IF00018
Backing Up Files
And Folders!
Backup lets you back up data to a file or to a tape. When you back up data to a
file, you have to designate a file name and a location for the file to be saved.
Backup files usually have the extension .bkf, but you can change it to any
extension. A backup file can be saved to a hard disk, a floppy disk, or to any
other removable or non-removable media on which you can save a file.
When you back up data to a tape, you must have a tape device connected to your
computer. Tapes are managed by Removable Storage. Although Backup works together
with Removable Storage, you might have to use Removable Storage to perform
certain maintenance tasks, such as preparing and ejecting tapes.
The following four steps describe a simple backup operation:
Select files, folders, and drives for backup.
Backup provides you with a tree view of the drives, files, and folders that are
on your computer, which you can use to select the files and folders that you
want to back up. You can use this tree view the same way you use Windows
Explorer to open drives and folders and select files.
Select storage media or file location for backed-up data.
Backup provides two options for selecting storage media:
You can back up your data to a file on a storage device. A storage device can be
a hard disk, a Zip disk, or any type of removable or non-removable media to
which you can save a file. This option is always available.
You can back up your data to a tape device. This option is available only if you
have a tape device installed on your computer or connected to it. If you back up
data to a tape device, the media will be managed by Removable Storage.
Set backup options.
Backup provides an Options dialog box, which you can use to customize your
backup operations. Using the Options dialog box, you can:
Select the type of backup that you want to do. Backup types include: copy,
daily, differential, incremental, and normal.
Select whether you want a log file to record your backup actions. If you select
this option, you can also select whether you want a complete log file or summary
log file.
Select whether you want to back up data that is stored on mounted drives.
Designate file types that you want to exclude from a backup operation.
Select whether you want to verify that the data was backed up correctly.
Start the backup.
When you start a backup operation, Backup will prompt you for information about
the backup job and give you the opportunity to set advanced backup options.
After you have provided the information or changed your backup options, Backup
will start backing up the files and folders you selected.
If you have scheduled the backup to run unattended, you will still be prompted
for information about the backup job. However, after you have provided the
information, Backup will not start backing up files; rather, it will add the
scheduled backup to the Task Scheduler.
Side Notes!
- You must be an administrator or a backup operator to back up all files and
folders. If you are a member of the Users or Power Users group, you must be the
owner of the files and folders you want to back up, or you must have one or more
of the following permissions for the files and folders you want to back up:
Read, Read and Execute, Modify, or Full Control.
- The registry, the directory service, and other key system components, are
contained in the System State data. You must back up the System State data if
you want to back up these components.
- You can only back up the System State data on a local computer. You cannot
back up the System State data on a remote computer.
- You can schedule a backup so that it will run unattended at a specific time or
frequency. You can schedule a backup after you click Start Backup.
- If you have Windows Media Services running on your computer, and you want to
back up the files associated with these services, see "Running Backup with
Windows Media Services" in the Windows Media Services online documentation. You
must follow the procedures outlined in the Windows Media Services online
documentation before you can back up or restore files associated with Windows
Media Services.
- If you are using Removable Storage to manage media, or you are using Remote
Storage to store data, you should regularly back up the files that are in the
following folders:
Systemroot\System32\Ntmsdata
Systemroot\System32\Remotestorage
This will ensure that all of your Remote Storage and Removable Storage data can
be restored.
Let me know if you need anything else.
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