ICanHelp.com Customer Support -- Tech Note #8
What to backup
Why should I backup?
Applies to: Win 95, Win98, XP, 2000
Last updated:
Saturday October 06, 2007.
SUMMARY What files should I backup?
The first action item on the list of backup needs assessment is ascertaining
what data you’re planning to back up. The occupants of your hard drive can be
divided up into your operating system, your applications, and your own data.
Your data can be anything that you’ve added to your system - Word files, Excel
spreadsheets, Photoshop images, MP3s, etc..
It’s basically anything that you can’t replace from a CD or easily
download from the Web.
As you peruse your hard drive, you can take stock of your personal data and
gauge how much size it takes up when glommed together. Most of us have
more of this “stuff” than will fit on even hundreds of floppy disks or perhaps even
multiple CD-Rs, so it’s important to note how much backup room you’ll need. In
general, you’ll want to backup to a location with twice as much space as you
currently need, giving you room to grow without having to change your backup
strategy.
When you’re creating your list of important files, don’t forget e-mails, address
books, Web site bookmarks, and anything else that you’ve added to or
changed on your system. You can use the Windows Find tool to search for
errant .doc or .xls files that may not have settled into your My Documents
folder. Browse through your Program Files—a lot of applications save your
creations in their own folders. Consider all the possible information that’s on
your system and what it would take to get it back to its former state. Make
sure you have the dialup number for your ISP, for example, as well as login
information for Web sites that may be saved as cookies in your browser’s folder.
And don’t forget the Registry. Backing up the Registry frequently can save you
a lot of headaches if something goes wrong. In Windows 98 and ME, use
RegEdit to create a backup copy of the Registry. With Windows 2000, you can
use the Backup utility to save the Registry. And in Windows XP, use the export
option in the Registry Editor.
You can create a backup folder on your hard drive that contains copies of all
the files that you back up—this will make it easier to transfer them to your
backup media on schedule. And most backup software keeps tabs on your
personal files and will move only the ones that have changed.
Note: It is important to remember that the question is.... When will my hard drive crash? NOT IF my hard drive will crash!!
Back up your critical data SOMEHOW and frequently!
