Most people find it useful to store important documents and information on their computer. But keeping everything in only one place can be risky. To avoid losing all of your important documents in a catastrophe, you should duplicate the information on your computer and copy it to a secondary source. That way, should your computer crash or become irrevocably damaged in a flood or fire, you can restore most (if not all) of the data.

Storage Devices

To back up the information on your hard drive, you will first need a secondary storage device where you can copy the information. Examples include external hard drives, CDs, DVDs, a flash drive or an online storage service.

How to Back Up Files

A basic way to back up files is through copying and pasting. Locate the file you wish to duplicate, right-click on it and select "Copy." Then, go into Computer in Windows Explorer, locate the drive where you wish to copy the file, right-click on it and select "Paste." This will transfer copies of the original file to the backup source. If your files are stored in folders, you can copy an entire folder and transfer it and all of its contents to the backup source. You can also select multiple files and folders by holding down the "CTRL" key while clicking on each file/folder. Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 offer backup tools that can do most of the work for you and allow you to schedule backup times. You can also upload files to an online storage service, such as SugarSync or Mozy. Most services charge a monthly fee.

What to Back Up

Some examples of data you should consider saving in a secondary location include music and software downloaded from the Internet, bank and financial statements, digital photos, home videos, projects, address books and website bookmarks.

Extra Protection

Consider backing up your files to multiple storage devices for added security. Store the backup device in a different location than your computer, in case the location is compromised by fire or flooding. Additionally, you can place the backup copies in a safe deposit box.

Source:

Microsoft: Backing Up---What, How, Where

More Information:

Top Ten Reviews: Online Storage Services