The term backing up means keeping a copy of the important data or information in a separate location and retrieving it in case you loose the original data. This means copying the data to a separate media. The oldest way to store the back up copy is through floppy diskette. They are however not the reliable storage media and should be used for temporary storage if no other option is available. Tape drive is yet another storage media but suffers from some disadvantages too.

The tapes are slow and very sensitive to magnetism and heat and therefore not recommended for back up process. Zip drive is yet another back up media and became very poplar for many reasons. It can store more than 250 megabytes and are easy to use. You just need to insert the disk and copy the data to it. It is reliable but somewhat pricey. Recently, re-writable CDs have given a whole new dimension to back up process with its storage space of about 650 MB and reliability.

This media is comparatively cheaper and convenient to use. There is another way to back up data which is through another hard drive. If you have more than one PC then you can easily network them and copy the files to the hard drive of the other system. The advantage of this method is that if one PC gets down then you have the back up of other system and it is much easy and fast way to have a back up.

The latest media that has stormed the back up market is the online back up storage where you can upload your information for back up by renting the disk space online. For this media you just need to have an internet connection. The method is reliable and offers greater security and protection against the loss of data due to theft, natural calamities and other reasons. You can have a hassle free back up where the process happens automatically on a regular basis

You should be very selective while backing up files and data as the space in your system is limited and you would want only relevant and important data to have a back up. It is not recommended to have a back up of everything on your PC as there are certain data such as, the operating system and applications that can be retrieved very easily if you loose them. You can just reinstall them from the original CD. The frequency with which you should back up also needs consideration of elements like the importance of the data and the usage of the system. Generally you should back up weekly or monthly depending upon the work you do.