Do it by hand - One possible method (which will not work if you are using a tape drive) is to simply copy files to your backup media by hand. This does have some advantages:

- It does not cost anything. And after spending money to buy some backup hardware this may be best solution.

- It's very easy. Just drag and drop (assuming you are not using a tape drive).

The disadvantages are numerous:

- You must be present to do backup. However, you could just drag and drop before going to bed.

- Since it requires you to actually perform backup yourself, you may have a greater tendency to allow backups to slip.

- Your system will be very busy while backup is being performed, since it is done "in foreground".

Second Copy - Possibly best all-around product that I've found for simple backup operations is called Second Copy (this is not an affiliate link - this is an honest recommendation and we will not make any money if you purchase product). Second Copy is inexpensive (less than thirty dollars for a one user license) and extremely simple to use.

The program sits in your system tray whenever you are logged in. You create profiles (this is very easy) which specify which files to back up, where you want them to go and when you want backup to occur. The entire process of setting up a profile generally requires a couple of minutes.

What I've done on my own system is create a series of profiles to back up different things.

Paint Shop Pro version 7 has many different features with many different files. The locations of each of files are explained below. Note that Paint Shop Pro is almost unique in that you can define up to three different locations for each of these features. This is most cool.

Tubes - A picture tube is a way to create repeating graphics with different images. For example, you could create a tube of 20 different butterflies. Each time you clicked tube you would get a random butterfly image added to your graphic. You can create your own tubes and you can download tubes from internet. They are stored, by default, in following location.

C:Program FilesJasc Software IncPaint Shop Pro 7Tubes

Patterns - A pattern is an image which is used to create strokes or fills. By default, patterns are stored here.

C:Program FilesJasc Software IncPaint Shop Pro 7Patterns

Textures - A texture defines three dimensional characteristics of a two-dimensional graphics. For example, you could define a crumpled piece of paper or a stucco surface. Textures are stored here:

C:Program FilesJasc Software IncPaint Shop Pro 7Textures

Gradients - A gradient defines degree of changes in colors. They are stored in this location by default:

C:Program FilesJasc Software IncPaint Shop Pro 7Gradients

Brushes - These allow you to define brush tips. They are stored in this location by default.

C:Program FilesJasc Software IncPaint Shop Pro 7Brushes