When I try to copy Documents and Settings to a USB drive, the message "Cannot copy, another user or program is using.... 1 person needs an answerI do too

You can't back up your system that way. And even if you could copy those files (which you can't because they are in use), the copied files would do you no good when it came to restoration. You can back up just your *data* (My Documents, email if you use an email client, Favorites/Bookmarks, etc.) OR if you want an easy/quick way to restore the entire system use imaging software. Acronis True Image is excellent for this and can do incremental backup imaging so your images (which you would store on the external drive) are always fresh.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!