This article is intended to introduce the average user to the various backup methods available and to provide a brief overview of these methods. By doing so I hope to show that backing up a computer is a quick and easy process. Backing up your Operating System and data is an essential step in computing. The number of users I have come across that have had to reinstall their OS losing all settings, or lost data such as documents, music, and pictures is truly sad. The reasons for this loss are varied but include viruses, hardware failure, and user error.

TweakHound - Windows XP Backup Strategies For Home Users