Backing up your data

The easiest way, is to put your data on a CD or DVD or a USB Memory stick. (Click link if you are not sure how to do this.)

However, if you have lots of data, photos or video:

By far the best ways are to fit another hard drive into your computer, buy an external Hard Drive or make one (usually USB). It’s then an easy 'move to' or 'copy and paste' onto that backup drive.  (Click link for Fitting an Internal Hard Drive or Making an External Hard Drive)

A lot of callouts to computer problems are about PCs that have gone AWOL and data is lost and there isn’t any backup. If this is the situation you are in, do not despair, as there may be a simple way to get your data back.

1. Assuming the hard drive is okay, remove it and internally connect it to another computer. Remember to reset the jumper/s to slave.    If the host computer recognises your hard drive, you can then copy and paste your data to the host computer’s hard drive. Then burn the data to disk etc, from there. Click link for Using a Host Computer)

2. Buy a caddy and fit as you would for making an external hard drive. Make sure the caddy you buy is appropriate for your hard drive i.e. IDE or SATA, 3 ½ inch or 2 ½ inch (laptop size).).