Data Locations

First a word on files and extensions...

Applications like word processors, spreadsheets and others allow you to create data files. Each application uses a specific three-character file extension to help identify the file. Windows uses this extension to associate certain files with a certain application; e.g. the DOC extension tells Windows a file with that extension is a Word document. Since Windows knows this association, double clicking a DOC file will launch Word and then that file.

Pick and choose what to back up

What you need to backup are your data files, i.e., the files that contain information you change.  The operating system and applications themselves can (and should be) reinstalled from their original source if necessary, i.e., (with few exceptions) never try to restore the OS or an application!  When viewed from the Windows Explorer (My Computer) application files are files with the extension of EXE, COM, BAT, DLL and PIF but this list can be greatly expanded by Microsoft's "Level 1 Unsafe Extensions" article. 

In addition to the above "application" files there are dozens if not hundreds of application support files.  To illustrate this a little further; Microsoft Word's application files reside under the C:\Program files\Microsoft Office\Office... folder in which you will find many subfolders and hundreds of files, but since none of these are changed directly by you, they do not need to be backed up.  The only Word files you are concerned with are those found in the My Documents folder and have a DO? (DOC, DOT, etc) extension.  Those are your data files.

Not familiar with folders?  click here

Note: If you cannot see file extensions when Exploring your computer: Open the Explorer (or My Computer) and from the Tools menu, select Folder Options.  Click to the View (TAB) and modify the settings shown here: Note: Depending on your Windows version, Folder Options my be under the Folder menu and the options shown here are worded slightly differently.

So, with all that out of the way

A few examples of data files to backup (and a few of the popular file extensions): 

• CAD 
  (DWG, DFX, DGN, CAD, ADI, ASV)
• word processing 
  (DOC, DOT, WPS, RTF, WKB, WPA, WPD, WS#)
• spreadsheets 
  (XLS, WB#, WK#, WKQ, WKS, WQ#, WRK)
• databases 
  (MDB, MDW, WKD, MB, MPD, DB)
• music/pictures/graphics 
  (WAV, MP3, WMA, AMF, CAP, MID, TIF, JPG, BMP, WMF, CRD, PPS)
• accounting files  Note: Even though you may be able to identify one or more individual files, many accounting applications require the backup and restoration of all files. 
• address books and messages (see transferring email...)

Here are two resources for the identification of (almost all) file extensions:  Whatis and Filext.

Where is that elusive data?

If you have a computer with multiple users such as Windows XP, see the bottom of this page for potential problems. 

The following is a partial list of likely places your data will be found.  Individual applications may store data under the application’s folder, e.g., QuickBooks Pro defaults to: C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks Pro\  

Check sheet for common data file locations:

o                 C:\specific application folder

o                 C:\Quicken or C:\Quickenw

o                C:\My Documents and all subfolders within (older Windows)

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\specific user's folders\Local Settings\Identities... (Outlook Express)

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\specific user's folders\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book... (OE's Address Book)

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\Default User

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\All Users

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\specific user's folders

o                 C:\Documents and Settings\specific user's folders\Favorites

o                 C:\Program Files\specific application folder

o                 C:\Program Files\Common Data\...

o                 C:\Program Files\Works\ or MSWorks

o                 C:\Windows\All Users

o                 C:\Windows\Application Data\...

o                 C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities

o                 C:\Windows\Favorites

o                 C:\Windows\Local Settings\...

o                 C:\Windows\Profiles\specific user's folders

o                 Log files? C:\....

Notes: 

• Over the years we have found many computers on which data has been accidentally saved to the root so make sure you use the Windows Explorer and look on root (C:\) as well.

• TurboTax users: for whatever stupid reason the manufacturer decided to save all of the data files just off the root, e.g., c:\Tax01, c:\Tax02, etc.

What about your data?

One way to find out where your data resides is to open each application you use, open one of your data files then go to the File menu and select Save As.  

There you should be able to see the default Save In folder location. Open the Save-in pulldown as shown here and record the folder name/location.

Another way to find out where your data files are: 
Start > Find (or search for) Files > Date (tab) “All files modified in the last xx days”.  Be forewarned, this method will also result in many files you do not need to backup/restore.

Again, never attempt to move/copy/backup/restore any boot files, Windows files, Windows System files or application files.  Always reinstall applications!

The twist with multi-user computers

While the concept of multiple users is great, the logistics of backing up and file access is poor at best.   This is especially true if users have passworded and "protected" their files.  In this event, if one user attempts to open another user's folders, even for the purpose of backing up, they may be denied access.  This means each user is responsible for their own backups.   Note: MSBackup apparently will backup all information but we have not tested this possibility.  See The Process/XP later in the series Even if the other user's folders are not protected, simply finding the data can be a nightmare!  Just look at our example to the right.   Unless you specifically setup the computer up differently, each user has their own individual My Documents folder. Expanded and shown here are the two data locations for the "Administrator" and "Default Users".  Lower in the list are the actual user's file folders... Do you logon as either one of those names?  Probably not so that means your folders and other users have their own private folders elsewhere in the tree. One way to resolve this problem may be to create a MyDocs folder on the root (C:\Mydocs) and under it, create deeper subfolders for each user, e.g., c:\Mydocs\steve, c:\Mydocs\kelly, etc.  but while locating the files and backing them up is easy with this configuration there would be no individual user security.

Continue to Hardware required