You only need to back up your actual data files. In order to function properly, Program Files and Windows need to be installed from the original CDs, so you do not need to back them up.

The largest things you probably have to back up are your My Documents folder and your Outlook email folder.

To determine the size of your My Documents folder, click the Start Menu. Right-click on My Documents and choose Properties. Select the General tab and this will tell you the amount of data you have in this location.

To determine the size of your Outlook data, Open Outlook, then right click on your Inbox folder. Choose Properties, then click on the Folder Size button. Look for the Total Size.

See Also:

• Selecting Folders for Backup
• Removing Data from Storage
• Understanding the Default Features