about
  • On 2 different types of storage
  • With 1 copy offsite (not in your house)

*No need for rack servers or RAID arrays. If you’ve got a laptop and a phone, you can do this. I run this setup for my own family (two adults, two kids, thousands of photos, and a few too many Minecraft worlds). It’s kept us sane through moves, broken laptops, and “oops, I formatted the SD card.”*

What Needs Backing Up? (Spoiler: It’s Not Just Photos)

Here’s a quick list of what’s worth protecting in most households:

  • Laptop files (documents, downloads, projects)
  • Family photos and videos (phones, cameras, shared albums)
  • Kids’ school stuff (essays, scanned worksheets, art, science projects)
  • Important PDFs (taxes, medical, insurance, travel itineraries, etc.)
  • Password manager database (if you use one)

Sometimes the “boring” files are the hardest to replace! I once spent two days hunting down a lost PDF of my daughter’s birth certificate. Never again.

My Actual 3-2-1 Family Backup Plan (No Tech Overload)

Let’s break it down into real-world steps you can do in about fifteen minutes per week — or less, if you automate the boring parts.

Step 1: Local Copy on an External SSD

What I use: A 2TB Samsung T7 SSD (not sponsored, just rock-solid). It’s small, fast, and fits in a pocket.

  1. Once a week, plug it into your laptop.
  2. Copy over the folders you care about (Documents, Photos, School, etc.).
  3. If you’re on Mac, use Time Machine — set it and forget it. Windows? File History or Macrium Reflect Free does the trick.

Pro tip: Put a sticky note on your desk — “Backup Friday!” — or schedule a recurring calendar event. The key is consistency, not perfection.

Step 2: Cloud Backup for the “Oh No” Moments

Cloud backup isn’t the same as cloud sync (like Google Drive or iCloud). A real backup tool lets you roll back to yesterday, last week, or last month — not just the latest version.

  • Backblaze — $7/month per computer, unlimited data, dead simple. I use it for my main laptop and my wife’s MacBook.
  • iDrive — A bit more complex, but great for multiple devices (including phones).

Set it up once, let it run in the background. Check monthly to make sure it’s still working (there’s usually a dashboard).

What about Google Drive/OneDrive/iCloud?

They’re awesome for sharing and syncing, but don’t count on them as your only backup. If you delete a file everywhere, it’s gone everywhere. Use them as extra insurance, not your single parachute.

Step 3: Offsite Copy — The “If the House Floods” Plan

Here’s where almost everyone drops the ball. But it’s easier than you think:

  • Have a second SSD or encrypted USB stick with your important stuff.
  • Once a month, update it, then stash it somewhere else — a parent’s house, a friend you trust, or even a locked drawer at work.
  • If you travel, bring it along in your backpack. I keep ours in a fireproof pouch in the car when we’re on the road.

For advanced folks, you can automate encrypted backups to cloud storage like Amazon S3 or Wasabi using Arq Backup or Duplicati. But honestly, a simple SSD in a safe place covers 99% of real-world disasters.

Actually Restoring Stuff: The Forgotten Step

Backing up is only half the battle. Restoring files matters more. Here’s my rule: every few months, do a “restore drill.”

  • Pick one random file from your backup drive and your cloud service.
  • Delete it locally (after verifying your backup copy exists!).
  • Restore it from backup. Time yourself. Was it easy? If not, tweak your system.

My son once asked, “Dad, if our house burned down, could you still get my Minecraft world back?” I restored it in under ten minutes. He was impressed. So was I.

Printable 3-2-1 Family Backup Checklist

Task Frequency Tool/Service Done?
Plug in & back up to SSD Weekly Time Machine / File History / Copy & Paste □
Check cloud backup dashboard Monthly Backblaze / iDrive □
Update offsite SSD/USB Monthly Manual Copy □
Test restore (random file) Quarterly Any backup source □
Review kids’ school files Monthly Copy to backup folders □
Export password manager backup Quarterly 1Password/Bitwarden/etc. □

Favorite Tools & Links

Remember, the best backup is the one that actually exists when you need it. Don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “done.”

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