Windows Vista and Windows 7 are both great operating systems with some features that are undiscovered by many of their users. In this edition of Tech Helpline’s Lifeline, we explore the options you have as a Windows Vista or Windows 7 user to back up your computer and files.

Complete PC Backup

If you own Windows Vista Business, Ultimate or Windows 7 Home Premium, you have access to the ability to completely back up your computer in case of a catastrophic hard drive crash or powerful virus. This is the best form of backup and all it requires is an external hard drive and time to set aside to start the process.

In Windows Vista Business and Ultimate:
Click the Start button on the lower left-hand corner. Type in “Backup” but do not press enter. Look for “Backup Status and Configuration” to appear in the search list and click on that. Click on “Complete PC Backup.” Click “Create a backup now” and follow the prompts to select the external device (external hard drive, usually) onto which you’d like to back up your computer. You will be asked which drive to back up.; usually this is the “C:” drive.

In Windows 7:
Click the Start button on the lower left-hand corner. Type in “Backup” but do not press enter. Look for “Back up your computer” to appear in the search list and click on that. Click on “Create a system image.” Select the external device (external hard drive, usually) to which you will be backing up your computer. You will be asked which drive to back up; usually this is the “C:” drive.

The process may take an hour or more. The Complete PC backup is for major backups. Follow with regular backups as instructed below to have the latest inventory of your more important files backed up  while using the complete backup as a good starting point to recover from in case of a crash.


Windows Vista and 7′s built-in backup features

Windows Vista and 7 hold the tools to also periodically back up your more important files on a regular schedule. This process is rather quick and painless. Being that this exists in windows itself, you can use this process on any computer manufactured in the last four years with Windows on it.

In Windows Vista:
Click the Start button on the lower left-hand corner. Type in “Backup” but do not press enter. Look for “Backup Status and Configuration” to appear in the search list and click on that then click on “Back Up Files”. Click “Set up automatic file backup” and follow the prompts to select the external device (external hard drive or USB Flash drive, typically) to which you would like to back up your files. You will then be presented with options for which files you would like to back up.

In Windows 7:
Click the Start button on the lower left-hand corner. Type in “Backup” but do not press enter. Look for “Back up your computer” to appear in the search list and click on that and then click on “Set up backup”. Select the external device (external hard drive or USB Flash drive, typically) to which you will be backing up your files. You will then be presented with options for which files you would like to back up, including allowing Windows to choose for you (recommended).


Backing up a computer is essential for keeping your valuable documents, photos and records around. Just a few minutes of your time can save you from unnecessary stress, anxiety, and in the case of businesses, lost revenue.

Contributions to this article were made by Allen Williams, Tech Helpline Technical Analyst

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Internet Browsers Have You Scratching Your Head?

Overwhelmed by Internet browser choices? How do you determine which one is right for you? Here are some features of my top three browser picks so that you can decide which one is for you.

Mozilla Firefox 3.5

Many surveys have shown that users think Firefox is the king of browsers. It now works faster and uses less memory than previous versions. Another bonus – it works with all platforms including Windows, Linux, and Mac.

• Private Browsing: This feature allows you to go undercover online, where your online fingerprint is completely untraceable.

• Open Video and Audio: This is the first open source video and audio format which allows sites to display media content without plug-ins and other proprietary software.

• Awesome Bar: This feature learns about you, and the more you use it, it adapts to your preferences by providing new matches from previous searches.

• Instant Website ID: This allows you to avoid illegitimate sites, especially when making purchases. This feature gives you a quick identity overview of the site, company and its location.

Internet Explorer 8

IE’s new features may help it increase its competitiveness and become the favored choice once again. This may be your preferred browser if you are into gadgets and tools to gain efficiency when browsing.

• Web Slices: Key lime pie? Not quite, but nearly as nice. If you frequent certain portions of a website, such as checking on auction items or stock quotes, then this web slice icon could be handy. It will provide you with updates on these sites directly from the favorites bar.

• Accelerators: You can shorten browsing steps with a couple clicks of a mouse. You can highlight a street address and use the accelerator icon to get driving directions. Or you can even translate a word. IE offers several, different accelerators.

• SmartScreen: It’s like having your own personal online bodyguard! This filter detects and notifies you of malicious websites and downloads that are reported as unsafe.

• Parental Controls: This allows you to customize a security mix to protect your family.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is very fast, intuitive, and applies the rule that “less is more,” giving Windows users a stripped down option without clutter.

• Untraditional Toolbars: Chrome offers new tab attributes – drag tabs from the browser to make new windows, rearrange or delete tabs, and if one tab accidentally closes, you will not lose the other open tabs because they’re independently run.

• Incognito Mode: Similar to Firefox’s Private Browsing feature, this mode allows you to view websites privately.

• Task Manager: This feature shows the amount of resources being used by open web pages or plug-ins. If one’s slowing you down, you can terminate the process without even having to shutdown the browser.

Keep in mind that anytime new browser updates are released; be sure to check for compatibility issues with your current programs or the websites you use most often. Happy browsing!

Tech Helpline’s goal is to provide superior technology support services, including: computer repair, spyware removal, virus protection, helpdesk outsourcing, remote support, data recovery services and email technical support. We’ve been in operation for nearly ten years, and we currently support more than 250,000 individuals. Our offices and staff are U.S. based, located in Orlando, Florida.