i just purshased a desktop, before getting started i wanted to know how can i backup vista because its preloaded.
Since we don't know what machine you have.. there's no way to just point the way. However, if you have a Dell or an HP.. simply open their recovery system software.. there'll be an option to create a backup of the backup partition. With HP.. it's called Recovery Disk Creation. Or call their support line.. and ask for a set of disks.
For this you need hard drive imaging software. Paragon has a free basic version. http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=217534&highlight=paragon Also you will need to have the "repair" section of the vista installation dvd. Sometimes when restoring vista a repair of the bootloader might be required. http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Recovering+the+Vista+Bootloader+from+the+DVD
