Use the Backup utility to help protect your data You can use Backup to archive your data, so you can easily restore it if your hard drive crashes. 1. Click Start and point to All Programs, then Accessories, and then System Tools. Click Backup. 2. The Backup or Restore Wizard starts by default. Click Next. 3. In the window that asks "What do you want to do?" click Back up files and settings, and then click Next. 4. Choose which files to back up and click Next. 5. Choose a place to save your backup (to another drive on your PC, a Zip drive or other removable media, a shared network drive, or an external hard disk drive). Click Next, and then Finish.
thx for the tip! windows backup has always been a chance though. suggest using a 3rd party backup software from someone else also system restore is a great utility to fix windows if it happens to crash, yet is still crippling along.