Data Backups

Backups help you protect your files and information if your computer fails. If your hard drive is erased or damaged, you can easily restore the data from the archived copy. It is critical to regularly back up the data stored on the hard drive. If your hard drive crashes or a situation develops that prevents you from accessing the hard drive, the data and your work is lost if you don't have a back up copy. In general, the best way to back up your data is to an external medium. Some popular options are CDs, USB Flash drives and External Hard Drives

• If you want to backup 1MB to 2GB of data, the most common options are CDs (650MB or 700MB) and UBS Flash Drive (500MB to 1GB).
  
  
• If you want to backup 2GB to 4GB of data, the most common options are DVDs and USB Flash Drives (2GB - 4GB).
  
  
• If you want to backup more than 4GB of data, we highly recommend using an External Hard Drive that connects through a USB port to your computer.
  
  
• See our Hardware Support page for recommendations on External Storage Devices.