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Backing up your data simply means making a copy of the stuff you value and keeping it in a safe place. Backup files are usually compressed to save space, and are typically saved to tapes made for the purpose or to other removable media. Here are some options:

• Floppy disks--given their tiny capacity of 1.44MB, use them only if you're backing up a small amount of data.
  
  
• 100MB or 250MB Iomega Zip disks or 120MB Imation SuperDisks for larger backup jobs.
  
  
• 1GB or 2GB Iomega Jaz or the new 2.2GB Castlewood ORB disks if you have even more stuff.
  
  
• 650MB recordable and rewritable CDs are also becoming popular as prices drop and recording speed improves.
  
  

What Do I Need to Back Up?

If you're ready to take the plunge and make your data safe, you first need to determine which files should go.

One strategy is to back up your entire hard drive. This isn't a bad idea if you have enough disk or tape space to do it easily. But it can be impractical if, for example, you're using 100MB Zip disks and you have a load of programs and data on your hard drive. Even after your backup program compresses everything, you could need up to 20 disks ($200 worth) to back up a hard drive containing 4GB of data.

There is an alternative. If you have the installation CDs for Windows, your essential applications, and necessary device drivers, it's an easy--though tedious--matter to reinstall those components from scratch in the event of a drive crash. What you absolutely need to save is your own data.

Some files are obvious. They're the items I've already mentioned: documents, spreadsheets, financial and accounting files, pictures, and so on. And keep in mind e-mail archives, address books, stuff in your personal information manager, and browser bookmarks. These should be easy to locate if your hard drive is well organized and you know where your files live. If, on the other hand, you're not sure which folders house your important information, here are some clues:

• By default, Microsoft Office saves its documents to C:\My Documents.
  
  
• Some applications create their own data folders. More and more are following the Microsoft example and creating folders like My Pictures or My Music in the root folder of your hard drive.
  
  
• Other applications, like the Eudora e-mail client, store data in the folder where the program itself lives. Look in the folders at C:\Program Files.
  
  

For an in-depth discussion of where Windows hides various kinds of files, check out Welcome to Your Hard Drive.

If you know the name of a file you want to back up but can't find it, try this: Select Start, Find, Files or Folders. In the Named field, enter the file name. In the "Look in" field, select "Local hard drives." (Windows 95 will make you search each drive separately.) Be sure to check the "Include subfolders" box. Now click Find. And good luck!

One final note: If you share your computer, especially with your family, be sure you identify what's valuable to others. Hell hath no fury like a teenager who has lost her favorite photo of a rock star or a 6-year-old who can't find his icky bug pictures.