A "Simple" (?) Backup?

Running XP on one of my machines - with an older, small (7+ year-old Dell 4500S with a 40 GB) hard drive.

I'm having serious issues (problems) with "speed" on this PC...actually with a lack thereof.

I've read that a registry cleaning might help (though I use ccleaner for that a great deal as it is!) - though I understand that "messing" with a registry can be disastrous as well.

I have never performed a "back-up" on any computer. I think I need some sort of 'backup for dummies' link.

Do I necessarily need to back-up if I have the original install/setup disks issued by Microsoft (and Dell) when we bought this PC please?

If not, I do have one SMALL (2 GB) flash-type of USB device (a thumb drive?) - will that suffice?

I just MAXED-OUT the RAM on this machine (up from 1.25 GB to a total of 2GB) to little avail (no real difference noticed).

I have been trying to speed-up this machine for YEARS - again, to little or no avail...seemingly.

Thanks in advance...

 

WOW - thank you very much - very valuable -who knew!?!

 

And the top sticky on this software site contains a MG backup tool.

 

It isn't until after you've restored your comp to its original state that you begin to realise (with horror!) just how much stuff you've actually lost. As well as backing up your personal files I recommend you run XP's Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. This will save a whole mess of stuff for you on a flash drive or CD which you can recover to your new setup.

XP's Help describes how to employ the wizard.

 

Well thank you (you happy person you!), but I just tried to utilize this program, and, apparently, don't understand it ...at all.

Evidently 500MB won't backup anything on my PC that would seem worth backing-up??

I've unchecked just about every box in the program setup, and it still tells me I'm exceeding 500MB.

In fact, I would un-check a box, and it would register just barely over 500 (on the "auto-detect"), and then I would un-check another, and it would shoot up and register 600 or more??

That it would perform in this manner makes no sense...(though it's probably just me...almost nothing makes sense to me any more with this computer technology.)

 

The things you can back up with this are primarily your documents and, spreadsheets, pictures. 500Mb isn't enough for many programs.

You would need to find thes, usually in the My Documents. A bit of a hassle to set up but you only have to do it once.

Alternatively, you can try Cobian backup. Just type Cobian on the MG homepage searchbox. Here again you will have to go through a one time setup and you will need your own external media.

Best regards,

 

Thank you again.

I must ask (though I should probably PM on this, but...), is there a story behind your signature here?