Windows XP Backup Tool - Is It Any Good?

Considering the increased amounts of data that youthe only removable storage it has in store for you.
save to your computer each day, more and moreNow think how many floppy diskettes it will require
users embark on a quest for the most effective andto back up 30GB of critical information!
reliable backup solution. However, very few knowA standard program allows backing up your data to
that Windows XP has its own backup utility.virtually any known type of removable media
You may sigh with relief because this means youincluding CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray, USB flash and
don't have to buy special backup software, thoughexternal drives, as well as remote locations such as
you should know that such software gives you aLAN, FTP, SFTP, remote online server.
number of important advantages above those thatWXBT offers five types of backup: normal, copy,
the operating system offers. In this article we willdaily, differential, and incremental. To be honest, this
compare a standard functionality backup programabundance of backup types causes nothing, but
with the Windows XP backup tool (WXBT).confusion especially if this is your first time backup.
The WXBT allows backing up all user files in just oneMost backup programs offer two most common
task. If you select the option of the My Documentstypes of backup: full and incremental. These two
backup, it will copy the entire contents of thetypes should be enough to meet all your
Documents and Settings folder including MS Outlookrequirements and cause no user confusion as the
Outlook Express messages and settings as well asdefinition of the two types is very clearly stated in
your profile settings.the program.
However, in most situations full backup is notWXBT allows backing up the System state data that
necessary. In all likelihood the My Documents folderinclude Registry, Boot files, COM + Class Registration
of your computer will be large in size and contain adatabase. However, you cannot include or exclude
lot of irrelevant information. If this is the case, WXBTspecific components.
suggests that you manually specify files that youA professional backup program allows creating a hard
want to include or exclude from the backup set.drive image including the operating system and all
A standard backup program has the option of filesystem settings. It also has the option of copying
filtering so you don't have to manually specify eachWindows Registry and even allows backing up
file, but rather specify file extensions of the neededspecific Registry components such as user keys,
files. For example, if you want to back up only theconfiguration keys etc.
MS Word documents, you only have to specify theConclusions
doc. file extension and the program will automaticallyHaving considered the pros and cons of Windows XP
find and copy all Word files.backup tool, as compared to a standard backup
Besides, it allows doing target backup of data fromprogram, we can say that WXBT is a viable solution
specific applications such as Adobe Photoshop,for home computers, however the major fault with it
Windows Media Player, ICQ etc. This means that youis that it cannot back up to optical disks and allows
only have to specify the program whose data yourecording your data only to a floppy disk which is
are going to back up.outdated and does not meet today storage
When you do a backup, it is extremely importantrequirements.
where you keep the resulting files. It isThe main advantage of a professional backup
recommended to keep such files as far as possibleprogram is that it can record your data to any type
from the local computer.of optical disk, even the new generation disks such
The farthest location WXBT suggests is a networkas Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Besides that such a program
drive or an external drive. By default, it will evenoffers flexible file filters to simplify the process of
offer you to back up to a floppy drive, and that'sdata files selection.