If you're using Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion to run Windows on your Mac, use either program's Snapshot feature at least once to save a copy of the current state of Windows. In so doing, you'll reduce the amount of work your Mac backup software has to do, because you'll prevent one or more large disk image files from changing. In addition, use either program's feature for mirroring common Mac folders (Desktop, Documents, Music, etc.) with their Windows equivalents; this keeps most of the data you'll need to back up directly on your Mac disk, where it can be accessed even when Parallels or Fusion isn't running. In a future update to this book, I'll describe these and other new tips for backing up Windows in more detail.

—Posted by Joe Kissell on November 11, 2008