Cloud backup or external harddrive.

iCloud is not intended to the used like a Time Machine Backup and / or a Storage like an external drive for archiving purposes.

I misunderstood that archiving part. My apologies.

I haven't used the cloud. I back on an external hard drive. I have found my backup has not been working due to the drive format. Then I dropped my laptop. What I'd like to do is purchase some cloud as I have 2G. I can format my ex. drive and download to new laptop. Is that going to work for me? I will be wiping my old laptop.

I don't think I made myself clear. Even I didn't get it. I do use Time Machine to an external hard drive. The last complete backup was July although I have backed up multiple times. I don't know why it stopped working. My son said, go to the cloud for backup. I don't use icloud on any devices. I don't use my phone for anything but a phone. No email, ect. I get way too much email to deal with it on my phone. I do text.

I'm trying to get to a point where I feel safe to format the external hard drive without fear of not having my laptop backed up. Saving to the cloud was my thought of a solution. I initially was preparing to upgrade to Monterey. Now I have a laptop that I'm not sure is sound. I am going to take it in for a checkup. I think the hard drive is fine. I think I really messed up the audio beyond repair. It's a 2013 and has been a trooper. It's time for a new one. I don't want to have to buy yet another ex.HD. I just want my data safe other than on my LT while I format the ex.HD. If I put all data on the cloud and then wipe my LT, am I going to lose my cloud data when there is no longer a LT to sync to. Will I be able to download my data from the cloud to my new LT or am I tied to only an ex. HD. I will also be putting that data onto my desktop and it will be partitioned for Windows as well as iOS. I hope this is more clear than that first response. My husband is on Windows and said, backup to the cloud and you won't have any problems. That is where I initially thought of the cloud as a backup option.

I do use Time Machine with my external HD. Apparently not having it formatted correctly, it only worked till July. Now, I am stuck in Covid Fog right now but somewhere in my brain, I think I may have changed the Time Machine from data encrypted to n encrypted as I got a message on the start of a new backup. It said to the effect, you are trying to back up encrypted data on a non-encrypted device. That is a Covid fog thought and could not be worded as it should be. I had to get help from my darling husband to get the work encrypted. I pray this is temporary and my brain will recover. (I've heard some people don't.) AUGH!!!!! Run Forest! Run!

Thank you very much for your information. I appreciate your help. I have a feeling I will be on the phone with Apple trying to set up this desktop. Getting old ain't for sissies.