Backing up and restoring data in Microsoft® Windows Vista™.

Backing up and restoring data in Microsoft® Windows Vista™.

Microsoft® Windows Vista™ includes utilities that will help you back up and restore data on your computer. There are different methods of backing up your software depending on what kind of backup you need.

Back up files
This method allows you to choose individual files or folders to back up. If you have important data, such as business files, a doctoral thesis, or a book you're writing, it is a very good idea to back up your files.
Caveat: If you only back up your files it may be more difficult to restore Windows if you ever decide to reinstall. Having a full backup of your computer is a good way to quickly restore Windows Vista to a known working state.
Back up computer
This method allows you to save an image of your hard drive that you can restore to in case of hardware failure or operating system problems. If you have tweaked Windows to the point that it is just as you like it, and you want to easily restore to that state, backing up your computer is a helpful way of saving that state so you can return to it in case of problems.
Caveat: Restoring your entire computer from backup will restore Windows to a known-working state, but any files that have changed since the backup will be lost. A combination of a full computer backup and a backup of your saved files can be very helpful in this situation.
System Restore
System Restore is a program that always runs by default and creates snapshots that you can return to later if you have problems with Windows. The System Restore utility does not create a full image of your software like the Back up computer option above, and it will not return all files on your computer to the state they were when the snapshot was created.
Caveat: Some data files can be lost after a System Restore. Files might be deleted if they are not in the Data folder or any of its subfolders.


To back up files in Windows Vista™, perform the following steps:

Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
The Control Panel window appears.
Click System and Maintenance, and then click Back Up and Restore Center.
Click Back up files. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Choose the location to back up your files and click Next.
Choose the type of files you want to back up and click Next.
Choose how often you want to create the backup and click Save settings and start backup.
Your files are now backed up to your specified location



To restore files in Windows Vista™, perform the following steps:

Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
The Control Panel window appears.
Click System and Maintenance, and then click Back Up and Restore Center.
Click Restore files.
Choose either to restore the latest backup or a previous backup and click Next.
Choose the folders to restore.
NOTE: To restore all files from the C: drive, click Add Folders... choose C: under Computer and click Add.
Click Next.
Choose the location you want to restore to and click Start restore.
Files are restored to the location you chose.


To create a Complete PC Backup in Windows Vista™, perform the following steps:

Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
The Control Panel window appears.
Click System and Maintenance, and then click Back Up and Restore Center.
Click Back up computer, and follow the steps in the wizard. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
NOTE: This type of backup can only be made on a CD, DVD, or hard disk. If you use CDs or DVDs, you may need several discs. The backup program will let you know if the storage type you choose has enough space for all of your programs, system settings, and files. If there isn't enough space, you'll need a storage type that can hold more data.



Restore Windows Vista™ from a Complete PC Backup.

To restore Windows Vista™ from a Complete PC Backup, perform the following steps:

Start the computer.
Tap the key on the keyboard during the startup process until you see the Windows Advanced Options menu on the screen.

NOTE: If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, restart the system and try again.

Press the key on the keyboard to select Repair Your Computer and press the key.
The System Recovery Options window appears.
Select your language and click Next.
Log in as a user with administrative rights and click OK.
Click Windows Complete PC Restore.
The Windows Complete PC Restore window appears.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
You are asked to confirm that you want to erase the existing data on the computer.
Check I confirm that I want to erase all existing data and restore the backup and click OK.
Files are restored from your backup drive.
NOTE: This may take several minutes to complete.
Windows Vista restarts when the restoration is complete.


To restore Windows Vista™ to the factory backup, perform the following steps:

NOTICE: Restoring Windows to the factory default configuration deletes all data on the C: drive. You must back up your data before performing this step or your data will be lost.

Start the computer.
Tap the key on the keyboard during the startup process until you see the Windows Advanced Options menu on the screen.
NOTE: If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, restart the system and try again.
Press the key to select Repair Your Computer and press the key.
The System Recovery Options window appears.
Select your language and click Next.
Log in as a user with administrative rights and click OK.
Click Dell Factory Image Restore.
The Dell Factory Image Restore window appears.
Click Next.
Check Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition.
Click Next.
The factory software image is now written to your hard drive.
Click Finish to restart the computer.