The Complete Backup Checklist Before You Wipe Your Laptop

Why I Wrote This

I’ve wiped machines before. Sometimes on purpose. Sometimes because Windows decided it was time. Every single time, there’s that moment of “wait, did I…?” and then the slow realization that no, you did not.

This is the checklist I wish I had. Not some generic “backup your files” advice. An actual list of everything that will make you want to throw your new setup out the window if you forget it.

The Obvious Stuff (That People Still Forget)

1. Personal Files

These are the files you actually care about:

Documents - PDFs, notes, random text files with ideas
Photos and videos - Screenshots, screen recordings, that one meme you saved in 2019
Downloads folder - Yeah, it’s mostly garbage. But sometimes there’s gold in there. Check it.

2. Code and Work Projects

If you’re reading this, you probably code. Don’t lose your work.

All project folders - Every single one
Git repos that aren’t pushed - This is the big one. Run git status on everything. If there’s uncommitted work, push it or lose it
.env files - These are never in git (hopefully). They’re always forgotten. They’re always painful to recreate
Local scripts - That random Python script you wrote to automate something? Yeah, back that up
Cron jobs - If you set up scheduled tasks, export them

Credentials and Secrets

This is where most developers mess up. I’ve been there.

3. SSH Keys

# Your SSH keys live here
~/.ssh/

If you lose your SSH keys:

Can’t push to GitHub/GitLab
Can’t SSH into your servers
Have to regenerate and update everything

Copy the entire ~/.ssh folder. All of it.

4. Other Secrets

GPG keys - If you sign commits
API keys stored locally - Check your project folders, check your environment variables
Cloud credentials - .aws, .azure, .gcloud folders
Password manager export - If it’s not cloud-synced, export it

Browser Data

You’d be surprised how much of your life lives in your browser.

5. Everything in Chrome/Firefox/Whatever

If your browser isn’t synced to an account, you need to manually backup:

Bookmarks - Export them
Saved passwords - Export or make sure they’re synced
Extensions list - Screenshot your extensions page. You will forget what you had installed
Extension configs - Some extensions have their own settings to export
Open tabs - I know you have 47 tabs open “for later”. Save them

Developer-Specific Stuff

This is the section that will save you days of setup time.

6. Package Managers and Toolchains

Rebuilding your dev environment from scratch is painful. Document what you have:

# List global npm packages
npm list -g --depth=0 > npm-global-packages.txt

# List pip packages
pip freeze > requirements.txt

# List brew packages (Mac)
brew list > brew-packages.txt

# List apt packages (Linux/WSL)
apt list --installed > apt-packages.txt

Also backup:

Node versions - If you use nvm, note which versions you have
Python virtualenvs - At least export the requirements
Go env - Your $GOPATH and any custom settings
Rust/Cargo - ~/.cargo folder

7. Editor and IDE Configs

Your editor is probably customized exactly how you like it. Don’t lose that.

VS Code:

settings.json
keybindings.json
Snippets folder
Extensions list (Settings Sync extension helps here)

Terminal:

.bashrc or .zshrc
.gitconfig
Any custom aliases

Vim users:

.vimrc
Plugin configurations

8. Databases and Local Services

If you run anything locally:

Database dumps - Export your Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB data
Docker volumes - These contain data that doesn’t exist anywhere else
Docker images - List what you have: docker images
docker-compose files - These should be in your project folders, but double-check

The Stuff Everyone Forgets

9. Communication and Notes

Slack/Discord exports - If you need local backups
Email archives - Local Outlook/Thunderbird data
Notes apps - Obsidian vaults, Notion exports (if not cloud), random markdown files

10. Licenses and Software

License keys - For paid software you own
Offline installers - That software you downloaded from a sketchy site that no longer exists
Custom builds - Anything you compiled yourself

The Nuclear Option: Full System Backup

If you want to be completely safe:

11. Full Disk Image

Before wiping, create a complete backup of your drive. If you missed something, you can always pull it from the image.

Use Windows Backup, Time Machine (Mac), or Clonezilla
Store it on an external SSD/HDD
Keep a cloud copy if possible

Two copies minimum. One copy is not a backup - it’s a prayer.

Where To Store Your Backups

External SSD or HDD - Fast, portable, reliable
Cloud storage - Google Drive, Dropbox, S3, whatever works
Another computer - If you have one

Rule: If your backup exists in only one place, it doesn’t really exist.

Before You Wipe: The Final Check

Go through these questions honestly:

Can I rebuild my dev environment without panicking? - Do you have your dotfiles, package lists, and configs?
Are my secrets accessible? - SSH keys, API keys, credentials - can you get to them after the wipe?
Have I tested the backup? - Can you actually open these files on another machine?

If you answered “no” or “I think so” to any of these - you’re not ready yet. Go back and fix it.

My Backup Strategy

Here’s what I actually do:

Dotfiles repo - All my config files are in a git repo. .zshrc, .gitconfig, VS Code settings - all version controlled
Cloud sync - Documents and important files live in cloud storage
GitHub - All code that matters is pushed
Password manager - All credentials in one place, cloud-synced
External drive - Full backup before any major change

It’s not perfect, but I haven’t lost anything important in years.

Conclusion

Wiping a laptop should be liberating, not terrifying. The difference is preparation.

Take an hour. Go through this list. Back up everything. Then wipe with confidence.

Future you will thank current you. Trust me on this one.

Got something I missed? Hit me up on Twitter.