Backing up your data is like taking out the trash or reading classic literature: Everyone wants to have done it, but nobody wants to do it. Rather than waiting for the inevitable hard disk crash, why not set up a mirrored RAID array and let your PC handle the backups for you? RAID stands for redundant array of inexpensive disks, a collection of two or more hard drives that your PC (and Windows) treats as a single volume. You can optimize an array for either performance or safety. (We'll focus on safety, using RAID 1 to mirror data on multiple drives. See "Raid Levels," below, for details on the other flavors.) With a striped array, you save your data once, and it's instantly and invisibly stored on two different physical disks. If a hard disk dies, you can just swap it out for a new one and keep working while your RAID controller copies all of your data to the new drive.

To build a RAID 1 array, all you need is two identical drives (if they're the same brand, model, and capacity, so much the better) and a RAID controller. Most modern PCs have RAID built into the motherboard; if yours doesn't, you can add a PCI or PCI Express controller for about $50. With 500GB drives going for about $100 these days, there's little reason not to add some redundancy to your data storage, not to mention some peace of mind to your already addled brain.

TOOLS AND COMPONENTS

• Hard drive: Two Samsung HD160 JJ drives $120
• Cables: Two SATA cables $6
• RAID controller (if needed): Adaptec 1220SA two-port SATA RAID PCIe card $50

RAID LEVELS

RAID arrays come in several flavors. RAID 1 safeguards your PC by mirroring your data on multiple drives. RAID 0, on the other hand, uses multiple drives to improve performance through a process called striping, yet it offers no data redundancy. RAID 5 works similarly to RAID 0 but adds a parity mechanism to safeguard your data; it requires at least three drives. Finally, RAID 10 offers the best of both worlds: true mirroring (like RAID 1) and striping (like RAID 0), but it requires four drives for the full effect. RAID 1 is the best choice for most home computers. —next: Steps 1-3 >

1. INSTALL BOTH HARD DISKS

Some PCs don't require any tools for drive installation: You just snap on the rails and slide the drives in. My small PC has only two internal 3.5-inch drive bays, which means the two drives must be installed adjacently. If you have the room, space out your drives to allow for adequate cooling.

2. CONNECT DRIVES TO SATA PORTS

Connect the drives to SATA (Serial ATA) ports 0 and 1, unless your documentation says otherwise. (Some controllers have dedicated RAID plugs in a separate location on your motherboard.) If you have any other SATA devices, such as DVD drives, you'll need to assign them to higher-numbered ports. Plug in the power supply cables when you're done.

3. CHECK BIOS SETTINGS

Enter your PC's BIOS setup screen—usually by pressing Del, F2, or whatever your particular BIOS setup command is, before loading Windows—and make sure that all the SATA ports you're using are enabled. Next, disable any unused SATA ports (some RAID controllers mistake unused ports for missing drives), and then turn on the RAID feature if it's not already on. Save your settings and reboot when you're done. (BIOS screens vary considerably, so consult your manual if you're not sure how to change these settings.) —next: Steps 4-6 >

4. OPEN THE RAID CONFIGURATION UTILITY

After the BIOS setup prompt but before your PC attempts to boot Windows, look for a message from your RAID controller. My Intel controller required me to press Ctrl-I to access the utility, but yours may be different.

5. ASSIGN DRIVES TO YOUR ARRAY

Use the RAID Configuration Utility to select drives to be part of the array and pick RAID Level 1. This action will erase any data on that drive, so if you're upgrading an existing drive, make sure you have a full system backup. Once you create the array, you can install Windows or restore your backup.

6. USE RAID SOFTWARE TO MANAGE THE ARRAY

Intel's Matrix Storage Console software (which comes with the RAID controller) lets you manage the drives in your array, check their status, and even add newly installed drives to the array—all from within Windows. If you don't see all your drives in this window, open Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog), and from the Action menu, select Scan for hardware changes. Note that once the array is operable, Device Manager and Disk Manager will see only a single drive.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.