You should begin by deciding where you will be backing up the computer to.Ideally you should use an external hard drive that has enough disk space to store copies of everything that is on your current hard drive.In order to find out how large your external device needs to be, on your windows PC click the right mouse button on the hard drive in ‘My Computer’ then select the ‘Properties’ item in the menu.  This will tell you the size of your current hard drive. 

Once you have purchased a suitably sized external hard disk, you should get some suitable backup software.  You have several options, however Norton Ghost is perfectly suited to the task.

Plug in the USB drive and by following the manufacturers instructions you should then load up the backup software.Once it has loaded, you should then create and run the backup.This may take some time, depending on the size of the hard drive being copied so you should be prepared to wait a while.Once all the data has been copied, check the files and folders on your USB drive to make sure that all the essential files have been copies and that you haven’t overlooked anything.

If this seems like a complicated process then do bear in mind there are lots of online data backup companies that you can make the process much easier for you.

Whether in a personal or business setting, a person will come in contact with large amounts of digital data that needs to be stored in a secure place. With increasing amounts of emails, documents, presentations, graphics, etc, the likelihood of losing important information is increased if the data is not stored properly. Safe data storage is a must and is crucial in any setting.

A user should take the time to analyze the many options available for data storage and choose the solution that works best for them. Decide what is important and base your decision on what works best for your situation. Things to consider include; how quickly does the information need to be accessed? How often will the data be used? Will the data need to be stored on site or at a more secure remote location?

When you can answer these questions to your satisfaction, you will be in a better position to choose the best data storage option for your individual needs. Sometimes the choice is obvious, but a mistaken choice can lead to trouble in the future. The types of data storage available can include flash memory, external hard drives, online storage, and network attached storage devices.

Flash memory thumb drives are small and portable devices that allow a user to store and access files and programs quickly and easily. Most are set up with programs that can emulate a hard drive so a user can work with the programs and bookmarks they need without packing an entire computer around. The downside is the limited amount of memory the offer.

An external hard drive will increase the storage capacity and still offer convenience and portability to the user. With an external hard drive the user can transport large files or connect it to a computer to back up an entire hard drive. Most users prefer using an external hard drive only when backing up large files, such as video files, since continuous use can get tiresome.

Another option is a relatively recent addition to the storage industry, and that is online storage options. This involves backing up data to an off-site location through the Internet. This allows a user to access the data from any computer, but can be a little slow depending on the connection being used.

There is also network attached storage that is most often used by businesses that need a data storage solution that can easily be accessed by multiple users. This is often done by using multiple hard drives in a single array so the solution can be scaled to meet a growing businesses needs. Many companies also include an automated redundancy backup to help ensure the safety of sensitive data.

Some data storage options work best for business use while others may be more appropriate on a personal level. If you take the time to evaluate all your data storage options you will have a better chance at finding what works best for you. There is a data storage and backup solution for you no matter what your needs call for.