Protect the home front

"Most people think about backing up data about 10 minutes after it's too late to do any good. If you realize that you really need a good backup program after your hard disk crashes or your teenager decides to clear out some of your files to make room for new music downloads, you're setting yourself up for a data disaster.

Are you prepared to lose your e-mail address book (and all your messages)? What would you do if your entire collection of digital photos disappeared tomorrow in a puff of electrons? Do you have backup copies of your electronically-filed tax return or your crucial correspondence?

Fortunately, backing up your essential files is neither difficult nor time-consuming. In fact, the whole process can take as little as 10 minutes a week, and you can let Windows XP do most of the work. "