You are responsible for making backups of personal data/files stored on the ThinkPad. Why back up my data/files? Files and data can be lost through viruses, accidental deletion, hardware failure, or theft of the computer. Hard drives are made up of moving parts which will eventually fail after extended use, that is why it is essential that you maintain a backup of your data so that you do not lose anything that is important to you or your work.  Backups should reduce the impact of such occurrences.  In addition, if you are bringing the ThinkPad to the Bridge for exchange or repairs, your data must be backed up prior to service. How often should I back up my data/files? A good rule of thumb is to back up your data/files whenever you have done enough work that you would not want to re-create it if your changes were lost. Also, data/files should be backed up before the junior ThinkPad exchange. Always back up your data before you bring the ThinkPad to the Service Desk walk-in area for repairs. What type of storage device should I use? CD-R, DVD-R, USB keys and external hard drives are all options that can be used to back up your data.  Note that CD/DVD-RW and CD/DVD+R discs may not be readable on all computers and are not recommended.

Backup Options

There are many different options you can use to store/back up your data. Explore some of those options here. Backing up data with a DVD Record Data with Lenovo Burn.Now (Windows 7, Vista and XP)

Backing up data with an External Hard Drive

Windows 7 Using Windows Explorer to Create a Backup of Your Files to an External Hard Drive

• Close all programs and files.
• Click the Start menu.
• Click Computer.
• Double-click on D:
• Select the UserData and Users folder by holding the Ctl key and clicking each folder.
• Right-click and select Copy.
• Close the window.
• Make sure the external hard drive is plugged in. Note: Close the AutoPlay window if it appears.
• Click Start menu.
• Click Computer.
• Locate and right-click on your external hard drive (most likely drive F: ).
• Click Paste.
• A small dialog box will appear, displaying time remaining. Depending on the amount of data, it may take several minutes.
• If errors about files appear, click Skip for all boxes. (If you closed all programs and files before the backup process begins, File in Use refers to files running in the background by Vista that cannot be and do not need to be backed up.)

Click here to view a video about data backup for a T410 with Windows 7. Click here to view a video about data backup for a T400 with Windows 7. Contact the Service Desk if you have questions about making a backup of your data. 

Vista Using Windows Explorer to Create a Backup of Your Files to an External Hard Drive

• Close all programs and files.
• Click the Start menu.
• Click Computer.
• Double-click on T400 (C:)
• Locate and double-click on Users folder.
• Locate and right-click on WFUT4002009 folder.
• Click Copy.
• Close the window.

Make sure the external hard drive is plugged in. Note: Close the AutoPlay window if it appears.

• Click Start menu.
• Click Computer.
• Locate and right-click on your external hard drive (most likely drive E: ).
• Click Paste.
• A small dialog box will appear, displaying time remaining. Depending on the amount of data, it may take several minutes.
• If errors about files appear, click Skip for all boxes. (If you closed all programs and files before the backup process begins, File in Use refers to files running in the background by Vista that cannot be and do not need to be backed up.)

  Contact the Service Desk if you have questions about making a backup of your data. Click here to view a video about data backup for a T400 with Vista.

Verifying Your Data Backup

When backing up your data, you want to ensure that you are backing up your actual files and folders, and not just shortcut's to said files. To verify your data is all there, connect your external harddrive, usb devices or insert the DVD you used to perform the backup, to the ThinkPad. Go to Computer or My Computer and double click your external drive or DVD drive.  Once open, you should be able to view the folders and or files you have backed up.  We recommend checking the size of the files to determine whether or not you have the correct items.

Checking File Size

If you have saved your files inside of a folder on your external device, right click that folder and select Properties.  If the folder size is in the kilobytes or KB's you most likely do not have all your data. Large amounts of data should reach up in to the megabytes or MB's at least, however most are in to the gigabytes or GB's. Similarly, if you have simply saved your files on to an external devices, but did not place them in a folder - right click the external devices and select Properties to see the size of all the files saved on the drive. You can perform this test on all External Harddrives, USB's and DVDs. Remember: If using a DVD to back up, don't forget to remove it from the drive after checking the file size.