Backing Up...
Backing up your computer's data is like having insurance...however most folks don’t, it's either too difficult, too time consuming, or we just don't know how to. Hard disk drive crashes, or computer crashes happen with no warning, kind of like an earthquake, so the best practice is to be prepared. If you are a Windows user, you have a built in 'Backup' utility courtesy of our friends in Redmond Washington…(Microsoft HQ). The Windows 'Backup' tool is wizard driven, and quite easy to set up.
The "Backup" utility is not included in the default installation of Windows XP Home Edition. The following is the Microsoft link for the procedure to install "Backup". http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q302894
To access the Backup Utility, go to the start button, then up to Programs, then over to Accessories, then over to System Tools, then to Backup. Here you will launch the wizard by clicking next. The next thing you want to do is Backup Files and Settings. Clicking Next will ask you if you want to backup all information on the computer, or to let me choose what to back up. You probably don't need to back up all information on the computer, as most space on your hard drive is the programs you've loaded, and since you have the CDs you purchased.....right?!?....you don't need to back these up, you just need to back up the personal data.
Choose 'let me choose' and you will see a directory tree of your computer. Most people store their personal data in My Documents folder, so you should check this box. If you’re an Internet User, and you have a bunch of Favorites you’d like to keep, back these up as well. To do this, and if you’re reading our computer tips, open up your Firefox browser, and go to Bookmarks, Manage Bookmarks, and then when the Bookmarks Manager window opens, go to File, Export, and choose a file name, be sure to choose file type of HTML, and please save this in My Documents folder. If you’re running Internet Explorer by Microsoft, then open IE and go to File, Import and Export, and follow the wizard to export your favorites to a directory such as C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents.
You might have other programs that store data in their own directory, like a Palm Pilot, or Quicken. Again, you don't have to backup the program, just the personal data, but if you’re not quite sure which are the program files, and which are your personal data, then just back up the whole directory. Another directory you'll probably want to back up is your mail file. If you're using Outlook Express, these files are located in: My Computer, C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\Microsoft\Outlook Express. If you are the only one using this computer, you’ll see the above directory structure, if there are multiple persons logging in and using the computer, then you may need to go to each ‘user’ and drill into each Outlook Express to back up all the mail, and folders in their Outlook Express mail program. Remember, if you’re not sure, then just back up the whole thing. C:\Documents and Settings\ and back it all up! It won’t hurt anything, you’ll just have it all this way. If you do it the way I mentioned earlier, then you can back up JUST your mail files, and NOT the temporary Internet files, cookies, histories, etc. which basically takes up LOADS of space.
Once you’ve chosen all the files you want to back up, then choose a file name and where to back them up. A good rule of thumb is to back up regularly to a “Backup” directory on your hard disk drive, then every 3 or 4 months, back these files up to a DVD, or CD, or whatever external media you have.
Now all that’s left is to click start back up and you’re done! If you ever do loose something you can refer back to the .bkf file to retrieve what you lost, or, if you loose your entire hard drive, you can always pull out the CD, or DVD with the backup files you’ve done last, and worst case scenario is you’ve only lost 3 or 4 months of data, not everything!
