Backing up isn't hard to do
Once I got started, I discovered that backing up
the files on my computer wasn’t complicated or time consuming. All I
did was start the wizard and decide where to save the backup, what type
of files to back up, and when the backup should happen. Windows Vista took care of the rest.
To start a backup, click the Start button 
, click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, click Backup and Restore Center, and then click Back up files.
, click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, click Backup and Restore Center, and then click Back up files.Note
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If you are asked for a password or permission to continue when following the steps above, type your password or provide permission.
Choose a safe place for your files
Your first decision is where to save the
backups. Your options are saving them to a CD or DVD, another hard disk,
or a network location. Before deciding, consider the following:
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CD or DVD. This is an inexpensive option for storing backups somewhere safe, but might require multiple discs depending on the amount of information you back up. This option also requires you to check on the backup periodically in case you need to insert another disc into the computer after the previous one is full.
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Another hard disk. This means saving backups to a second internal hard disk installed on your computer or to an external hard disk connected by a USB cable. This option is more expensive than using a CD or DVD, but a hard disk can store many more files.
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A network location. If you have a home network, you can save backups to a shared folder, such as the Public folder. If you want to back up files on your work computer, you might be able to save the backup to a location on your corporate network.
Since I had a lot of files to back up and don't
have a home network, I decided to save my backups to an external hard
drive. Luckily, I bought a 250 gigabyte (GB) external hard drive for
under a hundred dollars about three months ago for just this purpose. I
connected the external hard drive to the computer, selected it from the
list in the wizard, and then clicked Next.
What's important to you?
The next step is deciding what to save. In Windows Vista,
you can choose what to back up by selecting the check box next to
specific file types. By default, all of the file types are selected,
including pictures, music, videos, e-mail messages, documents, TV shows,
compressed files, and all other file types.
However, because I never save videos or e-mail
messages to my computer, I decided to limit the file types that were
backed up. My highest priorities were photos of my family and friends,
my entire digitized CD collection, and all of the short stories I wrote.
I selected the check boxes for pictures, music, and documents, and then
clicked Next.
Schedule regular backups
The final step is to set a schedule for when Windows Vista /7 /8 automatically backs up your files.
I decided that backing up once a month was
probably sufficient for my home computer. If this were my work computer,
I might schedule backups more frequently, like once a week. I scheduled
the backup for the last day of the month at 3:00 A.M., and then clicked
Save settings and start backup.
The first time you back up your computer, Windows creates a new, full backup. Any subsequent backups are incremental—that is, only new or changed files are backed up.
In case of an emergency, please return to the Backup and Restore Center
After creating my backup, I immediately felt
better. I know that if something happens to any of the files on my
computer, I just need to return to the Backup and Restore Center, click Restore files,
choose the date of the backup, find and add all of the files and
folders I want to restore, designate where I want to save those files,
and then click Start restore.
The great thing is that because I scheduled
automatic backups, I don’t have to worry about finding the time to back
up my computer again. .
