With all the internet and anti-pirating laws passed in the last decade, people are scared to do what Fair Use laws allow them to do. Basically, to make backups of programs, movies, and games they’ve legally purchased.

Fair use Laws and Data Backup

In terms of Fair Use laws, you are allowed to make backup copies of media you’ve purchased. You can also use bits and pieces of that media for school projects and presentations.

You just have to keep copyright laws in mind when doing so, and not make copies for public distribution and sales. And yes, public distribution does include making copies of copyrighted materials for your friends and family who live outside your home. You also may not transmit those materials over digital lines.

Personal Use

You are, for example, allowed to make a backup of that new game you purchased for your personal use. There are many reasons for this including: You what to keep the original disks from getting damaged by repeated use, you want to keep the originals safe from your children, and you don’t want to carry the disks around with you for using with your laptop.

No matter what your reasons are, you feel it is your right to make backups of any media and materials you legally purchased. In the most technical sense, you are absolutely correct. Here’s where it gets tricky.

Copyright and Encryption

Almost all of those movies, games, and programs come with encryption and copyright protection now. If you try to use any of those backups the movie won’t play, the game asks for the original disk, or the program fails to load without the original in the disk drive. While it is your right to make copies, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 has made it illegal for you to circumvent the copyright protection.

Lawsuit Case Study

Case in point: In 2004 321 Studios, a company which made programs to allow consumers to make backups of their legally purchased commercial DVD’s, was forced to shut its doors after repeated lawsuits were filed. A federal judge agreed with the plaintiffs, and ruled that the programs were in violation of copyright laws.

Many other cases have been brought before the courts over the years, but the results are usually the same. If the product “can” be used to circumvent CSS protection, then it’s in violation of copyright laws or the DCMA.

What does this mean for you, the consumer?

Be very careful when making “legal” backups of your digital media. Even if you are within you rights to make copies for personal use, companies have the power, money, and lawyers to force you to desist. Try not to use any of those backups on a computer which has access to the internet. Many programs and movies automatically connect to the manufacturer’s website.

Become active in your state’s political arena. Send letters to your federal representatives urging them to amend or repeal the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Encourage others to do so as well.

Don’t create any websites or articles which detail how to bypass the CSS protection on any digital product. While it may only be to enhance the product, it’s still in violation of the MCDA and could land you in court.

Avoid Hacks and Cracks

Above all, don’t download any “hacked” or “cracked” software or movies. Companies such as EA Games, Disney, and NBC have teams which scan the internet to see who is downloading their products. They also place some of those files on the internet to track the people downloading them.

Norton Ghost 14.0 Features

Norton Ghost has a variety of features for backing you your data, applications, and even your entire hard drive (operating system and all!). It also has a neat feature called Copy Drive that makes this fairly easy to do. How you created the 15 CDs will dictate how you should proceed. For example, if the CDs are backups of the data only, you’ll need to install Norton Ghost on your new computer and use the Recover My Files option where as if you used the Copy Drive feature, the steps will be different. The Copy Drive feature is useful when you are replacing an older hard drive with a new one and may not be the best choice for copying files to a new computer.

Using the Recover My Files Option

Since you have a full backup on CDs and a brand new computer, the first step is to install Norton Ghost on the new computer. I assume that you don’t want to replace the new operating system that came with your new PC, just the data, right? Once Ghost is installed, insert disc one into the new computer and launch Norton Ghost. Click on the Recover My Files link followed by File and Folder for the search method. Now, you’ll need to browse and select the files that you want to recover. Once you’ve selected the data files, click on Recover Files and choose either “Recovered files folder on the desktop” or “Alternate folder.” You will need to repeat this for all 15 discs and some discs may not contain any data files at all.

Because you have so many discs, I recommend that you redo the Ghost backup and select only the data files that you want to place on your new computer and then back those up on CD. It will be easier than browsing through 15 discs of operating system and application files.

Dealing with One Monitor

Fortunately, it doesn’t matter that you only have one monitor. Once you are confident that you have saved all of your data on CD, you can disconnect your old computer and connect the new PC to the monitor.

Other Options

Ghost is fairly complex. If you haven’t already, download the user’s manual. That way, you’ll have step-by-step directions for using all of Ghost’s features.

While Ghost is powerful, depending on how much you want to transfer from one computer to the next, you might find that the Windows Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is easier in this situation. This utility is terrific for transferring your files and settings from a Windows XP or Vista machine to a new XP or Vista computer. Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > File and Settings Transfer Wizard (Windows Easy Transfer if you have Windows Vista) and follow the prompts.

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Open GHO File

Is it all USB devices, or just one particular memory stick? There are times when a memory stick is defective, so be sure the issue really is with the port and not one particular device. Assuming the issue is with the computer itself, there are some things you can do if one or more of your USB ports is unrecognizable.

USB Card Readers

With the introduction of high capacity memory cards, older card readers are often incompatible with newer high capacity memory sticks. Even though the cards physically look the same and fit, these readers cannot read the cards due to file system changes in the newer formats. Double check to be sure that the card reader is compatible with your memory stick.

Power Down

This may sound silly, but it has worked for others so it’s worth a try. Power the computer down and unplug it completely from the wall. Let it sit - some people say 10 seconds, some people say 1 hour, it’s up to you - and then plug it back in again and see if your USB ports are now recognized. Apparently, this allows the motherboard to discharge completely and this is often successful.

Are you using an HP computer? If so, you can try putting the stick in the USB port and turning off the computer. Unplug it and then hold the start button down for 10 seconds. Keeping the card in the slog, plug it back in and then restart. Many times your USB port will be recognized.

Uninstall Drivers

You can try to uninstall the drivers for the USB ports and let the system reinstall them. Go to Start and then Control Panel. Choose System and then Hardware and Device Manager. Expand the Universal Serial bus Controllers. Uninstall every device. Close the window and let the computer reboot. Windows should reinstall the correct drivers and allow the USB port to be recognized.

Latest Service Pack

Have you downloaded the latest Windows Service Pack? The original version of Windows XP had a problem when a USB port wasn’t used for a while, it would set the OHCI controller to suspend. Theoretically, it should “wake up” when something is plugged into the port, but it doesn’t always work. The Windows Service Packs were supposed to correct the problem.

I think either powering down or reinstalling the drivers will solve your problem. If it doesn’t and you need additional help, please let us know.

I tried to run a full backup this morning … backing up all C: files to my E: external hard drive. C: = 149 GB available, on E: 456 GB. C: is using the NTFS file system, E is using FAT32. The backup error tells me there wasn’t enough space. E has plenty of free space. Why am I getting this error?

Data Backup

You are correct that the external hard drive appears to have enough space to hold 149 GB of data from your C drive. After all, if you are only transferring 149 GB onto a space with 456 GB of free space, then you have sufficient room on E drive. Check and make sure that the size of data that you are backing up does not exceed the external drive’s capacity. For example, you have 149 GB of free space on the C: drive. However, you are not backing up the free space; rather you are backing up the data. In addition, there are other backup considerations to think about.

The first suggested solution is the most likely one to resolve the problem for you so start there. If that one does not work, then you can continue down the list. Most of the other suggestions are basic ones.

Insufficient Space for Data Backup on Drive Using FAT32

This type of error message is a common one whenever trying to back up more than 4GB of data onto an external drive using FAT32. The suggested solution from Microsoft is to create multiple backups.

Backing up Data to External Drive and Temporary Space

Every process that takes place on a computer uses up some of the resources that are available. When sufficient resources are not available, the situation will prompt the “not enough space” error message. If the amount of free space that you have for temporary use to transfer the files isn’t large enough, you will receive this message. What you need to do then will be to free up some space. Additionally, this message is sometimes generated when any disk on the computer is nearing 10% available space. Therefore, the wisest step is to free up some space on any additional hard drives/partitions that you might have installed.

Freeing up Temporary Space for Data Backup

In order to free up available space to complete the data backup transfer, consider completing the following steps:

• Delete unwanted programs, games, and pictures.
• Delete unwanted documents and files.
• Clear the temporary Internet cache, cookies, browsing history, etc.
• Empty the Recycle Bin.

Selecting Backup Data

It’s important to select only the data that you actually intend to backup with this transfer. For most systems, the C drive contains not only the operating system and documents, but also every game and application that you have installed onto it. This adds up to an entire wealth of data. If you are only interested in the meat of the system, you might try selecting a smaller portion to transfer rather than the entire drive. For example, transferring “My Documents and Settings” will effectively transfer your personal settings and data files. Data backup will take place more quickly if you select only the data that you need to save rather than everything that is on the computer.

Changing the Default for Data Backup

Depending on the model/make of your computer and the operating system that you have installed, the default for data backup is probably not set to an external drive. Whenever backing up data, check that the setting has been switched to the one that you intend to use, in this case, the E drive.

Being Prepared with Recovery CDs

I know a guy that often carries three sets of keys: one in each pocket and another emergency key on a long string around his neck. That way, should he lose his keys, he has a backup set in his other pocket. However, if the backup key were to fall down a gutter or something like that, he is prepared with a backup backup key and it’s around his neck where it can’t possibly slip out of his hands.

While it may seem redundant, making a second, or even a third, set of recovery CDs isn’t a bad idea in the least - and it’s perfectly safe to do. While CDs are fairly reliable, they can become scratched or even warped if exposed to excessive temperatures. You could drop a disc and it could break into pieces. I’ve even accidently cut a CD in half with scissors when trying to open the packaging of a USB drive. You may even have a bad recovery disc from the factory and wouldn’t it be better to discover that now rather than after a hard drive crash?

Copying Recovery Discs

Since you have three recovery discs, you will need three blank CD-R discs. Make sure that your computer is already turned on before loading the first recovery CD. Otherwise, it will boot into the system recovery mode which we don’t want. When inserting the disc into the already turned on computer, you may see a screen wanting to “auto-run” the disc. Don’t choose that option. Instead, choose the option where you can explore the contents of the disc.

Now, use your disc burning software, such as Nero, to copy the disc. You can also use Windows XP or Vista’s built-in disc burning features to copy each disc by going into My Computer and right-clicking the recovery disc in the source drive and choosing Burn to Disc from the menu. Follow the prompts to instruct Windows where to copy the disc.

If you do not have two CD drives, one as the source and the other for the burner, then you will need to create an ISO image of each disc and then copy the ISO images to your CDs. Disc burning software like Nero makes this a simple matter of following a few prompts.

Regular Backups

Recovery CDs have their place and can restore your computer back to its factory settings in case of a computer crash or extensive damage from computer viruses. However, most of us value our computers not so much because the operating system is neat or the programs are fun, but because they store our data. Our financial documents, family photos, and creative works are what really matter. So, while you’re copying your recovery CDs, take the time to backup your precious data. Better, yet, set up a regular backup system to ensure that should your computer crash, not only can you recover the operating system, you can recover your most important computing assets of all: data.

If you need a recommendation for online data backup solutions, read our Data Backup Reviews.

If you use the restore disc that came with your eMachine, you will need to back up any data that you wish to save because you will lose everything due to the restoration. I am including directions on how to back up your iTunes folder. However, you will also need to back up any other information that you have stored on your computer.

There are many ways to backup your data and photo files including burning your files to CD or DVD or storing them online. If you’re interested in using an online backup service, BeinSync is an excellent choice.

Delete and Install iTunes

Before going through all of that, delete the iTunes that you tried to install even if the installation wasn’t complete. Next, visit Apple’s website and obtain the download for iTunes from there. You can access it from this link: iTunes.

Backing up iTunes Folder with a CD or DVD

With iTunes 7 or 8, a backup feature exists. It will allow you to save your iTunes library onto a CD or DVD. You’ll need a compatible CD burner or DVD burner depending on which form of media you choose to save it to. Follow these steps to create a back up disc:

1)      Open up your “iTunes.”

2)      Select the “File” tab.

3)      Select “Library.”

4)      Select the option “Back up disc.”

5)      From the dialog box for “iTunes Backup,” you should select one of the following choices: “Back up iTunes Store purchases” or “Back up entire iTunes library and play lists.”

6)      Insert your blank CD or DVD.

7)      Select the option “Back Up.” Your files will be saved as iTunes scans the disc and burns your files.

8)      If the disk does not have enough room on it, select the option “Data Discs” and insert additional disks.

9)      Transfer the files to the computer once you have restored it.

Transferring iTunes Folder with an iPod

Since an iPod includes a high capacity hard drive, you can use it to move all of your files from an old computer to a new or restored one. You can only do this if you are using iTunes 7, so update to iTunes 7 if you haven’t previously done so. To see a full set of detailed instructions on how to transfer your iTunes folder using your iPod, follow this link: Transfer iTunes Using iPod. It explains how to:

1)      Switch your iPod to manual use

2)      Enable disk use

3)      Place all of the music together

4)      Make sure you have enough room on your iPod

5)      Free up space on the iPod

6)      Prepare your iTunes for transfer

7)      Copy the iTunes folder to the iPod

8)    Backup files that currently exist

9)    Copy files to the new location

10)  Add the music that currently exists back in after the back up

11)  Free up room on the iPod so that you can put music back on

12)  Switch the iPod to automatic update

Moving files to an external drive or USB flash drive, is easy and necessary when buying a new computer or reformatting your hard drive. You can do this by using Windows Explorer and dragging and dropping your files to the external drive or using the “Send to” option.

Hooking up the External Drive

First, you must have an external drive or USB flash drive attached to your computer with sufficient storage capacity. These usually connect to a USB port. Follow all manufacturer installation instructions.

Launching Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer represents the contents of your computer and any attached storage devices by listing the different drives, folders, and files. There are several ways to launch Windows  Explorer. The easiest way is to right-click the Start button and choose Explore.

Dragging and Dropping Files to an External Hard Drive

If you want to use the drag and drop technique, open a second instance of Windows Explorer and make sure that both of the windows show up on the screen. Try to place them side by side. In the left side window of Windows Explorer, click on your computer’s hard drive (usually the C: drive); in the right side window, click on the external hard drive (this will be a higher letter such as the E, F, G, H, or even F drive. The external drive may be identified with a label that says, “external storage device” or something similar.

Once you have the windows lined up, you can then go to the C: drive and drag and drop entire folders to the external drive. The dragging and dropping process involves clicking on the folder (such as My Documents) and keeping the mouse button depressed while you drag the folder across the screen to the external hard drive’s screen. Once you reach the drive, release the mouse button to release the folder. You’ll see a visually display on the screen showing files being moved from one folder to the next. Depending on the size and number of files, this could take a while to complete.

Note that you can use the Control button while clicking folders to select multiple copies.

Using the “Send to” Option

If you don’t like the idea of using two windows and dragging and dropping, you can use the “Send to” option to send your folders to an alternate location such as the external hard drive. Open Windows Explorer by right-clicking Start and choosing Explore. Click on the C: drive to see its list of folders. Find the folder that you want to send to the external hard drive and right-click it. Choose Send to and then find the hard drive in the display that appears.

Which Files to Copy

We’re primarily concerned with copying data files, not system or program files. While My Documents is fairly obvious, you likely have other locations where data files are stored. Make sure to consider all possible folders where you may be storing data. It’s helpful to make a checklist of all of your most important file types and then mark them off the list as you go. Your list might look something like this:

• My Documents
• Microsoft Money data
• Photos of kids
• Recipes
• E-mail messages
• E-mail contact lists
• Tax records

Reinstalling Data Files

Once your computer is restored or you’ve purchased a new computer, getting the files off of the external drive uses the same process, only in reverse. Simply open Windows Explorer, select the folders that you want to copy and drag and drop or choose “Send to.”

Backing Up USB Flash Drive

Software to Back Up USB Flash Drive

I’m not sure that I completely understand your question, but it seems to me that you are looking for software to move the contents of your USB flash drives to hard drives, rather than moving the data manually.

Moving Data to and from a USB Flash Drive

USB flash drives are really easy to use, and even manually it would be straightforward to plug in your USB flash drive, click the icon to open it, then highlight all the contents and drag and drop them on your desktop. From there you can open files or drag and drop again to various folders on the C: drive.

Install an Operating System on a USB Flash Drive

If this isn’t the information that you are after, then perhaps you are interested in storing an operating system on a USB flash drive. As far as “treating your USB flash drive as the primary source” I assume you mean that you would like to boot from the flash drive, the way that you most often boot from the hard drive.

Adjust your BIOS to Boot from the USB Flash Drive

While this is not exceedingly common, it is certainly possible. If you store an operating system on your USB flash drive, then you can adjust your BIOS settings to boot from the USB drive. Before the computer accesses any drive or program it runs a series of processes called POST that are programmed in to the motherboard and allow the computer to self start and check its own settings. This process cannot be duplicated by any drive or program, so in this sense your computer’s motherboard will always be the “primary source”. Once completed, however, you can adjust your BIOS settings to boot from any drive that you want, presumably one with an operating system. You can save your operating system to a CD and boot from there, the way you perform repairs and reinstallations with the Windows installation disk. Or you can install an operating system on a UBS drive and boot from there.

Windows Sync Center

If you have Windows Vista, try the Sync Center which is located in the Control Panel. You can use this utility to set up mobile devices to sync with your hard drive. With the USB drive connected to your computer, go into the Sync Center and set up a new sync partnership. Once set up, your computer and flash drive will synchronize when connected. Changes to files will be coordinated between the hard drive and flash drive. Not all devices are compatible with Sync Center, so this may or may not be an option.

Recovery Disk D: Out of Space Error

No Space on Recovery Disk D:

OK - the Recovery D: disk on your computer hosts a small file created by the company that manufactured your computer. Rather than go to the expense of including a Windows Operating System CD with each and every computer it makes, most major manufacturers create and include a System Restore drive on the computer instead. If you need or want to run a System Restore, you can access the D: drive when you boot up your computer. However, if you experience a fatal error or major system crash you might not even be able to boot your computer, so you won’t be able to access the D: drive.

About the D: Drive

The D: drive is actually quite small. The System Restore file is the only thing that belongs here. However, it seems as though your back up files are being saved to your D: drive by default. Since your back up copies can’t be saved to the same drive that the operating system is on the back up is often set to D:. If there are other files saved to the D: drive it will quickly fill up and result in this error.

Save your Back Up files to a Removable Device

For this reason, Microsoft and your computer manufacturer suggest that you save the contents of the D: drive off of your computer. Once you save the Recovery file you can remove the D: drive altogether if you want to, although you don’t need to. To clear up the problem open the D: drive and delete the files you no longer need. You should also reset your back up program to save to an external hard drive, a 4 or 8 GB USB flash drive, a CD or DVD.

Resolve the Error Message

There is actually no real problem with the error message - the D: drive doesn’t need to have empty space since you shouldn’t be saving anything here, but you will experience problems with any programs that are trying to save this drive and the constant pop-up error message is annoying. Clear out the drive and save the Recovery file to disk and you should be working well again soon.

Restoring Files from a USB Flash Drive

Using files and accessing folders that are stored on USB flash drives is usually a breeze and the flash drive technology makes it easy and convenient to use USB drives to move files, folders and programs between computers. To open the drive and find your files, take the flash drive and insert it into a USB port on the side of your laptop. Assuming the laptop is reasonably modern and is fitted with USB ports, the USB drive will slide in easily.

Opening and Saving Files and Programs from USB Drives

Once you have the program or file open on your desktop, you can move it onto the computer by dragging it and dumping it in the location where you would like to save it. If you want to access files from a program that you have saved on the USB drive and not on the computer, you can run the program from the USB drive, but it will make changes on the computer’s registry and might leave behind traces of the program.

Accessing Stored Files from USB drives

Give the laptop a minute to load the data on the drive, depending on the amount of information that you have stored, and the types of programs or documents, they could load immediately, or require a few seconds. The USB drive will show up on your desktop as an icon. To access your files, click twice on the icon to display the contents of the drive, and then you can easily select the files and folders that you want.

Consider Using a USB Device Manager Application

If you are storing a lot of information, or several types of program files on your USB flash drive, you might want to consider using a flash drive manager program. Microsoft makes a program called USB Flash Drive Manager that provides a user-friendly interface with which to restore all the data that you have saved to USB flash drives. Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager also allows users to label and categorize their files and folders to personalize them and make information easy to find and move. The Microsoft USB program is available for use on Windows XP and newer operating systems only and can be downloaded from Microsoft here.