Backup whole hard drive

In the good old days of DOS, backing up your whole hard drive was a simple task. All you had to do was to insert a floppy disk into your disk drive and run the command “format /s” at the command prompt. The data files could be backed up by simply copying those manually into another floppy. However, those are things of the past now. These days, the most basic hard disks have around 80 GB of storage space.

Leave alone floppies, even CD/DVD may seem like having inadequate capacity. Consider that an ordinary, single-layer DVD has around 4.5 GB of available space. So, in order to back up an 80 GB hard drive, you would need around 18-20 DVDs. Just imagine the amount of money you would have to spend, each time you backed up your hard disk. This is certainly not an economically feasible solution, especially if you need to make frequent backups. Thankfully, there are many alternative options at your disposal in this regard. These include:

1. External hard disk: This is one of the most reliable and relatively inexpensive backup systems for your hard disk. The USB hard disks last a long time when stored carefully, and there are several good backup tools available to carry out the procedure in a hassle free manner.
2. Online backup system: In this process, the backed up files will be stored in online servers, from where you can download those quickly in times of need.

Whichever process you choose, the procedure is similar. You will have to fire up the software that you are using for creating the backup first. Then, all you have to do is select the files that need to be in the backup. If you are backing up your entire hard disk, simply select that option and move on to the next step.

If you are backing up your files through an online backup service, then the software will likely take over from here. However, you will have to wait for quite a long time, as the process of transferring of files will possibly take quite a while. However, if you are using a backup tool installed in your hard disk itself, then you will have to select your drives individually. Then simply choose to back up your files and you will be on your way.

There are various software utilities available that can greatly simplify your backup process. Acronis True Image™ is one of the best tools in this regard.