I’ve had a lot of questions since posting Don’t Loose Your Data about how one goes about backing-up ones personal data.
Fortunately the answer is quite simple.
The first step is to ensure you have something to backup your data to, such as a second hard disk, CD / DVD, or tape. If you don’t, then my suggestion is to buy an external USB or Firewire drive. There is a very good chance the drive will come with a piece of software that will handle the backup for you. If you don’t know what to buy, or are confused by the plethora of products out there, then I suggest the 200GB Maxtor OneTouch III. This is a very simple to install solution, and requires virtually no technical knowledge to setup and use. This drive, and most others, require a USB or Firewire port on your PC to transfer data. If you’re not sure that your PC meets this requirement, take a moment to read through your PC’s documentation.
If your drive doesn’t come with software, or if you already have an extra drive, or, perhaps, you want to backup to CD or DVD, then I suggest a product called BackUp MyPC. This is an easy to use software package that I’ve, personally, been using for a number of years. In addition to its easy to use interface, it’ll backup to just about any media you might have.
If you don’t have hands-on experience adding hardware to your PC, don’t let this intimidate you. Backups are, extremely, important and this is your opportunity to stretch yourself by learning a new skill and being able to say, “I did it myself”!
~GT~