Windows XP / Networking

---

Using Microsoft Backup

Microsoft provides backup software with Windows, and because it is free, many people use it.

Installing Microsoft Backup

If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional Edition, the backup software is installed automatically. Microsoft Backup is not installed during a typical installation of Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows XP Home Edition.

Installing Windows XP Home Edition backup software Here is how to install Microsoft Backup in Windows XP Home Edition:

1. Insert the Windows XP Home Edition CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. Press and hold the Shift to prevent the installation program from starting automatically.
2. In My Computer or Microsoft Explorer, right-click the icon for the CD-ROM drive, and choose Explore.
3. Navigate to the subfolder \Valueadd\Msft\Ntbackup.
4. Double-click the file named Ntbackup.msi. The backup installation wizard opens.
5. Follow the wizard's prompts to install the backup software.

When installation is complete, the backup tool is on your menu system. When you want to run the program, simply choose Start → All Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Backup.

Installing Windows 98 backup software

Here is how to install Microsoft Backup in Windows 98:

1. With your Windows CD in the CD-ROM drive, choose Start → Settings → Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens and then double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box appears.
2. Click the Windows Setup tab and then click the System Tools listing (not the check box), and then click the Details button.
3. Select Backup from the list of components, and then click OK. The necessary files are transferred to your hard drive. A message appears to tell you that you must restart your computer to finish the installation process.
4. Click Yes to restart the computer and finish the installation.

After the restart, the backup tool is on your menu system. When you want to run the program, simply choose Start → Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Backup.

Installing Windows Me backup software

To install the backup program for Windows Me, use the following steps:

1. With your Windows CD in the CD-ROM drive, double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop and then right-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and choose Explore from the shortcut menu that appears. An Explorer-like window opens to display the contents of the CD.
2. Click the plus sign next to the Add-ons folder to expand it. The subfolders appear in the left pane and then select the MSBackup subfolder. The files in the subfolder are displayed in the right pane.
3. Double-click the msbexp.exe file. Installation of the backup program begins. The necessary files are transferred to your hard drive, and the system displays a message announcing that it is finished.
4. Click OK. A message appears to tell you that you must restart your computer to finish the installation process and then click Yes to restart the computer.

After the restart, the backup tool is on your menu system. When you want to run the program, simply choose Start → Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Backup.

If you upgraded to Windows Me from Windows 98 or Windows 95, and you had installed the backup program in that previous operating system, you don't have to install the Windows Me backup software (the programs are almost identical, and either backup software works fine in Windows Me). Instead, use the backup software that you installed while you were running Windows 98 or Windows 95. Here is how to activate that software:

1. Choose Start → Programs → Accessories → Windows Explorer and then click the plus sign next to My Computer, and then click the plus sign next to drive C. The folders on drive C are displayed in the left pane.
2. Click the plus sign next to Program Files to expand it. The subfolders in the Program Files folder are displayed in the left pane.
3. If you upgraded from Windows 98, click the plus sign next to Accessories to expand it, and then select the Backup subfolder. If you upgraded from Windows 95, select the Accessories folder. You can see the backup software file in the right pane: msbackup.exe (for Windows 98 upgraders) or backup.exe (for Windows 95 upgraders).
4. Right-click the file, and choose Send To → Desktop (Create Shortcut) from the menu that appears. The shortcut to the backup software appears on the desktop.

For easier access to the program, drag the desktop shortcut to either or both of the following locations:

The Start button:
The program is added to the top of your Start menu.

The Quick Launch bar: You have one-click access to the backup software.

Configuring Microsoft Backup

When you use Microsoft Backup for the first time, you need to create a backup job (a set of instructions to tell Microsoft Backup which files to back up and when they should be backed up). You have the following configuration options in a backup job:

• The folders and files that you want to back up.
• Whether you want to back up all the files you have selected or only those that have changed since the last backup.
• The target media the location to which you want to save your backup files

After you configure the backup options, you can give the backup job a name. For example, if you select a full backup, you could name it full, whereas you could name a backup of your My Documents folder docs. Thereafter, when you start the backup software, you can select an existing job or create another job with a different configuration.
Backups are not like copies. You can't retrieve the individual files from the target media, because the entire backup is one big file. The backup software makes a catalog that it displays if you need to restore any files. You must select the individual files from the catalog - you won't see the filenames on the media.

You can, if you want, back up individual files, which is much more convenient if you only have to restore a single file.