Backing up Your System: What Is The Appropriate Method For Your Computer

As PC users we have to deal with the hardships of owning a sometimes less than stellar rig. For this reason alone our systems tend to die if they are infected with a virus for downloading a bad file, or if space is limited and you simply need to do a memory wipe, these problems will require a system restoration or what I, and others, would call a system reboot. Now before you reboot your system, you have to back up your files because if you do not you will lose everything on that hard drive. Upon backing up your system I am going to name you the files that you will most like need to save depending on your OS.

If you want to save things like pictures, videos, music and Microsoft documents, it is essential that you back up these Windows XP written files: you’re my Documents folder, which should have your pictures, videos, .docs, etc., your desktop which will hold on it very important icons, any application data you have on file, your favorites (Bookmarks) websites etc, and anything else you may need. This should all be locat4d in your in your C:\Documents and settings\login drive on your “My Computer” icon.

Windows Vista is pretty much exactly the same besides a few differences. One slight difference is the location, go to your C:\Users\login and then look for your Documents folder, pictures folder, again your desktop just like with XP, your separate music folder, your contacts like phone contacts etc., save your videos folder, your AppData folder, and once again, your favorites folder.

Backing up your computer every day you acquire a new inquiry of information is a very smart move to make. If you are using the right backup tool it will automatically back up the same files as mentioned above if you have edited them in any way since the first you backed them up so there is no need to re-backup if you make modifications to those files and folders. The same can be said for any newly created files and folders that are added to your designated area C drive.

It is most vital of you once you begin to back up your stuff to completely separate your files from your computer to an external drive. You have no properly backed up anything if you put the files in a location set to be wiped, you need to put them in a drive that isn’t scheduled to be wiped because that’s the only way you’ll successfully save anything at all. If you don’t have a good external drive readily available you are not a loss as there are some websites out there that offer you abundant space at an affordable price to keep your folders safe and secure, you actually could use your email and not pay a thing to store your data but that would a bit more time consuming and I doubt anyone wants to do more work than they bargained for.

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