Whether you run a stand-alone system at home or a large network you need to know how to create a backup system. The system may vary but its importance does not.

Let's start by looking at a secondary hard drive which can be internal or external; external is preferred. This is a system that allows you to mirror your existing hard drive and then either do incremental backups or full backups. Having an external hard drive allows you to carry it easily to another location for storage in case of a fire or theft of your computer.

CD's are a quick and easy way to backup data on a personal computer. Use the Windows XP backup feature, drag and drop, or use an external program such as NERO. CD's are typically a small amount of storage space today, with only about 700 megabytes of storage space. This may be a very time-consuming option if you have several gigabytes of data you are backing up. CD's have a limited capacity, so if you have lots of data they may not be the right option.

Tape backups are a good choice for business of any size. The drive is attached to your computer and you purchase cartridges for the tape drive you have. Data is then transferred to the cartridge using the backup utility software that comes with the hardware. It's a relatively easy process. In the past, the biggest problem with tape backup has been the higher error rates.

However, because of the new VXA tape technology there are no errors. VXA has a "perfect write" -- see the VXA video demo tour yourself. This is a great option for small or medium businesses. This ground-breaking technology uses digital packets, which gives it the ability to do error corrections on the fly. The zero error tolerance means you never have to worry about a bad backup.

The last option we'll look at is the online backup service option, which is very easy to use. They come with their own software utility wizard or an internet browser-based wizard, which gives you great versatility when on the go. Your log in and password ensures your data remains safe and only accessed by you. This option is a good one for an individual or a small company.

Watch the VXA Technology virtual tour.