my main hardrive is going out, how do I successfully put my files and OS on a backup drive?
965550
You can use True image by Acronis for such purpose. You can easily create an image of your first drive and then restore it on the second one. But you need to reformat your second drive before restoring. \nYou can purchase the newest True image here: http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/\nOr download a free version here:\nhttp://www.acronis.com/mag/vnu-ati7
700390
buy a new hard drive yours is going bad
470946
if youre using windows.. there is a system application called BACK UP, go to START---PROGRAMS---ACCESORIES---    sYSttTEM TOOLs
376342
open start menu then programs then accessories then system tools then u will find the backup tool there. back up the part that you want into a safe place on your harddisk or u can burn it into a cd or dvd. or you can a program that makes an image of your hard disk like norton ghost so all u need in case of crash is restore the fresh copy that you have
816616
The only way to back up files is to copy them to a different device.  What that device is will depend on your system.  If you have a CD or DVD burner, burn them to disk.  If you have a second internal hard drive or an external USB drive, use it.\n\nAs far as WHAT to back up, begin with the My Documents folders under each user in the Documents and Setting directory.  Then look for any other folders with data (pictures, music, vids, documents, etc).  It is pointless to back up programs as you can not reinstall them from a backup made by dragging the files to a device.  You would need to reinstall them from the original install CDs.  You can back up an software install programs you have on your drive.
1001859
Back up everything while you can. See if the drive is still under warranty and able to be replaced by the manufacturer, if not then buy a new one.
1125238
reformat your hard drive, or just get a new, larger hard drive (the second is the best)\n\nyou can do a web search on line on how to do this if you don't know, print off all the instructions before you start to work though lol and know you will loose all the info on your current drive so if you have any photos or documents or anything you want to save be sure to back them up on a floppy or CD or something.
972099
You might not be able to back them up, but this is what you need to do before you buy a new hard disk to see if this one will work.\n\n1.Press F8 when it is starting up it will go to safe mode. (might not work.)\n\n2. Make sure the hard drive is properly hooked up, IDE cable Or the sata cable depending on what kind of hard drive you need to make sure it is going to the motherboard, and is connected properly there, also make sure the power connector is plugged in right.\n\nDo this though you have a small chance of getting your data back. Purchase a new hard drive, you need to know what kind is compatible with your motherboard. Then go to compusa, circuit city, bestbuy, or on the internet go to http://www.newegg.com or http://www.tigerdirect.com and buy the right hard drive. When you bought your computer you should have recieved recovery discs, (if you didnt you can order then from whoever assembled your computer for 10 bucks. Then install the hard drive, and reinstall windows. This is the time where you might have a chance to get your data back. \nPut the old primary drive that does not work in the slave drive, and it will come up in my computer.\n\nHope This Helps\n\n\n\n\nNote: This is only for a desktop computer,  and that is what i am assuming you have.
295998
do u mean a back up disk?
23411
use the windows CD or also called back-up cd
675156
Stick the Microsoft operating system disk in the computer and reinstall telling it to reformat the hard drive. Before you do that, be sure to backup what ever you want to save. Works like a charm.
93915
format the drive in which u store the operating system \ndont forget to back up ur essential files and music ok if u have a prob im me
950134
depends on what operating system you have and why you are backing up\n\nmore info required
828238
The best way will be use the HDD as slave to some other harddisk and tranfer the data.\n\nIn safe mode USB drives won't work, because there only the minimal resources are loaded. \n\nIf you can log into safe mode try restoring your machine to a previous stable point.
1002768
Try getting QTParted instead. The program is very simple to use.\nAs always, back up everything before you mess with your partitions.
809260
you can try to use true image version 7 to backup the whole drive. all you need is to register on the acronis site and get true image for FREE:\n\nhttp://www.acronis.com/mag/vnu-ati7\n\nalso you can read some sort of a tutorial for this verison here:\n\nhttp://forums.hardwarezone.com/showthread.php?t=1442933
121179
Have you got any data on the drive you want to keep ?\n\nIf not just make a boot disk ( www.bootdisk.com ) and use fdisk to partition the drive and then install windows.\n\nIf you do have data then I suggest you connect the hard drive to another machine as a slave and back it up and then put it back into the machine and format it and re install windows.\n\nThere are other ways of backing up the data, please post back and let me know if you need further help.