• PC World
• »Software
• »Operating Systems

Any PC user who hasn't been hiding under a rock knows the importance of making backup copies of critical system and data files. But many people may not realize that Windows XP and 2000 have several built-in backup options. These tips will help you devise a perfect Windows backup strategy.

Option #1: Last Good Configuration: Every time you shut down your system, Windows makes a backup of certain Registry and driver settings (specifically, those in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet). If things go awry and you can't start Windows (or you merely have second thoughts about a new graphics driver you've just installed), you can restore your machine to its previous state by pressing <F8> just before Windows starts. Use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration, and press <Enter>. (If you have already restarted Windows with hardware settings you don't want, this technique won't work because the system stored the info from those drivers in its backup when you most recently exited Windows.)

Option #2: Device Driver Rollback: Windows XP automatically backs up your old device drivers when you update them. You can restore a device to the way it was in happier times by reverting to this backup when a new driver causes problems. Choose Start, Run, type devmgmt.msc, and press <Enter> to open Device Manager. Double-click the device whose driver you want to restore to open its Properties dialog box. Click the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver (see Figure 1).

Option #3: System Restore: A good way to back up system settings, drivers, and critical system files in XP is by using System Restore, which can back up your configuration automatically on a defined schedule if you allocate sufficient storage to it. Use it to make backups (which it refers to as "restore points") prior to making any system change (Windows creates a new restore point automatically whenever you install new software.) Choose Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Then select Create a restore point and follow the prompts. System Restore doesn't affect your data, nor does it work every time, so don't count on it as your only protection.

Option #4: Hardware Profiles: You might find these useful when testing new hardware or device drivers. Choose Start, Run, type sysdm.cpl, and press <Enter>. Click the Hardware tab and then the Hardware Profiles button. Select your current profile---or the profile that you want to back up---from the list, and click Copy. Name it something like Test Profile and press <Enter>. Choose the startup settings you prefer under 'Hardware profiles selection', and click OK. When you restart your PC, choose Test Profile (or whatever you named the profile). If your experiments make Windows unusable, choose your original profile at the startup prompt; you may need to change your hardware back, too. If you like the new configuration, return to the Hardware Profiles dialog box and either delete the old default profile or make the new one your default.

Option #5: Windows' Backup Utility: To back up your files manually in XP and 2000, choose Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, System Tools, Backup. Users of XP Home Edition can install the program from the Windows CD: Look for it in the valueadd\msft\ntbackup folder, right-click the Ntbackup file, and choose Install. Be forewarned, however, that the utility's Automated System Recovery feature doesn't work in XP Home.