Backup Software

I'd like to get some opinions on a quality backup software. I have a 250GB USB external HD to use as the target. I would like to make a complete backup of my C drive (currently about 25GB of 40GB capacity).

Is there any software that will backup system and Windows files as well?
Maybe one that makes a bootable backup?

I'm running Win XP on a Dell Dimension 2400. Any opinions/critiques/comments are greatly appreciated. I am currently using an app called Memeo that came bundled with the external HD. Not really fond of it and would like something a bit more comprehensive yet relatively easy to use. Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

trags--The best regarded programs seem to be Norton Ghost (or perhaps the new Save and Restore) and Acronis True Image.
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/overview.jsp?pcid=br&pvid=ghost10
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/
http://reviews.cnet.com/Norton_Save_Restore/4505-3682_7-31780505.html
I think many prefer Acronis True Image. But I use Norton Ghost.
Whether you can make the external HD bootable, however, has to do with the capability of your BIOS. Unless it is quite new, I doubt you can.

 

Drive Image XML by Runtime Software. Free.

 

With Acronis, it should not be necessary to have a bootable backup. It will let you make a bootable CD. Once you boot that CD, you can use your external hard drive.

 

I strongly recommend True Image! It just saved me from a real mess when various problems were caused by an IDE cable fault. See my post on Atapi error reports in the Hardware forum.
Booting from the Acronis boot disc was the only way back when I had a freeze during the BIOS boot.
Roger