If you use = Windows Vista, it comes with a straightforward way to backup your files (not the OS) regularly to the HDA.10 =
To There is utility to back up Windows 8/10 systems called "File History". Here is a brief tutorial on how to [http://www.howtogeek.com/74623/how-to-use it, go to -the Backup and restore Center (Start -> Control Panel new-file-history-> Backup & Restore):feature-in-windows-8/ use file history to backup]. The key is to use your HDA for backup, for example a backups share called \\hda\backups share.
[[Image:VistaBackups1We recommend to lower the "keep my backups" option from Forever to less than that, like 6 months or a year. Otherwise, your storage may get full quickly.png]]
In it, you can configure settings to make = Vista do backups to your HDA daily, weekly Windows 7 or monthly. All you have to specify is that you want to backup to the network, e.g. to \\hda\files\backups.8 =
The first time it will back up all If you use Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, there is a built-in, straightforward way to backup your files(not the OS) regularly to the HDA. To use it, go to the Backup and restore Center (Start -> Control Panel -> Backup & Restore). Subsequent In Windows 8, You can launch the backup from the Control panel: [[Image:VistaBackups1.png|border|500px]] In it, you can configure settings (in "Change settings) to make Vista do backups are incremental: only what changed since last backup is savedto your HDA daily, weekly or monthly.
[[Image:VistaBackups2.png|border|500px]]
All you have to specify is that you want to backup to the network, e.g. to
\\hda\backups\[machine]
Where [machine] is your machine name.
The first time it runs it will back up all your files. Subsequent backups are incremental: only what changed since last backup is saved.
[[Image:VistaBackups3.png|border]]
It saves your files in the form of zip files, to they are easy to recover, even without using the vista "Restore Files" program.
For step-by-step details for Win7 and Win 8, check the [[Win7Backups]] page.
