How to Back Up Files to an External Hard Drive in Vista
Most versions of Windows Vista include a backup utility that lets you back up files from your internal hard drive (such as music, documents and videos) to an external hard drive. External hard drives vary in memory size; however, they all allow you to store files safely so you can transfer them to another computer or restore them on your current computer if it crashes or the internal hard drive fails.
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Instructions
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Connect an external hard drive to your computer using a USB or FireWire cable, depending on the model of the drive.
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Click the Windows "Start" button, type "backup" (without quotes) in the open box, and then click "Backup and Restore Center" in the Programs list to launch the Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center.
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Click the "Backup Files" button, then select the external hard drive in the "Where do you want to save your backup?" window. Your external drive may be listed as the E, D, F or K drive, depending on your computer. Click "Next."
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Uncheck the drives to which you do not want to back up your files, then click "Next." Select the type of files you want to back up in the "What file types do you want to backup?" window, and then click "Next."
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Select the backup frequency. You can choose to automatically back up your files daily, weekly or monthly. Select the time you want to back up files, then click "Save Settings and Start Backup." The backup process begins. When the process completes, you should see the message "The backup has finished successfully." Click "Close." After the backup completes, Windows Vista will automatically back up your computer using the settings you selected, and on the dates you selected.
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References
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