| The computer that you use has a hard drive in it, | | | | to both hard drives simultaneously, so when something |
| which stores everything that you put on it, plus all the | | | | happens to one there will always be the other one to |
| settings that you prefer. You can then imagine how | | | | fall back on. |
| difficult it would be if you were to lose all of your data | | | | The final way to make a copy of your hard drive is to |
| and have to set everything back up again. That is why | | | | backup everything individually yourself. This is of |
| a full hard drive backup is the preferred method of | | | | course the hardest and most time consuming strategy, |
| data backup, because every last bit of data is stored | | | | but is preferred by some experts, because you can |
| and not even your daylight savings time preference will | | | | choose what to save. If you do use this method, you |
| be forgotten. There are many ways to make a | | | | need to make sure you back up your registry files, |
| perfect mirror image of your hard drive, and some are | | | | system files and other important files and folders that |
| better then others. Let's talk about the various | | | | you have. You might also want to save your entire |
| strategies and find out what will best suit you. | | | | software program folders, as they might contain |
| The first way to make a perfect copy of your hard | | | | important data related to the program that you want |
| drive, quickly and seamlessly, is to use good hard drive | | | | to definitely save. If you are using Windows XP, there |
| image software. A great example of this type of | | | | is a backup utility that you can use for free, located in |
| software is True Image from Acronis, which is | | | | your "System tools" folder. Go there by clicking "Start" |
| complete imaging software that helps anyone make a | | | | on your bottom toolbar, then go to "All Programs", and |
| perfect image of their hard drive and save it | | | | then "Accessories". You should now see a folder |
| anywhere, even the hard drive if they want to. Of | | | | labeled "System tools" and once that is open, click on |
| course there are also many other types of software | | | | the "Backup" program. |
| on the market, and all are just as unique too. Just be | | | | Now that you have gotten some ideas on how to |
| sure to choose a good one, because if you don't, it | | | | create a perfect backup of your hard drive, you should |
| could end up being the biggest mistake you ever made | | | | know where to save that backup. There is always the |
| on your computer. | | | | option to save your hard drive image backup on the |
| If you are a little more technically inclined, and have | | | | hard drive itself, but most likely this will not work for |
| some knowledge of installing computer parts, then you | | | | everyone because of space limitations. Also, if the |
| could always use the RAID method. RAID, which | | | | hard drive should be literally destroyed by a fire, |
| stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, | | | | tornado or some other act of nature, then the backup |
| requires you to install another new hard drive and can | | | | would be destroyed with it. That is why I recommend |
| be used to make a perfect mirror image of your | | | | backups, especially hard drive images, be stored on a |
| current hard drive, which will always be up to date by | | | | DVD-R, external hard drive or a device like a Zip drive. |
| the second. There are many different levels to RAID, | | | | Then just be sure to backup once every week, or |
| but if you were using it for hard drive backup | | | | month, and store the backup in a secure location. Now |
| purposes, you would use level 1. Level one is called | | | | you have a perfect copy of ALL of your data, and it is |
| disk mirroring or duplexing, and this level will write data | | | | secure from this dangerous world. |