>>...that I asked before.
>>
>>Ok, if I have an external hard drive and I copy every file from PC hard drive to it, and then I blow up the data on the PC hard drive, if I reformat, can I simply copy all the files from the external to the PC hard drive and have my system back? If so, then why do I need an image backup, as I'm led to believe I do?
>
>Well, I am not entirely sure about all the details, but I think some files are expected in certain location - i.e., they are not relocatable. I think these are the files marked with the "System" attribute, and may include the OS kernel or something (the very first files that get executed), and the virtual memory file. The latter could probably be reconstructed without much trouble, but the boot files probably not.

Ok, that sounds reasonable. I think I'm going to go with a program that Mike Cole mentioned: Acronis True Image 10 Home

I was going to get an external hard drive (great deal here: http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Code=WD+WDG1T5000N&JRSource=DealTime.datafeed.WD+WDG1T5000N#productTabShipping ), but I wonder if the following scenario has merit.

I have a laptop and a PC. I have a wireless network so they can see each other. There is plenty of space that is not being used on both hard drives, and would like to backup the laptop image to the PC hard drive and then the PC image to the laptop. It sounds like I'm looking into a mirror facing a mirror suddenly, and everything will eventually implode, but it somehow sounds like it would work. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks!