Backing up data

Games and digital reference works that come on CDs or DVDs cause headaches when you’re on the move because you always need to insert the media to use them. If it’s difficult to keep them on hand while traveling, you can create virtual discs on your hard drive using Daemon Tools. Create an ISO file of the disc on your computer, so that the actual media is not required. The virtual disc behaves just like any other disc, except it’s in a drive that doesn’t physically exist. The tool is useful since it also speeds up access times and prevents wear and tear to your discs. But it is also controversial since it allows the circumvention of several copyright protection methods. Thus, even some software manufacturers program their software to not start if Daemon Tools is installed on the PC. Nevertheless, you can safely use it if you are not violating any copyrights—yet another example of potentially harmful tools used for good. There's also a paid pro version that offers more features and flexibility.