How to Backup and Restore with an External Hard Drive

Example of an external hard drive.

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You may have heard it is beneficial to back up your computer data. But what exactly does this mean? It is difficult to navigate through all the backup choices let alone know if you will be able to restore the data once you start the process. When you decide what to include in your backup, it is normally your photos, videos, documents, favorites and settings. There are different types of backups that will automate the process, but you must have the hard drive installed and powered on at all times.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

External Hard drive
Computer with USB ports
Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista
CD with External hard drive software on it
Time
Files

Step 1

USB cable example (has a flat plug where it attaches to your computer)

Connect your external hard drive as needed with a cable. Usually USB or firewire. Microsoft Windows should automatically add enough drivers to recognize this device. If it does not, software and a manual will be included with your hard drive.
Step 2

Insert any CD or DVD into the computer CD drive and install additional software, if needed. The driver for the external hard drive may also be stored on the drive itself. You will see it when you open up the hard drive in "computer" or "my computer" and view the files. Click on it to install the external hard drive software after you attach it to your computer.

Often it is plug and play, meaning it should operate immediately and properly when connected.
Step 3

Look for the external hard drive icon in your system tray located in the bottom right corner of your computer screen. This will speed the backup process and make it more user friendly. This icon is a confirmation that drivers are installed properly on your computer and are functioning.
Step 4

Use the backup software that came with the external hard drive. This will answer the question "what is included my backup?" Often, you can simply press the button on the drive to get started or double click the icon in the system tray and follow the on screen prompts. If you choose not to use the drive software, go to the next step.
Step 5

Drag and drop files right onto the hard drive, including music, pictures, Internet favorites settings, video, audio recordings, presentations documents, and files of any type that you want to save. Most data is found in the documents folder on your computer or documents and settings. Be sure to complete the backup process for all users, not just the computer administrator.
Step 6

Click "computer" or restart your external hard drive and open to view files to ensure all desired files are stored on the drive. If not, drag and drop to add more files. Take as much time as you need.
Step 7

Follow the restore directions if you used the external hard drive software to backup your data or pressed a button. They are included with the software or in a paper manual. If not, skip this step.
Step 8

Drag and drop files back onto the new or additional computer. You can put your documents directly into the (My)documents folder, your pictures into My Pictures and even create new files.