Manual Backup and Restore

• 1). Check the application you are using to determine if a backup option is available. For example, when exiting QuickBooks or Quicken, you are prompted to create a backup of the files that have been created. Clicking "Yes" will back up the application into a single file, which can be burned to a CD or DVD. You may also find options to back up in the "File," "Tools" or "Options" menu of the application you are using.
  
  
• 2). Open your CD or DVD burning software, like Roxio, or the default disc burning software that came with your computer.
  
  
• 3). Click on the option to burn a new data disc. For example, within Roxio, you can click on "Create a data disc." Drag and drop the backup file that was created in your chosen software application you would like to backup and recover or click the "Browse" button within your DVD/CD creation application and navigate to the backup file you created. You can also drag and drop any and all files that you would like to back up and recover into the DVD/CD burning application.
  
  
• 4). Click "Burn," and when the operation is complete, the CD should pop out of your disc drive. Keep disc in a safe place.
  
  

Windows Recovery CD

• 1). Locate applications on your computer that are created for backup and recovery. For example, Dell computers being manufactured as of 2011 have a backup and restore option. Windows Vista and Windows 7 has a backup and restore application which can be found by clicking "Start," "Control panel," then "Backup and restore."
  
  
• 2). Click on the option to, "Create a system repair disk."
  
  
• 3). Insert a blank disc into your disc drive. DVDs may be best when creating your recovery disk, as they can contain more data than a CD-ROM.
  
  
• 4). Click "Create disk" and Windows will create and burn a recovery disk that will automatically boot when you place it in your DVD drive before rebooting your computer.