HELP! Windows XP Backup

I was wondering, when you use a windows backup program(any). Does the program backup all your files/programs. Even programs without the original installers? Or is there any way to backup these programs so that when i reinstall windows it will be recovered? Thanks you guys! I’m really confused and lost right now!
Answer #1
Use something like Acronis True Image Home – it will make an exact image of everything on your drive, your Windows, apps, files etc (viruses included, lol) to another drive eg. an external. if anything happens, you can just restore the image.
Just make sure that the “backup image” you create is virus/malware free.
I do this on a weekly basis incase of hd failure as I use RAID 0, but it’s always good to keep the last 2 images if you have the space.
Answer #2
DUDE YOUR AWESOME!!! So in essence, if I reinstall or do a complete restore on my pc, my backup image will be restored(installed like before) on my newly rebooted PC? Again, thanks Meerkat!!!
Answer #3
Yup – if your hard drive fails or gets f*cked up, you simply delete the partition/stick in a new hdd and restore the backup image.
It will be exactly the same as when you did the backup.
There are plenty of apps to do this, but I find Acronis the most reliable.
It’s also handy if you want to upgrade to a bigger hdd, just put the image on a new drive.
Answer #4
Thank you!!!! Your a life saver!
Answer #5
No probs, if you are happy, can you edit the topic title to include [solved], or you might want to wait for other suggestions.