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Q: After experiencing my first “computer crash”, I am looking for the best solution for a back-up.  I was thinking of using an external hard-drive, but if I get this, will it need security software also?  Would it be protected by my Norton, and guess if it is used as a “back-up” does that mean if something takes out my computer, then the external hard-drive would not be affected, and would save all my data?  Also how much RAM would I need for the external, as I called for a price check on these and they run from cheap to very expensive

– Gayle H.
Niceville,FL

 Q: I have a USB powered external hard drive that I purchased a couple of years ago to back up my hard drive to.  It came with software to perform this function and the manufacturer is apparently no longer in business.  Besides, it was not very user friendly.  Will the Backup Wizard [that I just discovered] in Windows Pro work with my external hard drive?  If so, is there anything special I need to do or do I just follow the prompts in the Wizard?

– Bruce B.
Fort Walton Beach,FL

 A: Great questions!  Let’s talk about USB for a moment.  USB, or as it’s more formally known, Universal Serial Bus, is found on all modern PCs.  It’s that flat rectangular plug, about ½” wide on the back or front of your computer.  The current USB 2.0 standard is extremely fast and flexible.  Thanks to modern plug-and-play technology, USB is a great choice to add peripherals to your computer, even if you’re not very tech-savvy.

 One type of USB peripheral is mass storage, which Gayle and Bruce asked about.  This can take many forms, from the very handy “thumb drive” to regular hard disks mounted in an external case.  In the case of the thumb drive, “installation” is as simple as plugging it in and waiting a few moments.  The external hard disk is only slightly more complicated, since most require a power connection in addition to the USB port.  In both cases, you’ll find that after the plug-and-play installer finishes, a new drive letter will appear in under “My Computer.”  Unless you’re already putting a strain on the amount of RAM in your computer, there should be no need to add additional memory when installing such a peripheral.

 From Windows’ perspective, once a USB storage device is installed, it looks and acts like a hard drive, which just happens to be removable.  You can use it for anything you’d use a hard drive for, such as backups (including the Backup Wizard built into Windows XP), archives, additional storage space, etc. Since it’s just another hard drive, your virus scanner should automatically protect it.  However, since it’s physically separated from your computer, barring some kind of a massive power surge or lightning strike, your data should be preserved if your computer gets “taken out.”  You should be able to plug the USB device into any other computer to access your data.