Everybody needs to make backups

Do you backup your computer frequently (at all)? Almost everyone has data on their computer that would be greatly missed if it were lost. Many people don't backup there computer for many reasons. Some people don't realize the importance of backing up, other know the importance but still don't do it because they feel it is too much work. Data backup is a must for everyone from the home user to the corporate network manager. A virus or hard drive failure could unexpectedly wipe out your precious data. Backing up your computer does not need to be difficult and an effective backup strategy can be easily implemented into your normal computing routine. The pages is this section of computer-help-center.com are designed to help computer users of any skill level keep their valuable data safe by backing up. All backup operations can easily be automated so that you can set up your backups system once and then essentially forget about it until that unfortunate day when you have computer problems.

The backups strategy will be slightly different for different computer users depending on how you use your computer and what files are on your computer.

Backup recommendations
I personally recommend that you backup your important files and optionally your entire system at regular intervals using software that can perform incremental backups.
Minimum
Incrementally backup your important files (everything you would rather not lose) daily to weekly depending on your computer usage. Note: if your files are valuable to you, it is best to have two backups of them. It is also not a bad idea to store your backups in a separate location from your computer.
Better
Make an image of your hard drive weekly to monthly depending on your computer usage.
Best
Both of the above options with a twist. Make online backups of your important files in an incremental fashion. Online backup to a remote server guaranties your valuable files reside in a separate location from your computer. This way even in cases of fire, theft, or other disasters you will still have you important data. Online backup is like an insurance policy for your data.