backing up files on my computers.
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whats the best way to back up the files on my computer before i completly reformat everything( i think thats what it is). its been acting up alot and running very slow. i just wanna start over with a blank sheet on this thing. i wanna keep my itunes music and i got like a 1000 pictures or so that i would like to keep. maybe a program or two? i just wanna know the best way to do this thats going to be the most hassle free. im terrible with comuters and im not really looking forward to this. help a brother out?
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External Hard-Drive (USB)
Drag and drop the files over to it -
Burn as DATA to DVD's (depending on how much music you have)
1000 pictures shouldn't be too huge -
Create a seperate partition and copy the files there
Err yeah...
Just burrow somebody's external drive for a few hours, copy the files you want over, reformat and then copy the files back to your computer.
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Jim;207684 wrote:
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External Hard-Drive (USB)
Drag and drop the files over to it -
Burn as DATA to DVD's (depending on how much music you have)
1000 pictures shouldn't be too huge -
Create a seperate partition and copy the files there
Err yeah...
Just burrow somebody's external drive for a few hours, copy the files you want over, reformat and then copy the files back to your computer.
QFMFT
also a couple comments. if you don't happen to have an external drive or know anyone with one, DVD-R is the best bet in my opinion. A dual layer DVD can hold like 8gb. I have no idea how much data you are talking about, so im sure you can figure out how many you need. Either way, if we are talking about burning or copying 100gb you are going to be waiting for a while.
The music and image files should be easy enough to get where ever you need them to go, but as for any programs, you will need to reinstall them from the original disks or get them where ever you got them from (torrent=friend).
A couple of programs you might need. Use Nero Burning Rom or whatever DVD burning program you have but Nero Startsmart is easy as fuck to use. PowerISO is also fun. As far as partitioning your drive, if you feel comfortable doing it go for it. I recommend Partition Magic. I partitioned my first drive when I was 11, it's not hard
For all these programs, bittorrent is again, your friend.If you want, post a little more information on what you need to do. Like if you have access to an external hard drive, or if you have a DVD burner and if it can do dual layer. Also it would be helpfull to know how much data you are moving.
If you get frustrated I'm sure one of us geeks can help you out.
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well the only thing as far as programs that i need is SOLIDWORKS, i had to use my registration code and download it and im thinking if i get rid of it the code wont work again. ugh i gotta find a external drive now...
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MisterCMK;207694 wrote:
Get an external hard drive, or buy another hard drive to re-install windows on and copy the files off of your old one right onto the new one when you get windows installed. Let me know if you need help.just my opinion here but that seems like an expensive solution to a small problem. granted he would have more hard drive space availible if he went this route, but this assumes he wants to spend a substantial amount of money on a new hard drive, and knows how to install it as well. for the most bang for the buck i'll go with copying the files to DVD-R, that way they are archived, you don't have to give them back to anyone (as is the case with a borrowed external drive), and you've spent what, $20 on a short stack of DVD-R DLs? Then again, maybe he wants the extra space as well? shrug
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JohnW;207698 wrote:
just my opinion here but that seems like an expensive solution to a small problem. granted he would have more hard drive space availible if he went this route, but this assumes he wants to spend a substantial amount of money on a new hard drive, and knows how to install it as well. for the most bang for the buck i'll go with copying the files to DVD-R, that way they are archived, you don't have to give them back to anyone (as is the case with a borrowed external drive), and you've spent what, $20 on a short stack of DVD-R DLs? Then again, maybe he wants the extra space as well? shrugWhenever it is time for me to reformat my PC I always buy a new hard drive. I hate dicking around with copying files multiple times and I don't want to chance hard drive failures. Granted you can get a bad one out of the box or whatnot, but I don't like having old drives in my machine. With hard drives being cheap these days you can pick up a new one for $50 that is probably bigger than the one he has now.
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If he needs more space, maybe. I guess there are several factors I would consider before buying a $50 hard drive, but thats just me. As for buying a new drive everytime you reformat, paranoid much? If I did that I'd have a new drive every 3 months
Really though, the MTBF on your average quality hard drive is insane, they last for a very very long time. Short of tossing it around, shaking it vigorously while it's writing, or playing with incredibly strong electromagnets in its vicinity, the chance of an actual physical failiure of a hard drive is very very small. Even if you have a wierd fetish that nessesitates overwriting every single bit on the drive once or twice a day to avoid evidence when the party van comes, that drive will last for years. I guess I could do the same thing, but I would keep the old drives up to the limit of the interface I am using and have fucking terabytes of storage. Next time you reformat, I'll be glad to take your old drives off your hands 
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I guess I should say that the MTBF on a drive isn't an actual indicator of it's usefull life, but the usefull life of a hard drive, barring things like obsolecence, is in excess of 5 years, for a drive that is used constantly in a harsh environment. For your average interwebs and bittorrent user, I'd say closer to 8 to 10 years before that drive gives up the ghost due to hardware failure. Hell, I have the 250mb drive from my first destop computer which is maybe 14 years old, still works.
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meh, I still feel better about replacing the drive that my OS is on. BTW, I only re-format once every year and a half or so anymore. I also end up with spare drives as a result that always seem to find their way into something else.
The price of hard drives is so cheap that it is worth it to me to purchase a new one to re-install windows on. It also makes copying my files over much simpler as I only have to copy them once and I still have the old install to use while I am tweaking the new one. -
MisterCMK;207748 wrote:
meh, I still feel better about replacing the drive that my OS is on. BTW, I only re-format once every year and a half or so anymore. I also end up with spare drives as a result that always seem to find their way into something else.
The price of hard drives is so cheap that it is worth it to me to purchase a new one to re-install windows on. It also makes copying my files over much simpler as I only have to copy them once and I still have the old install to use while I am tweaking the new one.Ok, I guess I can see it if its only once every year or so, not my thing but, ok. My shit gets so cluttered up with all the downloadin and various little utilities and crap I only use once that never gets totally deleted that I end up doing it once every couple of months for freshness. The fuckton of niggly little files that things install takes up a chunk of drive after a while you know
The drives I usually buy are on the upper end of the ladder, and aren't usually sale priced, although I would like to have an extra 300-500gb for my music, so maybe I'll check into those $50 drives :icon_salut: -
torbs;207699 wrote:
get a 60gig+ ipod video...BOOM: A 60gig external hard drive that does more than just store stuff...BTW im in the market for a 60gig video heh.completely off topic but once you transfer your itunes format music to the ipod, it won't let you copy them back will it?
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