Backup Before Abandoning Windows XP
by Rob Boirun for drivepop.com
Make Sure You Have A Backup of Your Files Under XP
It is always advisable to make regular back ups of your entire system. This is true with any operating system. Frequent backups allow users to return their system to an earlier state in case of a major system crash or virus. A backup of important information is especially important during an upgrade. In some cases important information may be erased or in some extreme cases, some unforseen incompatability may make it impossible to finish the upgrade and leave the system in such a state that the only option is to reformat the hard drive, erasing all of the files.
A backup can be stored either on an internal hard drive or an external hard drive. An internal hard drive may be either a second drive without the operating system on it or a separate partition on the same drive as the operating system. The safest option is to store data on a separate external or internal drive. The safest option of all is most likely a separate external hard drive. An external hard drive can be easily moved to another computer if the computer which is being upgraded is rendered inoperable.
Preparing the Hard Drive (either internal or external drive)-Article Continued Here
This excerpt is shared with permission from Rob Boirun.
