Can you back up your entire hard drive? What are the options for backing up the hard drive?

Answer 1

There is no need to back up the entire hard drive. You only need to back up documents and files that you create. All the rest can be restored by reinstalling the system or doing a recovery.

Windows Vista has a backup utility and I have it back up all my files to a 2 GB memory card. It all happens automatically and I don't worry about it.
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Answer 2

Can you yes, but you don't need to.

The things that consume space on your hard drive are the operating system(and hardware specific drivers), applications, and user data.

Both the operating system and the applications, you should have copies of on the CD they came on.

The only thing that needs to be backed up, because it's not replaceable is user data.

If you understand the file structure on your computer you can manually backup user data onto to another drive.

If you don't understand the file structure then you are better off getting some software specifically to backup up your user data - such as accronis (http://www.acronis.com/), or similar product.

Your another drive can be a CD, DVD, thumb (USB) drive, external USB hard drive, network attached drive or an actual spare HDD in your PC. My recommendation is the external USB drive, they are cheap, easy and fast.

Answer 3

Yes, if you have a big enough backup drive. Such as a second hard drive.

However, you probably don't really want to do that. Just back up the data you want to save and some of the programs. Anything you can get elsewhere (internet downloads, etc), just let it go.

Answer 4

You can create an image, or exact copy of your hd on a second hd using Symantec's Ghost, for example, or any of several other programs that do the same thing. You can back up your HD to tape or cd's or dvd's using Novastor's Novabackup program (the curent version is the 8th), and then you only need a floppy and the tape or perhaps only the cd's or dvd's to restore your system to a new hd.

Answer 5

Yea just make an image of the hard drive using norton ghost or a similar program.

Answer 6

go back is available on xp tack you back to an earlier time If you have a spare hard drive you can buy a hard drive case I,ve one called icy basically you put a hard drive in it and use it as a Hard drive that you can unplug as it is usb

Answer 7

Sure, you can back up as much as you want off your hard drive. :) But it all depends on the back up media you chose. You can back up on several DVDs, on an Internet/network drive or on a separate hard drive. :)

Good luck with it!

Answer 8

Your terrific guess is to contemplate a pair of alternative motives on your laptop working slowly. First, you would be wanting to run "disk cleanup" and "defragment" your gadget using the gadget methods below upload-ons. Having 5000+, or 10K plus archives is not any challenge in any respect. How lots disk area do you have and what form of that's loose? except you're determining of area on your annoying stress, i do no longer see a challenge with inspite of the shown fact that many archives you have. As to courses you do no longer use or want anymore, you will only get rid of them using the upload/get rid of courses in the administration Panel. In any experience, neither thoroughly wiping you annoying stress sparkling (formatting), or compressing you archives is your restoration at this element. once you run the "disk cleanup", you will want the choice to "compress previous archives", and abode windows will try this interior the flexibility of the cleanup. i've got stumbled on from adventure that maximum purchasers do no longer do those habitual upkeep chores, "disk cleanup" and "defrag" oftentimes, and whilst they ***** of a slow gadget, that's the 1st place i glance. in case you have a tendency to forget those issues, set them up as "schedule job" so as that they are going to be executed promptly. additionally, if the above does no longer tutor important progression good away, you would be wanting to seek online for a "registry checker/air purifier." Invalid registry entires could additionally reason your gadget to decelerate. when you freshen up, although, you will desire to be ok. try this in the previous doing something drastic.

Answer 9

If there aren't a lot of gbs then you can just copy it to dvds. But isf there is a lot of files then you should compress it. It can do special backup software. I prefer True Image, easy-in-use and works great.

Answer 10

You can use the free Mozy to backup your personal data online securely. Is an install and forget software; it will keep the backup uptodate with no action.

Use this link to get 2.25 Gb for free for your backups:
https://mozy.com/?code=94HW8M

I am using for many months and is very good.