It has been mentioned several times in different posts but I think
most users tend to disregard the advice...BACK IT UP!!!!!

BACK UP UR ENTIRE HD OPERATIONAL CONTENTS OF YOUR SYSTEM!

Hard Drives are VERY CHEAP today compared with earlier years...

at least in the SW part of the U.S. -- COMP USA, BEST BUY,
CirCUS CITY [and I mean exactly that, the video game and tv noise is
horrendus] and Office D-POT...offer 80G/120G/160G HDs on an almost weekly basis for under $100 or $75 and sometimes even less....
on Holiday sales...

I GHOST the HD of every machine I buy before i even hook to the
internet...

This past weekend I bought a MY BOOK 500 GIG EXT HD for $129.00 + the govenors fee....

and I keep only COPIES on the PUTER..I put an average of 10+ LPS/
CAS on the puter each week...and burn to CD...

Each new puter comes with RESTORE CDS...but the GHOST HD route
is the best PROTECTIVE METHOD I know of...

GG