Backing up a PC

Discussion in 'Blazers OT Forum' started by BoBoBREWSKI, Apr 12, 2014.

  1. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    How do you guys back up your PC? What is the best easiest method?
    Buy a large external hard drive & back up to that? Is there software that makes it easy?
     
  2. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    What kind of a back up do you want to do? The complete system or just some important files?
     
  3. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    What is best? I'm a little worried about my hard drive & want to be sure I don't lose anything important if it crashes.
     
  4. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Do you know much about computers? Can you install a new hard drive? What OS are you using? Are you completely broke or do you have a few bucks to spend? Is your computer running alright besides from that?

    Easiest way, buy a big jump drive, 32gigs, 64gigs, not sure how much stuff you have on your computer, and copy your important stuff onto the drive.

    Best way, buy a new hard drive, install it in your computer and copy your entire drive over to it.

    If you weren't worried about your hard drive just get an external backup and it will come with back up software.
     
  5. Hobbesarable

    Hobbesarable Cartoon Character

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    That's what I did. I bought a 1 Terabyte external hard drive to back-up my important files.
     
  6. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    Computer started freezing. Restarted & got message "checking file system on c: the type of the file system is NTFS volume label is win7". PC went thru a long system check & now it won't startup... hangs at "starting windows" screen. Now when I boot I get screen saying a bunch of stuff:
    Press F8 for BBS POPUP
    Press F9 for System Recovery
    System configuration active
    Press ALT+F2 to execute ASUS EZ flash 2
    DDR3-1333mhz
    Initializing USB controllers... done
    8120mb OK
    USB devices keyboard mice hubs
    Auto detecting SATA 1... IDE hard disk
    Auto detecting SATA 4... ATAPI CD-ROM
    SATA 1: ST31000528AS CC44 Ultra DMA mode5 SMART Capable & status BAD
    SATA 4: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM gh40n nm02 Ultra DMA mode5
    Auto detecting USB mass storage devices - 0 found
    PRI Master Hard Disk SMART status BAD, backup & replace
    Press F1 to resume
     
  7. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    I'm screwed?!?! Pictures & some files are what I'm really worried about losing.
     
  8. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    Using google I found something about turning off the SMART function and that might enable me to use computer long enough to back up files before hard drive completely dies.
     
  9. Hobbesarable

    Hobbesarable Cartoon Character

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    USB Flash drive (32 GB) should work fine for backing up pictures and other miscellaneous files.
     
  10. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    But how do I get to those files if my PC wont boot? UGH. This sucks!
     
  11. Hobbesarable

    Hobbesarable Cartoon Character

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  12. donkiez

    donkiez Well-Known Member

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    Dropbox, its free for 2GB and then i you do a few of their learning exercises you can get 50GB for free. Its as easy as drag and drop after that and you can access your files from anywhere. 50gb was enough to put every picture and document I had with plenty of spare room and now I can access all my pictures on my phone even, which is nice.
     
  13. TradeNurkicNow

    TradeNurkicNow Resident OT Section Crank

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    If your computer goes tits up, you can always rip your HD out and connect it to another computer using a SATA to USB connector like this:

    http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-30...=1397328915&sr=8-1&keywords=hard drive reader

    that way, you can at least transfer your important files over assuming your HD didn't physically break
     
  14. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Bobo, do you have restore CDs or DVDs that came with your computer?

    If yes go buy a new hard drive, install it, take out your old one and use the CD/DVD to restore your system. Then put back in the old drive and try to transfer as much off of your old drive on to your new drive. It will be the fastest way to transfer files.
     
  15. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    And if you're reading this now from the computer with the dying hard drive you should probably stop.
     
  16. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    Thanks everyone for the help!

    OK. I'll look into buying a new hard drive.
    Put it the old hard drive back in?
    I'm using my sons iPad to post. :)
     
  17. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Take out old drive.

    Install new drive.

    Install OS from the restore disks.

    Keep new drive in the system and then install the old drive back into the system.

    Copy files from old drive to the new drive.

    Then remove old drive.

    Then you'll have a shit load of updates and installing programs you want, etc.
     
  18. EL PRESIDENTE

    EL PRESIDENTE Username Retired in Honor of Lanny.

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    Your hard drive is dying and you're probably screwed. Your best bet right now is to start Windows in Safe Mode and copy the whole directory by directory starting from most important into a USB Drive. The problem is if your system is freezing it's probably going to freeze while you're copying the files and the computer is probably going to die pretty quickly. That's just my guess on it.

    hoop fam
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2014
  19. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    Press F1 to resume

    What happens if you press F1?
     
  20. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    Denny - It try's to start up but sticks at the "starting windows" screen.

    I'm at ENU now to get a new hard drive. They are gonna test my old one first. Keeping my fingers crossed!!!
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2014

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