Automatically back up your computer to create your own disaster recovery kit
There are numerous ways to backup the precious data on your computer, but if you opt to go down the route of backing up individual folders there is always the risk that you will forget about files stored in other locations. Roxio BackOnTrack 3 Suite can be used to create backups of important files and folders, but the software also provides the option of creating a complete PC recovery backup.
By creating an exact image of the contents of your hard drive it is possible to not only backup your valuable files, but also all of the programs and settings you have put in place as well as Windows itself. Should hard drive failure, virus infection, or some other disaster mean that Windows needs to be reinstalled, all you need to do is restore the backup and your computer will be as good as new in next to no time. If a complete system image has been created, it is still possible to browse through its contents and restore individual files if necessary - a search facility is available to save having to manually trawl through hundreds or thousands of files.
Backups can be stored on another hard drive, a USB drive, removable media such as CD or DVD, or in a network location, so there are numerous options available to you. When backing up files in projects, categories can be used to make it easier to organise your backups and powerful encryption means that sensitive files can be kept away from prying eyes.
Compression can be used to reduce the amount of storage space required for backups and incremental backups means that the time taken to backup new or changed files can be greatly reduced. One of the most important things to remember when creating backups is to keep them up to date - having an old backup can be little more use than having no backup at all.
Roxio BackOnTrack supports backup scheduling so you can update your backups automatically on a regular basis. Backups can be created in the background so you can continue to use your computer as normal while your files are safeguarded. Whether you are backing up or restoring data, a helpful wizard is on hand to guide you through every step of the process
Review by Mark Wilson.
