Genie-Soft, April 6, 2006 - I've discovered that sticking to a backup plan is like sticking to a diet: It's a chore, and you're probably destined to fail unless you find the one that's right for you.

In the past I've written about ways to back up your entire hard drive -- preferably by installing or connecting a second hard drive and running an "imaging" program like CasperXP (fssdev.com).

This time out, let's talk about data: your Word documents, MP3s, digital photos, financial records, address books, e-mail boxes, Web links and other invaluable files. The stuff you'd be horrified to lose.

Even if you back up your entire hard drive, you should strongly consider a secondary backup consisting of just your data.

For one thing, it tends to be a faster and easier process -- especially if you have the right software at your disposal.

What's more, a data-only backup (unlike a full system backup) can usually be stored on CDs or DVDs, which are inexpensive and can easily be moved from one PC to another.

They can also be copied and stored somewhere other than your home or office -- meaning you're protected in case of fire or some other disaster.

Indeed, all you really need to make fast, effective, versatile backups is a CD or DVD burner (which most PCs have nowadays), some blank discs, and the aforementioned "right software."

I've found just the program: Genie Backup Manager Home Edition 6.0 (genie-soft.com).

I've looked at a lot of similar utilities over the years, and I've never seen one as smartly designed.

It's incredibly simple, walking you through a handful of basic steps ("Where to Backup," "What to Backup," etc.) and allowing you to easily find important files and settings.

I particularly admire its plug-in capabilities, which enable you to easily back up third-party programs like Firefox, Quicken, iTunes and so on. That saves you having to figure out which files are the crucial ones for these programs.

At nearly any step along the way, you can view an animated tutorial explaining the backup and restore procedures, or access a comprehensive built-in help file.

(Because this is shareware rather than a boxed retail program, there's no printed manual. But I think few users would need one.)

GBM can span backups across multiple CDs or DVDs. Of course, you're not limited to optical media -- the program also lets you back up to removable drives, other PCs on your network, and even remote locations (though you need some knowledge of FTP for this).

You can compress your backups to maximize the available storage; set up automated, unattended backup sessions; secure your backups with passwords and/or encryption; and even create a self-restoring backup -- one that will restore your data to any PC whether GBM is installed or not.

In short, GBM has every feature a good backup program should, along with plenty of automation and customization options for novices and experts alike.

It's a hair on the pricey side at $49.95, but weigh that against the cost of losing all your data to spyware, a virus or some other catastrophe.

Believe me, these things happen. Having a reliable backup at the ready isn't optional -- it's essential.

Rick Broida writes about computers and technology for the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers. Broida, of Commerce Township, is the co-author of numerous books, including How to Do Everything with Your Palm Handheld, 5th Edition, and 101 Killer Apps for Pocket PC. He welcomes questions sent to rick.broida@gmail.com.