The Best Methods To Backup Hard Drives

Do you have trouble thinking of the best methods to backup your hard drives?

Well, hard drive backup does make for an interesting topic – so that’s why this article is here.

In this article, we’ll look at three of the best methods to backup hard drives and give you peace of mind, knowing your precious data is safe and sound. Let's get started right away ...

There are various methods to backup hard drives

Method 1: Create A Drive Image

The first approach to hard drive backup is to use a good backup software to create a disk image. Why is this one of the best methods to backup hard drives? Well, because it is a tried and tested method and all the big corporations use this approach as the standard.

A drive image is nothing but a detailed representation of every bit and byte in your hard disk. Once you create a drive image, you’re free to restore it to any hard drive you want. PC just crashed? No problem. Restore the drive image into a new hard drive. I like to create a drive image just after installing a clean version of Windows XP. This allows me to restore and revert to a clean hard disk image in case some virus or malware affects my PC.

Norton Ghost is one of the best products in the industry for creating a drive image. I’ve used it since the days of DOS, and it has proven time and again to be at the top of its game. The latest version supports Windows XP and incremental backups – meaning you can create on drive image snapshot and keep adding changes to it.

Acronis True Image is a competing product which has garnered many awards too. I haven’t tried it out, but I certainly will, since many people have raved about its performance and ease-of-use.

Method 2: Backup To Another Hard Drive, CD or DVD

Another ‘best method’ to backup hard drives is to use another hard drive. What do I mean by another hard drive? Well, you can simply copy your existing important data to another hard disk in desktop PC. Another approach is to get an external portable hard drive and copy your stuff there.

Of course, you should understand that there are risks. The second hard drive that you backup to may also fail. Some alternatives are to use CD and DVD media for backups as they are much less likely to fail compared to hard drives.

Method 3: Use An Online Backup Service

Using an online backup service is also fast becoming one of the best methods to backup hard drives. Essentially, these services allow you to store gigabytes of data online for a fee.

The huge advantage of online backup services is that they are resilient to disaster and theft. If you were to backup stuff on your own, then in the event of disaster or theft, you lose everything. Online backup services, however, have huge, clustered servers that are designed to withstand such calamities.

The downside of online backup services would be the cost. However, these are fast coming down.

How To Fix A Slow Computer

There are few things in life that are as frustrating as when your computer is grinding along at the speed of a snail. Just a few short years ago we didn't really have this problem, which was before the computer really came into existence in most homes. The problem of slow running computers is not a frustration that most of us have to deal with ever day. Think about when you call someone about some business dealings on the phone, how many times have they told you to wait because their computer is running slow? Here are the most common reasons why your computer is running slowly and how to fix them.

1. Spyware Troubles - These little invasive programs are such a problem that a new word needed to be added to the dictionary when they came into existence. It doesn't matter if you call them spyware or scumware or just a plain ole' pain in the butt, these programs spring popups into your face, slow your computer to a crawl, and cause you to bang your head on the desk repeatedly. Fortunately there are a lot of programs out there for you to download that will help you to remove this scourge from your computer, and keep it at bay.

2. Too Much Running at One Time - Sometimes you shoot yourself in the foot, so to speak. If your system tray (the area near the clock on your computer) is so packed with icons that it looks like Grand Central Station at quitting time then you may be running too many programs at one time. Try right clicking on some of those icons to see what they are and if it's possible that you could live without them.

Keeping your computer clean is pretty much a full time job if you try to do it yourself. Search and find some great software that will clean your computer and help keep it running smoothly, and that means that there is one less thing in life to frustrate you.

Wipe out spyware, adware, popups, repair your registry and be happy with your computer again. http://www.computerfixers.info/