You might want to consider using an external hard drive. I am extremely careless about doing backups but recently started to do a complete backup to CD's and realized it would take way too many to do the kind of backup I wanted. I opted to get an external HD; I think it is 40+ gigs. It is much more practical than doing multiple CD backups. I have it all planned that if a fire breaks out I grab the external HD off my desk and I won't worry about the computer, printer, etc -they can all be replaced. -- polly

I agree with Polly. I've started using an external 160gig HD for my image files--they take up too much of my fixed drives. However, my backup procedure is to back up my C: Drive to a Backup\ folder on my D: Drive. Similarly, I backup D: Drive to C: Drive. If one crashes, I have the alternate. Once a month I copy the segmented files to CD-Rs and store offsite. I stopped using re-writable CDs long ago--too many problems. If you need CD's, just get the write-once types; In bulk, they're only about 50 cents each. By the way, I've been working with computers for 20 plus years--both as part of a small network or 25 or so, and as a personal PC user. I have had only one HD crash on me in all that time, and that was an early 20meg PC. They usually get upgraded before they get broken. I know HDs crash. I know backups are worthwhile insurance. Just saying that be safe, but don't be paranoid. Bob At 2/25/2007 02:02 PM, Polly wrote: >You might want to consider using an external hard drive. I am >extremely careless about doing backups but recently started to do a >complete backup to CD's and realized it would take way too many to do >the kind of backup I wanted. I opted to get an external HD; I think it >is 40+ gigs. It is much more practical than doing multiple CD backups. >I have it all planned that if a fire breaks out I grab the external HD >off my desk and I won't worry about the computer, printer, etc -they can >all be replaced. -- polly Bob Geldart BGeldart@verizon.net Maynard, MA