backing up a computer

[The Flying Tench]

A few years ago someone told me I should back up my computer in case I lost my data, and I dutifully bought an external disk. But I couldn't work out what to do, and I'm ashamed to say it's been stuck on the shelf for 3 years! Can anyone tell me what to do? I have Microsoft 10.

 

Thanks

[Angus T]

Hello!

To back up data, you copy all of your user files on to an external disk. You will most likely save all of you files to: 'My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music '. To back these up, go to 'My Documents' then copy everything in this file to the external hard drive. Do this for the other 3 mentioned locations - and anywhere else you save the files. Then you are all backed up! Please ask if you need anymore help

 

~ Angus

[wotnobivvy]

The main thing is to identify your data and where it is held. If it is for example in folders you can backup from either the main folder or individual folders within it. I am sure there are automated ways of doing it, but I still do it by hand.

[Andy_1984]

Software I always do by hand, ive still not seen a decent backup program sucessfuly redeploy software without some sort of screwup somewhere.

 

files and email I used a program called genie backup manager in my old office. havnt used it for a few years so dont know how it is now.

 

now days on winblows I do files by hand too. everything important is in a seperate drive from the OS and backed up manually with a copy & paste with linux I just clone the entire thing OS and files, none this windows pish that wont work if you try clone the entire thing.

 

windows 10 might have its own backup schedular ? would seem pretty daft not to in this day and age.

[chesters1]

I use nero on one drive and simply drag and drop copies of the folders i want preserved.

My sisters uses a click free with good results (having restoreed all her stuff more than once)

Its down to the software rather than the drive ,incremental backups as things change is best i guess rather than a monthly or weekly update in cases of stuff you cannot replace like photos

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

John

[chesters1]

Microsoft win10 does to an extent save your files but you may not have fired it up ,its called file history? And you have to point it to a drive so it can save them for you ,theres also windows backup but thats a hefty lump of drive you have to set asside as it does a mirror image but its clumsey and soons fills a partition up