Backup Basics

Why backup your files?

You can unintentionally lose information on your computer in many ways: a child playing the keyboard like a piano, a power surge, a fire or natural disaster. And sometimes hardware just fails.

If you regularly make backup copies of your files and keep them in a separate place, you can recover some, if not all, of your information in case something happens to the originals.

What to backup

Deciding which information to back up is a personal choice. Anything you cannot easily replace should be at the top of your list. Before you start, make a list of the files you consider priorities. This helps you determine what to back up, and provides a reference list if you need to retrieve a file you have backed up. Here are some files you may want to back up:

• Bank records and other financial information
• Digital photographs
• Software you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
• Music you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
• Personal projects
• Your e-mail address book
• Your Microsoft Outlook calendar
• Your Internet Explorer bookmarks