Backup Strategy

There are many ways to backup your important data. This is necessary as your hard drive will fail eventually, if you keep your computer long enough. Data can be saved to external storage like a CD ROM, zip drive, external hard drive, or USB flash drive. Now that these storage devices are so large, compression is not necessary. Just copy the files and folders. However, the method has to be easy to utilize, or you will not do it.

Storage Media Suggestions

Internal hard drive - Install a second hard drive in your computer and copy data files to it automatically.
Laptop computer - Use your laptop to store data from your desktop and visa versa. For networked computers, this is the way to go.
External USB jump drives are large (1GB) and easy to use, or you can use several smaller ones.

Implement with Software

Second Copy 2000 (secondcopy.com) - Use to copy specified data files to second hard drive and/or laptop on a schedule. Download for only $29.95 at the link above. A demo version is available.
For external storage, use software to remind you to do the backup.

Strategy

The data to be saved needs to be located in folders that are easily identified. It is not beneficial to backup programs as, when the hard drive crashes and is replaced with a new one, the programs will have to be installed from the original CD ROMs.

Determine which files need backup, including email messages and address book.
Most of your data will be in the 'My Documents' folder and any sub-folders.
To get your email and Internet Favorites, if you have WinXP, backup 'C:\Documents and Settings\(your user name)\', which includes your 'My Documents' folder.
Schedule backup of these files & folders every Monday morning, or more often if it is done automatically.