Tips for windows xp backups

Here are a few tips on how you can have a successful and safe backup
1. Backup the files to a different media. For example if your files are stored on one hard-drive back them up to another hard-drive, because if you back them up to the same hard-drive and that hard drive fails you have lost all your data.
2. Backup files to more than one media, for example backup your files to another hard-disk then to a tape. If you have a years worth of backups on one hard-drive and that drive crashes you will lose all your years backups.
3. If your backups fail check the logs and find out why!! In my experience backups fail mostly because of corrupt files, run a check disk on the computer the files are on.
4. Test your backups, every now and then restore some data and check if all the files are there and that you can use them. The last thing you want to do is restore the files in an emergency and find out there is a problem.
5. Run regular backups, Every day if you can.
6. Make sure you have plenty of spare disk space to store your backups on.
7. Backing up to tape? Make sure you label your tapes correctly. And try not to put lots of backups on one tape, If that tape is faulty you could lose all your backups
8. Create a backup schedule and monitor it to make sure backups are finishing successfully and also on time.
9. How to access the built in windows xp backup package.
If you have Windows XP Professional, Backup utility is installed by default but in Windows XP Home it is not. However, Backup utility is provided with the CD.
Go to CD-ROM Drive:\VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP and double click Ntbackup.msi to start the Backup utility.
Follow this procedure to backup data using Backup utility:
Step 1: Click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Backup.
Step 2: Click Next in the first page and choose ‘Back up Files and Settings’ in the second page.
Step 3: In the third page, you will be asked what to backup. If you have the habit of keeping all important files in your ‘My Documents’ folder and you want to backup only important files then choosing ‘My documents and settings’ would be more appropriate. Else if you want to manually choose the files and folders you want to backup, choose the option ‘Let me choose what to backup’.
Step 4: If you are manually choosing the folders, click all the folders you want to backup.
Step 5: On the next screen you will be asked to choose the backup type, Destination and Name. You won’t be using Tapes or Floppy Disks. You may select an external hard disk or another partition in the same hard disk. If the backup file size is small you may choose small portable pen drive such as USB hard drives.
Step 6: Windows XP does not support to write the backup file to a CD directly. So if you want to have the backup in a CD or DVD, create the backup file in the same hard disk and burn it in a CD or DVD.
If you have dedicated external hard disk for backup you can set a schedule to backup regularly. On the last page of backup utility before clicking Finish, Click Advanced -> When to Back up -> Later -> Set Schedule -> Schedule Job. Set the schedule and Click Ok.