Disk space, backup configuration, restore verification and recovery media. Everything here exists so that the data and the machine can be brought back.
Common failure modes
- A backup configured once and never restored from
- A disk so full that updates can no longer install
- One copy, on one device, in one building
- Recovery media written years ago and never started from
- A backup target that has been unplugged for months
Procedures
- How to set up Time Machine on a Mac to back up to an external hard drive
- How to set up automatic backups on Windows 11 to an external hard drive with File History
- How to free up space on the C drive in Windows 11 and Windows 10 when it says low disk space
Where this stops
Recovery from a failing disk needs a data recovery service, and every further attempt to use that disk reduces what the service can retrieve.