2BrightSparks SyncBackSE provides a strong back up option. It takes you through a set up wizard and you can start taking back up of all the important data. You can take a back even when the file is in use. The basic version of SyncBackSE is free of cost, the next level costs about $30 and the professional version costs about $50. The professional version adds the encryption option and advanced customization.

The next one inline is the EMC Dantz Retrospect Professional Backup Software. This is excellent for small businesses. This is because of the ease of setting it up and operating. LAN consisting of 2-3 computers can go well with this software. Automatic back up and automatic recovery of files are some of the best features of EMC Dantz Retrospect Professional.

Norton Ghost Backup Software is the third one whose professional version costs $69.99. The best feature of this software is the automatic management of memory. It checks whether there’s free space for the back ups and acts accordingly. The back up schedule can be set up as per your requirement. Another advantage of this software is that back up of images can be taken without starting the system again. It even has incremental back ups which can save a considerable amount of time.

Acronis True Image Backup Software is another such software which is meant for back up as well as disaster recovery. It is basically made keeping in mind the requirement of a stand alone PC for home users. The restoring process in this is extremely quick and easy to do as it is saved in the form of an image. If you click on this image, you can restore the entire data stored earlier.

The last one is the BounceBack Professional Backup Software. This creates an accurate copy of all the files on you PC and enables easy access to the files. It is also one of those rare software which work well with Macintosh systems.

It is always a good idea to have a back up software installed on your PC, at least the basic one if not the professional version. This ensures convenient back ups and no loss of data.

A CD or DVD works best for personal data such as photographs and videos. They are also ideal for storing presentations, documents and other small size data required in the office. An office PC is in use at all times, mostly throughout the day thus more prone to crash. Thus, it is important that even minor, seemingly unimportant data is backed up in case it is required later. Such data can be easily stored on rewritable CD or DVD and deleted when it is not likely to be used again.

Flash drives work best for office use, the best part being they can be kept safely in your pocket. It is also simpler to use compared to CD or DVD as it acts as a regular drive where all you need to do is copy and paste the data to be backed up. There is no need of software to burn the data. The drawback is that it is prone to virus attack, especially those meant to attack USB drives. It is important that your format and scan the drive before saving any sensitive data.

Apart from this, you can also back up your precious data online using FTP. Though security of the data may seem like a problem, most FTP sites are secure and also back up the data again on DVD. This is the best option when you don’t have very large data but nevertheless it is important.

Though saving your data on another media is the best option, you must also keep a copy of important data on your hard drive. For instance, if you save pictures in the C drive, which is the system drive, you must take a back up on D drive. This works best in case the system crashes wiping off your C drive, however your data remains safe in the D drive.

The type of back up used depends entirely on your requirement. In case you have a small or medium sized business you can always buy storage devices or space on the internet to back up your data.