WinFS seems to be a really interesting filesystem. I've searched over to get more info on it and came upon this source http://www.ntfs.com/ There's much useful data there, I suppose you give it a glance
One nice method is using a 2 1/2 inch hard drive in a external case (cost about $125). Using Drive Image, you can create backup images through a USB connection and the 2 1/2" won't require external power. Fits in your shirtpocket !
Excellent way! Only don't walk around with it in your shirtpocket. Keep it in a safe place till such time you need it to save your life.
That is how I do it too. Image the drive. If the HD fails and I restore to the same computer, I'm back and running again soon with everything back the way it was. If I restore to a new computer, then the drivers are different so I can only restore most directories and not the Windows registry. My major problem is making sure I image often enuf.
the other important item is to have a DVD with ALL your software (and all license keys, encrypted in a TrueCrypt container) that is required for install. I am using ISO images and have some software that will just let you mount the ISO image as if it is another HD. When my setup changes then I just burn a new DVD and the old one goes off-site. I back up daily "My Documents" into a Truecrypt container which is on another hard disk. For this I use "Robocopy" from the Windows XP resource disk. Takes less than 30 seconds.... vital-analitics
If you are trusting DVD's for critical backup, you don't have security. DVD's are handy for a lot of things but have a reliability way below current HD standards.