How to Back Up XP Home
- 1). Install the Windows XP backup utility. Windows XP Professional comes with the backup utility already installed, prepared and ready to run. Windows XP Home Edition, however, requires you to insert the Windows XP disk while logged into Windows. After inserting the disk, click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. In the My Computer window, click on the icon of a CD, which will open the "Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP" screen. Once on this screen, click on "Perform Additional Tasks," and then click the "Browse this CD" option. In the screen that pops up, click the folder labeled "ValueAdd." Within this folder, click on the "Msft" folder and, finally, on the "Ntbackup" folder. Inside of this folder, locate the file named "Ntbackup.msi" and double-click on it to install the backup utility.
- 2). Open and start the Windows XP backup wizard. Click the green "Start" button in the lower left corner of the screen. Highlight "All Programs" in the menu that pops up, and then move your cursor to highlight "Accessories." In the Accessories menu, highlight the "System Tools" option, and then click on the option labeled "Backup" from that menu to run the backup wizard. In this screen, click the "Next" button, then in the next screen click "Back up files and settings" and click "Next."
- 3). Select the files that you would like to back up. You are given the options of selecting "My documents and settings," "Everyone's documents and settings," "All information on this computer," or "Let me choose what to back up." Choosing "My documents and settings" will back up the files stored under your Windows account. "Everyone's documents and settings" will back up the documents of every user with a Windows account on the computer. "All information on this computer" will back up absolutely everything on the computer, and if you would like to select the files you want to back up individually you can select "Let me choose what to back up." Choose your desired option, and click on the "Next" button at the bottom.
- 4). Set the location of where the files are to be backed up and stored. At the "Backup Type, Destination, and Name" screen, you will be asked to specify where you would like the files to be saved and backed up to. Click on the "Browse" button, and select either a hard disk drive or a USB drive to back up onto. Upon choosing the destination of your backup, click on the "Next" button. You will then be taken to a page that says "Completing the Backup or Restore Wizard." Click on the button labeled "Finish," and your backup is complete.