We’ve often recommended the 3-2-1 strategy of backing up files, and that advice still holds true – though some experts now prefer 3-2-2 (see box on opposite page). To recap, it means you should create 3 versions of your data (the original and two copies); store the copies on 2 different drives; and keep 1 copy of this drive ‘off-site’ in a different physical location to the original data (ie, not in your home) – to protect against disasters like fire, floods and theft.
But you can still make many storage mistakes even within that 3-2-1 method. It doesn’t matter how many copies you create if they’re all in formats or on devices that are becoming obsolete. None of the mistakes we explain here will vapourise your videos overnight, but they all increase the chances of
