Backups

A backup is a copy of your important data. This includes documents, pictures, videos, presentations, spreadsheets, e-mail, contacts, and the like. You can back up in various ways, by using backup software or by simply dragging and dropping data from your computer to an external or network drive. You can even burn data to DVDs or save data to SD memory cards or USB flash drives. I prefer a combination of backing up using backup software (once a week) and dragging and dropping (every day).

Developing a regular backup procedure with backup software is a must, not only because it will keep you from losing valuable data but because it will save you from losing all the setup information and critical programs that are essential to the operation of your computer. As you’ll learn in this book, creating backups on a regular basis using proper procedures will allow you to quickly get your machine back up and running in the event you suffer a major setback, such as a hard drive crash.