How to: Backup your Facebook account

You may have not noticed it, but after a few months using Facebook on a regular basis your profile page contains valuable information about yourself: your activities, your hobbies, your friends. This is why it’s not a bad idea to backup your Facebook account, just in case. Luckily Facebook has implemented a tool to easily download a complete backup copy of your profile. Simply follow these four steps:

1. Log in to your Facebook profile and go to Account > Account Settings. Then select the Download Your Information option.

2. You’ll get an informative message that explains how the tool works and how to take proper care of your data once you’ve downloaded the file. Hit the green Download button and Facebook will start generating a backup copy of your whole  account, since you joined the network. As this process may take a long time – depending on how much information you’ve uploaded to your profile – just leave Facebook working on it in the background and move on to something else.

3. Once the backup copy is ready, Facebook will alert you by email. Then all you need to do is click the link included in the message and get the file. Before you can download it, Facebook will ask you for your password for extra security.

4. You’ll download a ZIP archive containing an index.html file and a couple of folders, named Html and Photos respectively. There’s also a TXT file with the exact date when you downloaded the backup. Just open the index.html file on any browser, and you’ll be able to comfortably browse your Facebook profile, including updates on your wall, notes, photos, events and messages.

The Facebook backup feature is not only a handy tool to have a copy of all your information, but also a fun way to review your life during the past few months.

(Via OnsSoftware ES)