WINDOWS 7 : Back up your programs, system settings, and files

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Back-up-your-programs-system-settingsand-files You can create a system image, which contains a copy of indows and copies of your programs, system settings, and files. !he system image is then stored in a separate location from the original programs, settings, and files. You can use this image to restore the contents of your computer if your hard disk or entire computer e"er stops working. #f you$re using indows Backup to %ack up your files, you can ha"e a system image created each time your files are %acked up. !he files can %e sa"ed on a USB flash dri"e, &'s, '('s, or a hard dri"e. !he system image must %e sa"ed on a hard dri"e. By default, the system image only includes the dri"es re)uired for indows to run. #f you want to include additional dri"es in the system image, you can manually create a system image. #f you manually create a system image, it can %e sa"ed on a USB flash dri"e, &'s, '('s, or a hard dri"e. *ollow the steps %elow to manually create a system image. *or information a%out system images, see hat is a system image+

Note
!o create a system image of a dri"e, it must %e formatted to use the ,!*S file system. #f you sa"e the system image on a hard dri"e or USB flash dri"e, it must %e formatted to use the ,!*S file system. *or more information a%out ,!*S, see &on"ert a hard disk or partition to ,!*S format. atch this "ideo to learn how to %ack up your programs, system settings, and files -.:/01

To back up your programs, system settings, and files

2. 3pen Backup and 4estore %y clicking the Start %utton , clicking &ontrol 5anel, clicking System and 6aintenance, and then clicking Backup and 4estore. 7. #n the left pane, click &reate a system image, and then follow the steps in the wi8ard. #f you$re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or pro"ide confirmation.

eeping different !ersions of system images

#f you$re sa"ing your system images on an internal or e9ternal dri"e, or on &'s or '('s, you can keep se"eral "ersions of system images. 3n internal and e9ternal hard dri"es, older system images will %e deleted when the dri"e runs out of space. !o help conser"e disk space, you can manually delete older system images. *or more information, see hat %ackup settings should # use to ma9imi8e my disk space+

#f you$re sa"ing your system images in a network location, you can only keep the most current system image for each computer. System images are sa"ed in the format of dri"e: indows#mageBackup:computer name:. #f you ha"e an e9isting system image for a computer and are creating a new one for the same computer, the new system image will o"erwrite the e9isting one. #f you want to keep the e9isting system image, you can copy it to a different location %efore creating the new system image %y following these steps: 2. ,a"igate to the location of the system image. 7. &opy the indows#mageBackup folder to a new location.