Here's a photo tour of how I do mine(since it's easy to show). I have a huge single file under my photos files that is labeled 'conifer collection'. This contains the several dozen genus/species I collect/grow and has individual folders leading to individual cultivars. Once in the cultivar folder, I have simply the name and then year(with special details in parenthesis). This will allow me to have a lengthy chronological sequence of pictures I can refer back to. While it's time consuming, the Winter here are horrendously dreary, and thus I am allowed plenty of time to work on it. The entire 'Conifer Collection' folder with it's 3,000 photos and 1,400 folders still fits onto a single DVD which I backup twice a year onto a disc. Someday, I'll be glad to share them with whoever asks, once I make proper corrections and have 3-4 years of growth on 99% of my plants to show people. -Will

Trees take a look at the link below. It sets out the procedure for you. After shutting the computer down be sure to remove the power cable from the back of the tower. Also be sure to have your bare arm resting on the metal frame to dissipate any static electricity that could cause damage. Here is a link that might be useful: Add another hard drive

Janette, The default backup location of the 'Windows Backup Utility' is the 'Floppy' drive. Under 'Choose a place to save your backup', click the 'browse' button and select a location on your drive, maybe your documents folder, to save the backup and give it a name. You should then be able to use your recording software to copy this file to CD or DVD. I have an external, Western Digital 120, hard drive that I bought at Best Buy a few years ago. Usually the drives will come with a backup software, mine came with 'Dantz Retrospect', but I haven't used it. I use a couple different options for backup. I use 'Acronis True Image', a drive imaging software, which I can use to restore an exact replica of my drive, operating system, settings, documents, etc., from a partition on my external drive to my internal drive in case of internal drive failure or corruption. I also just use the 'copy and paste' feature to backup 'My Documents' to the external drive even though it is redundant and not necessary because I can also retrieve files from the 'Acronis' image. Just 'putzin'. Witz Here is a link that might be useful: Windows Backup Utility

Acronis is an excellent program, I have it. There are some free imaging programs also. You would be imaging the entire drive including the opearting system so should you have a need to use the image it would put it back exactly the way it was when you did the image, it is just like taking a snapshot of the drive. This site does a good job of explaining how to use it and also you can purchase it from them for a reduced cost. Using Acronis Acronis 8 free software to image/backup/ghost your computer (free alternatives to Acronis True Image, Norton Ghost, etc.). with imaging you can back up to an external hard drive, another internal hard drive, a partition, cd or dvd, flash there are many options depending on the product used. I still also keep a copy on a flash drive and online storage of my most important files and pictures etc just to be extra safe.