Whether you are installing or upgrading, you may need to back up existing user
data before installing or upgrading because things can go wrong either way, and
the data on the hard drive might be damaged. You’ll need to find out where the
user is currently saving data files. If files are being saved onto the local hard
drive, itmust be backed up before the installation or replacement takes place, to
preserve the data.However, if all data has been saved to a network location, you
are in luck because the data is safe from damage during installation.
If the user saves data locally, and the computer is connected to a network,
save the data, at least temporarily, to a network location until after the upgrade
or installation has taken place. If the computer is not connected to a network,
but the computer has a burnable optical drive, copy the data to CDs or DVDs.
Wherever you save the data, youwill need to copy or restore any lost or damaged
data back to the local hard disk after the installation.