Sogne said:
Yes, there are 2 different people posting. I an Sogne and I do not have
an
external hard drive. I am a true novice who is trying to find a way to
back
up both operating programs (Kodak Picture Software,Quicken, etc., for
example) -- as well as the data and/or pictures contained within -- to
CD's.
Is this something that is "doable"? I do not even know if it is or is
not.
Thanks....
Sogne
Sogne...
Well, now that we've cleared *that* up...
As I previously indicated, in my view the most practical way to back up
one's system, including the operating system and all programs & data is to
use a disk imaging program such as the ones I mentioned to "clone" the
contents of one's day-to-day working HD to another HD (internal or
external). By creating a "clone" of your source disk, you are, in effect,
creating a bit-for-bit copy of that disk. So (in my view) it's about as
near-perfect backup system as the average PC user can get.
The disk cloning process is relatively easy to perform and not terribly
time-consuming. And if the destination drive is an internal HD (as opposed
to a USB/Firewire external HD), you have a bootable drive at your disposal.
(The EHD is *not* bootable in an XP environment, however, the contents of
that drive can be easily cloned back to the original source disk for
restoration purposes should the need arise).
The FAST backup system mentioned by Mark is another option. Its major
limitation is that it doesn't back up your operating system (registry
settings, etc.) - just your programs & created data. I've also found it more
awkward to use than a disk imaging program and really not terribly suitable
for routine backups for which it is not designed. But that's a personal
view, of course. Perhaps that might be more suitable for your particular
needs.
Anna
