[shih-tzucrazy1]

Had a virus norton removed it. they said that I need to backup my files but I don't know what files to backup. What files should I backup & how do I do it? I need step-by-step instructions I have never backed up a file before.

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Hi there...

My mum had a shih tzu when we were growing up... I loved that dog! She slept on my bed all day so she could watch the street (my window faced the front yard and street). When we came home, she'd go ballistic! Man I love dogs, I miss her.

Nonetheless...

It sounds like you have Norton 360 or something, is that right? It includes some form of backup within the program itself. If you look up the help files, you'll see how to run it.

I personally use a version of Acronis True Image. This program basically takes a "snapshot" (called an image) of the entire computer at that point in time. I save it onto an external USB hard drive.

That way if I accidentally delete a file (for example, a picture), then I can just use Acronis to navigate through the backup hard drive and restore the picture that I deleted.

Or, if something major happens (like my hard drive blows up), then when I buy a new one, I can restore the complete image and have a running computer really fast! A complete image includes everything: the Operating System, all the programs I installed, all my pictures and other personal data.

Another way to do it would be to follow the instructions here, but make sure you stop once you hit this heading: FORMATING PARTITIONING AND INSTALLING, as that would delete everything.

Don't forget, the main idea is to make copies of your stuff and store it elsewhere. That way if something happens to your computer, you still have copies of your important files. If you have a folder with heaps of digital photos of your daughter's wedding (or something), then make sure you have more than one copy! Burn a copy to a CD, keep a copy on your backup hard drive. I like having multiple copies of important stuff... And I keep them all over the place. Chances are if I need something - I'll find it.

Also run a search in these forums, I know there's lots of discussions on backups.

Cheers

Troy

[Troy]

Hi there...

My mum had a shih tzu when we were growing up... I loved that dog! She slept on my bed all day so she could watch the street (my window faced the front yard and street). When we came home, she'd go ballistic! Man I love dogs, I miss her.

Nonetheless...

It sounds like you have Norton 360 or something, is that right? It includes some form of backup within the program itself. If you look up the help files, you'll see how to run it.

I personally use a version of Acronis True Image. This program basically takes a "snapshot" (called an image) of the entire computer at that point in time. I save it onto an external USB hard drive.

That way if I accidentally delete a file (for example, a picture), then I can just use Acronis to navigate through the backup hard drive and restore the picture that I deleted.

Or, if something major happens (like my hard drive blows up), then when I buy a new one, I can restore the complete image and have a running computer really fast! A complete image includes everything: the Operating System, all the programs I installed, all my pictures and other personal data.

Another way to do it would be to follow the instructions here, but make sure you stop once you hit this heading: FORMATING PARTITIONING AND INSTALLING, as that would delete everything.

Don't forget, the main idea is to make copies of your stuff and store it elsewhere. That way if something happens to your computer, you still have copies of your important files. If you have a folder with heaps of digital photos of your daughter's wedding (or something), then make sure you have more than one copy! Burn a copy to a CD, keep a copy on your backup hard drive. I like having multiple copies of important stuff... And I keep them all over the place. Chances are if I need something - I'll find it.

Also run a search in these forums, I know there's lots of discussions on backups.

Cheers

Troy