Backing Up Files

Question: What's good back up software to save all Data for Quicken, Outlook and other data?

The IT Guy says:
Backing up your computer files generally requires two things: backup media and backup software. If you are on a network at school, have a network folder and sufficient storage space, one of the best ways to back up your files is to copy them to the network file server from your hard drive. For example, copy your entire "My Documents" folder to your server home directory, which on a Windows computer is usually "mapped" to a different drive letter (like the H: drive.)

If a network backup is not possible, you need to identify a removable backup media to use. Zip disks have been popular, and are now available in 100 MB, 250 MB, and 750 MB versions. Older zip drives will not read the newer, larger disks, however, so make sure you purchase disks that are compatible with your drive. The problem with both 100 MB and 250 MB zip disks is the storage capacity may not be sufficient to back up all your files. For this reason, and because they are much more common, backing up to CD-ROM is increasingly popular.

Recordable CDs (CD-Rs) cost about fifty cents apiece when purchased in bulk. Use your CD recording software to burn a copy of your files on a CD, then store the CD (or CDs) in another location for security purposes. If you want to back up your entire hard drive or set up automatic, periodic backups, software like Dantz' Retrospect is excellent. It is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers, in networked as well as standalone versions. You can use a variety of backup media as well as network backup options.

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