Laptop Backup: Help Please

[Rural]

I have a 2+ years old laptop from which I have been backing up the data, rather infrequently, onto DVD’s. The laptop recently started shutting down 5 or so minutes after start-up. Replacing the CPU fan solved the problem. This made me very aware that no machine is infallible and that sooner or later something more serious, like the hard drive is going to fail.

I am now looking for a solution, more durable and FASTER than the DVD’s to backup my data and preferably to backup the operating system (XP), programs and settings. This must include address books and emails in both Outlook and Outlook Express. I am considering a portable hard drive, possibly 120Gb for the 80Gb laptop.
The laptop is the only computer that I own, i.e. no home or work PC to backup/ sync onto.

Questions:
1. To backup data; do I just copy and paste Documents & Settings from the C drive? Will this include all email messages & the address books?
2. To backup the operating system and programs I am informed that I will need software like Acronis True Image II, Avanquest Perfect Image II or Norton Ghost. Is this correct?
3. I have also heard that should the laptop be stolen I will obviously not replace it with EXCATLY the same make/model and that restoring the operating system/ programs backup from the portable hard drive will not be possible.
Considering the above is it then best to just backup the Documents & Settings and make sure that I have all my program discs available?

Any advice on the subject would be appreciated.

 

[The_Techie]

The easiest and best way I've found to backup is to use Acronis True Image (I use version 10)

To answer your questions:
1) No, it won't. Only your Documents, Music (if it's in My Music), Videos (same as Music), etc will then be backed up.
2) It's usually the easiest way, yes.
3) I have heard of some of the software complaining about the different brands of hardware, but I have successfully moved my current operating system from one laptop to another before.

 

[killadoob]

if your using outlook express you need to locate your dbx files for email

if your working outlook you need to export your message and address book to hdd and burn to disk and then reimport them

programs dont care about your hardware but windows does

you should be able to image that drive and reimage it on another laptop, sometimes you need to slipstream some drivers into your image though which is quite a long task

 

[bekdik]

Easiest solution is to buy an USB external drive and use XP's built in backup option - to find it Start/all programs/accessories/system tools/backup and direct the backup to the usb drive.

 

[sn3rd]

You could also get a regular hard drive and and an enclosure with the "one-touch backup" feature. Seems to work great (only seen it, never TRIED it)