How To: Backup data using Acronis True Image

To protect your important data like office documents, emails, music, application settings and so on from a system crash, hard drive failure or virus attack, it is essential for you to regularly back up your data. To do this quickly and easily you need backup software.

In this tutorial, we will explain how to systematically backup your data so that you will always be able to recover it in the case of an emergency.

One of the best backup products available is Acronis True Image. It requires no special expertise. Just follow this step by step guide. Please download and install Acronis True Image on your PC to begin.

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Step 1: Start the Software

Start Acronis True Image from the Start Menu.

Step 2: Start the Backup Wizard

Click Operations Menu and then click Backup. This will open the Backup Wizard window. Then click the Next button.

Step 3: Select the Type of Backup

Now the wizard will prompt you to select the Backup Type. Depending on what you want to back up, select the Backup Type. For example, if you want to backup your emails then select My E-mail and so on.

Once you select the Backup Type, click Next and the wizard will further prompt you to select options according to your Backup Type selection. For example, selecting My computer allows you to backup whole disk partitions to preserve the current state of your computer, selecting My Data allows you to backup specific data (files, folders etc.), selecting My Application Settings allows you to save installed application settings to a backup archive.

For this tutorial, we will select My Computer to backup a disk partition.

Step 4: Select Data and Data Location

Now its time to select the actual backup data. In this case, we can either backup a Disk Partition or a System State (i.e. System Files, Drives etc). If you had selected My E-Mail then you would be able to backup E-Mails.

After data selection, Click Next and select the disk location where you wish to store the Backup Archive. You can back up to external, removable or network drives, CD or DVD, or to a secure, hidden partition on your hard drive. When you have made your choice, click Next again.

Step 5: Select Backup Mode and Options

After you select the backup archive location, you will have to select the Backup Mode which can be New, Incremental or Differential. This option affects which files are backed up and how long the backup operation will take. You don't need to back up your entire computer every time.

If you select New, a new backup archive file will be created. If the file already exists, it will be overwritten.
If you select Incremental, only those files and folders will be copied which have changed since the last backup.
If you select Differential, only those files will be copied which are changed since the last full (new) backup.

On the next step you can select Backup Options which enables you to password protect the archive, specify the compression level etc. If you are happy with the default options you can just click Next.

You can add comments to the backup archive to help you easily and quickly find it later on.

Step 6: Backup Selection Summary

On the final step, you can optionally verify your selections throughout the wizard on one screen. Click Proceed button to start the Backup operation, and wait for it to finish.

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