Hard Drive Back Up

Your entire hard drive includes all of the data files referred to above, PLUS all of the application programs, such as your Windows operating system.  There are some who suggest that you don’t need to back up your entire hard drive.  And technically speaking, you don’t.  However, you will simplify your life more than you can imagine if you back up your entire hard drive and the inevitable failure occurs. 

The argument for not backing up your entire hard drive is this: you can pull out all of the application programs on their original CDs you have put  away – Windows, Microsoft Office, Quicken, your genealogy program, etc.  Then when you get your new hard drive, you can reinstall all of these programs from scratch.  While this is true, keep in mind  when you do this, it will be extremely time consuming.  Here’s why:

 You will have to download and install all the updates and patches to these programs that have been released since you purchased the software.

 You will have to re-enter all of the special settings that you added since getting the program to make the programs work like they did with your old hard drive.

 You probably don’t have every CD to every program you have on your computer, thus those programs are now gone.

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