Do you have important electronic files that you want to keep but don’t know how to back them up? Is the conventional storage such as DVDs and external hard drives just not good enough?  Maybe you want to ensure that your files are 100% secure against damage, theft or unauthorized access and your home simply doesn’t provide that kind of protection.

In this case, you need something like a bank – an online storage solution. There are services that offer storage for electronic files on the Web, such as Microsoft’s OneDrive, where you can store up to 5Gb of data for free, or 50 Gb for $2.00 a month (or even 1TB for $9.00 a month)! If you want to find a safe place for your digital photos, videos, important documents and sensitive data that no one except you should see (and people you select), then OneDrive is the ideal solution. It’s great for everything that you have to store safely and cannot leave at home.

OneDrive works like a safe deposit box, but for electronic data instead of physical items. To use the service, all you have to do is sign up (as you would when you open an email account) or use your existing Windows LIVE ID, upload your files for safe keeping, and that’s it. From now on, you can access them through the Internet, wherever you go. No need to carry USB memory sticks or DVDs when you travel if you have access to the Internet.

This is also handy when you simply don’t have enough space on your computer. Just send the files to your online storage and access them anytime. You can even share your files with other Windows LIVE users if you want.

Article updated in March 2016.