FROM what i have read my windows XP home edition DOES not have the capabilities to back up so that is why i have lost everything several times when something gets corrupted i do a recovery from disc that i purchased from HP and start all over I upgraded my pc memory myself but i have yet to understand backing up stuff to an external harddrive??
Yoakum - whatever you were reading was wrong
The XP install discs definitely DO have backup software on them. The question is whether you chose to install that option or not. If you chose not to install it for whatever reason, simply stick those discs back into your computer and choose to install that option!
Backing up to an external hard drive is VERY easy. Heck, you can do it manually if you want. Let's start with that. What drive letter is your external hard drive?