What is the difference between a backup and an archive?
Backups exist to recover from a failure: a lost device, a bad delete, a corrupted file. Archives exist to retire things without deleting them. A backup of an archive is wise; an archive used as a backup is a mistake.
What matters here
- Backups protect against loss, archives protect against clutter
- Backups should be automatic, archives are a decision
- A backup you have never restored is unproven
- Archives can be compressed, backups cannot
- Both need a place off the original device
What makes a backup real
Three things: it is automatic, it is off the device, and you have restored from it at least once. Miss any of those and you have a copy that may or may not work on the day it matters.
What an archive is for
Finished projects, old notes, past years. Archiving keeps the working space readable without destroying history, and it is a judgement call rather than a safety mechanism.
Where Prysm Note fits
Notes and tasks are stored server side when hosted, so the recovery question is different from a local file. If you self-host, backups are entirely your responsibility and worth setting up before you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Keep reading
- Why does planning take so long?Planning takes hours when it is really three jobs at once: cleaning the backlog, deciding priorities and scheduling. Separating them makes each one short.
- How to summarize a meeting transcriptA useful summary of a transcript is decisions, owners and open questions. Everything else is what a search function is for.
- How to keep a gift listA gift list works when ideas are captured all year and each one names the person and the occasion. A list of links without names is a wish list.
Turn talk into a plan
Capture a thought in plain language and let Prysm Note shape it into tasks and a timeline.
Disclaimer
This page is general information, not professional, legal, financial or medical advice. It describes common ways of working and how Prysm Note approaches them. Software changes over time, so details may differ from what you see in the product. Any product, company or brand names that appear are the property of their respective owners and are used only for identification. We do not claim any endorsement or affiliation. Where we compare approaches, we aim to describe each one honestly, including where a different approach may suit you better. Try the tools that matter to you and judge for yourself.