One of the great things about the Raspberry Pi is how you can use it for ‘disposable computing’ - do a project one day for it, and then just wipe everything and start again. You don’t always have to care about the files and such on the SD card so it doesn’t matter when you put a fresh Raspbian on there.

Sometimes though, you need something a bit more permanent. This means you’ll have files on there you want to keep safe and this is where backing up comes in.

There are many ways to back up your Raspberry Pi and Raspbian, but there are two easy and important methods everyone should know: keeping a copy of your files on another computer, and creating a complete clone of your SD card. We’ve got guides for both methods in our latest video.

Keep an eye out for the next issue of The MagPi, coming next week on Thursday 27 July for more tips on keeping your Raspberry Pi and Raspbian install safe and running perfectly.

Subscribe and never miss an issue

Get a a brand new Raspberry Pi Zero W, a case for it, and a selection of adapter cables with a twelve-month print subscription to The MagPi!