Backing up files is important because well you don't want to lose them.
There are multiple ways of doing this and I will go through some of them with you.
Depending on how much you want to spend, how much time you have, how much you have to back up, or how much you know, each will come into play.
Solution #1: Flash Drive Use: For smaller backups Price: Inexpensive ($10+) Ease of use: 3 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: Flash drives are small, portable devices that plug right into your USB port.
Great for traveling.
If you don't have a lot of files to backup then these are great and inexpensive.
You can get a 1GB for around $12 or so and they go up to 8GB for around $90.
I guess there is also a 16GB one out but who knows the price.
Anyway, to install it's as easy as plugging it into your USB port and waiting for Windows to recognize it.
It will show up as a new "Removable Drive" under My Computer.
Double click it and it will open the folder.
Drag and drop any files you want to backup to here.
Unplug it when your done.
That's it! All your files are now on your small USB drive, share with a friend or keep in a safe place.
Solution #2: Burning DVD/CD Use: For smaller backups Price: Really Inexpensive ($12+ for 50pk of DVD-R, $9+ for 50pk CD-R) Ease of use: 6 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: DVDs hold 4.
7GB of data, CDs hold 700MB of data.
Depending on how much data, choose the right one you need.
Most computers will come with a burning software.
I recommend using Nero.
Make sure you have a DVD/CD burner installed.
Put in your blank CD or DVD.
Nero has a "Smart Start" feature that opens and you choose which type of burn you would like to do.
Usually for backing up data, you make a data disc.
Go to the next step and it will bring up a window, click add files and start adding what you want backed up.
Click next when finished, name your CD under Title, and let it burn! When it's done, eject it and store it somewhere safe.
That's the basics.
Solution #3: External Hard Drive Use: Larger Backups Price: Reasonable (250GB under $100, 500GB around $120, they make other sizes as well) Ease of use: 3 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: This works the same as way as the USB drive.
The external hard drive is hooked up with a USB cable and usually a power cable.
So plug both in.
It will automatically recognize this in Windows and once again show up in My Computer.
Open the folder, drag and drop.
This is a great way to store lots of files, full backups, videos, music, games, etc.
Easily fits in a bag and you can carry it when you travel.
Awesome! Solution #4: Ghost software Use: Duplicating a full drive Price: Reasonable around $60 Ease of use: 6 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: Ghosting software such as Norton Ghost can duplicate a full hard drive onto another, backup files and folders, etc.
It is a lot easier to use now than it was before.
Built in wizards to help people backup their files easily.
If you want to spend the money and don't know how to copy files onto a drive or burn CDs I guess this would work for you.
Floppy's and Zips: I won't talk about these because they are pretty much not used anymore except for some older PCs and restore sessions.
That's about it for the general backup solutions.
There are multiple ways of doing this and I will go through some of them with you.
Depending on how much you want to spend, how much time you have, how much you have to back up, or how much you know, each will come into play.
Solution #1: Flash Drive Use: For smaller backups Price: Inexpensive ($10+) Ease of use: 3 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: Flash drives are small, portable devices that plug right into your USB port.
Great for traveling.
If you don't have a lot of files to backup then these are great and inexpensive.
You can get a 1GB for around $12 or so and they go up to 8GB for around $90.
I guess there is also a 16GB one out but who knows the price.
Anyway, to install it's as easy as plugging it into your USB port and waiting for Windows to recognize it.
It will show up as a new "Removable Drive" under My Computer.
Double click it and it will open the folder.
Drag and drop any files you want to backup to here.
Unplug it when your done.
That's it! All your files are now on your small USB drive, share with a friend or keep in a safe place.
Solution #2: Burning DVD/CD Use: For smaller backups Price: Really Inexpensive ($12+ for 50pk of DVD-R, $9+ for 50pk CD-R) Ease of use: 6 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: DVDs hold 4.
7GB of data, CDs hold 700MB of data.
Depending on how much data, choose the right one you need.
Most computers will come with a burning software.
I recommend using Nero.
Make sure you have a DVD/CD burner installed.
Put in your blank CD or DVD.
Nero has a "Smart Start" feature that opens and you choose which type of burn you would like to do.
Usually for backing up data, you make a data disc.
Go to the next step and it will bring up a window, click add files and start adding what you want backed up.
Click next when finished, name your CD under Title, and let it burn! When it's done, eject it and store it somewhere safe.
That's the basics.
Solution #3: External Hard Drive Use: Larger Backups Price: Reasonable (250GB under $100, 500GB around $120, they make other sizes as well) Ease of use: 3 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: This works the same as way as the USB drive.
The external hard drive is hooked up with a USB cable and usually a power cable.
So plug both in.
It will automatically recognize this in Windows and once again show up in My Computer.
Open the folder, drag and drop.
This is a great way to store lots of files, full backups, videos, music, games, etc.
Easily fits in a bag and you can carry it when you travel.
Awesome! Solution #4: Ghost software Use: Duplicating a full drive Price: Reasonable around $60 Ease of use: 6 (1-10, 1 being easy, 10 being hard) Description: Ghosting software such as Norton Ghost can duplicate a full hard drive onto another, backup files and folders, etc.
It is a lot easier to use now than it was before.
Built in wizards to help people backup their files easily.
If you want to spend the money and don't know how to copy files onto a drive or burn CDs I guess this would work for you.
Floppy's and Zips: I won't talk about these because they are pretty much not used anymore except for some older PCs and restore sessions.
That's about it for the general backup solutions.