How to backup files in windows xp

Backup Method 1 – Image your install of windows xp, This is what I would recommend doing to backup windows xp.
Using a program called Norton ghost it is possible to take an entire copy of your system, this means if one day your windows xp wont boot you can fix this by loading the image of your system that you took before the error occurred. Norton ghost you will have to pay for, there are also free alternatives but I have not tried any out, search for them on google.
To take an image of your windows xp do the following. Install the ghost program, Next open the program and click on “Norton ghost boot wizard” select standard boot wizard > next, then no usb support (Im not to sure about this option, Even theo you select no usb support you can still use usb??) and click next. Select use pc dos and next. Dont enter any parameters and click next. Select your floppy drive then click next.
Dont have a floppy drive?? Then create a bootable usb stick or CD-ROM and make sure you copy the ghost.exe file to it. Now boot to the device and type in ghost.exe at the command prompt.
This will start the ghost program. Now in the menu select Local > Disk > To Image. Then select where you want to save the image. I would recommend saving to a separate hard-drive, CD-ROM or usb storage. Simply select the drive you want to save to, then down the bottom type in what file name you want to give it. Then click ok, Make sure you select high compression.
Now if you want to restore an image boot to the ghost program, Then select from the menu Local > Disk > From Image. Then browse to where you saved the image and click ok. The next screen will ask you how big you want your partitions, by default they will show as per what you had before you took the image, so you dont need to edit this setting just click next. Warning reloading an image will overwrite everything on your system, only do so if you are sure you need to.
Backup Method 2 - Use the built in windows xp backup program.
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: Select “All information on this computer” click next
Step 4: Enter a location, I recommend using another media (Hard-disk, Tape drive) from what you are backing up. Give a good name for the backup like “System Backup 25 June 2008” so you can identify later exactly what the backup is. Click next.
Step 5: Click Finish
Backup Method 3 - Use XCOPY to backup files in windows xp.
Using xcopy it is possible to backup every file on your system but I do not recommend using this method as it can be a bit complicated and you are better off using the build in backup program for windows xp.
To access xcopy click on start > run > type in cmd and press enter. Now in the black window type in “xcopy /?” without the “. This will give you all the available options to you. You will need to run something like the following
xcopy C:\ D:\ /s /c /q /g /h /r /o /y
The C:\ drive is your source and the D:\ drive is the destination that you are backing up to. If possible I would recommend that the D: drive is a different physical disk. If you run the above command it will backup everything on your C: drive automatically, I would recommend running this command 2 or three times just to make sure all of your data has been backed up.