Windows 7 - Back up system?

Hi
I will have to send my laptop off to the Acer service centre, I have a large amount of dead pixels and need to do a back up of my data.

It is Win 7 Home Premium.

I was told that they COULD wipe the drive even though it is a scren problem?

Is there a way I can do this as well as copying my data, but ALL of my settings as well, basically I want a complete image of my hard drive as it is today??

Thanks in a dvance.

Yes, you can do this. Go into Start, Computer, Right click on C and choose Properties. Click on the Tools tab at top, click on Backup at the bottom, choose the option for Create a System Image.

Note, you will need an external hard drive to complete this...as you have to back it up somewhere.

Hi,

so this will save all my settings, everything on my C drive, even down to the desktop items?

It will if it works correctly when the time comes to restore. That is never guaranteed.

If I were you, I would make a separate file by file backup of my personal data to that external drive, above and beyond any image you might make. That way, if the image fails to restore, you still have copies of your personal files (mp3s, pictures, videos, Word and Excel files, etc).

But I am not sure this way I would get all of the settings I would want?
Could I just copy C drive to the external HD?? Or is that what Back-Up basically does?

If you create a full system image, as recommended, it will save everything. If they wipe your drive, you could restore the whole thing in maybe 20 minutes or less.

As ignatzatsonic pointed out, there is a small chance something will fail. However, the chance of that happening is low.

It won't do you any good to simply copy your entire C drive to the external drive. You couldn't then simply drag it back to your hard drive.

Imaging is the only way to avoid going through a new installation if you have to do that. But you can and should simply copy your PERSONAL files to the external as a fallback position if imaging won't work.

Imaging is a byte for byte replica of your entire C partition---that will include all settings, licenses, configurations, programs, etc--EVERYTHING on C.

OK Thanks.

So I should do a Create an System Image and then back up my pictures, music, etc seperately, just in case?

How is Create an System Image and Create a New Full Back up differnet? Just for my info..

There is no Create Full Backup option in Windows backup; it is names Create a System Image.

The 2 separate backups are for your peace of mind only. In case the system image fails (unlikely), you will still have your most valuable data saved.

If you have the space and time, it never hurts to take extra precautions.

The system image is an image of the whole machine. You can use that image to restore onto a clean hard drive that is blank and you will get back absolutely everything.

A full backup of those folders would back up the data in those folders. However, you could not put the whole system back in place with this type of update. With this, you would have to reinstall your operating system, reinstall your drivers, reinstall your applications and then restore your data files from the backup.