Your PC’s hard drive is filled with photos, music, home movies and important files you wish to keep for a long time. If your hard drive were to crash today—could you recover those files quickly and easily? If the answer is no, you need to start backing up your files on a regular basis.
The good news is, with proper backup you can recover your valuable files in minutes. And it’s easy and inexpensive to set up.
What needs to be backed up?
A full backup of your PC’s hard drive is recommended to guarantee your operating system (Windows) and all your important files are protected. A partial backup will protect only selected files and applications. Before deciding on a partial backup solution, keep in mind all the valuable information stored on your hard drive that may be irreplaceable without a full backup copy, including:
Photos
Music
Movies
School and work files
Application files
Address books
Saved e-mails
Games
Tax and financial data
How often to back up your files
Full system backups can be automated to run daily, weekly or continuously. The frequency should depend on how often you are adding or changing important files on your hard drive. A good rule of thumb is back up your files once a week.
Choosing the right backup products
While a full backup provides the most comprehensive way to protect data on your PC, there are situations where partial backup is sufficient, such as when you or a team are working exclusively on one large project. The range of HP products described below will help you choose a backup solution that fits your needs.
HP Media Vault external hard drive
With 300GB and 500GB models, the HP Media Vault is perfect for creating a full backup of your PC’s hard drive. And with the wireless networking feature, it’s easy to back up every computer in your house. It connects to your PC or wireless router via Ethernet cable.
HP Personal Media Drives
The HP Personal Media Drive is a portable backup solution that comes in a wide range of sizes. Use a 120GB drive to back up a single computer or a 750GB drive to protect an entire team’s data. It connects to your PC via USB cable or fits in the chassis slot of select HP PCs.
HP Pocket Media Drives
Small but powerful, HP Pocket Media Drives are made for people and data on the move. Use them on flights, at work, at school or anywhere you need to back up important files. They connect to your PC via USB or fits in the chassis slot of select HP Pavilion PCs with a pocket media drive bay.
HP DVD/CD Writer
Another effective way to back up your important files is to make hard copies on high-capacity DVD. These copies should be stored in a safe location, separate from your PC. Most new HP desktop and notebook PCs have built-in DVD/CD writers, and external USB versions are also available.
USB flash drive
These handy plug-and-play USB drives are great for people who need to back up files fast or manually transfer files from one location to another. It’s always a smart practice to make an extra back up copy of important files (especially at work) with a USB drive.
How to back up your PC
Backing up your PC is easy using the Automatic File Backup software included with Windows Vista. The set up “wizard” walks you through the process of creating and scheduling regular backups with your preferred storage destination—hard drive, DVD writer, or online archive, Some backup devices, such as the HP Media Vault, also come with their own backup software, and there are additional backup programs available on the market. Consult the users manual to see the recommended software for your backup device.
*Wireless access point required for wireless connectivity and is not included. Internet use requires separately purchased Internet service contract. Media service subscriptions may be required. Certain Windows Vista product features require advanced or additional hardware.
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