Backing up a PC

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

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

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

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.

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.

 

[Hobbesarable]

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

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

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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.

 

[Hobbesarable]

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

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

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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

 

[Hobbesarable]

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

The following link may help you.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

 

[donkiez]

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.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

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

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

 

[SlyPokerDog]

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.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

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

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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.

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.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

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.

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.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

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

 

[Denny Crane]

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

Press F1 to resume

What happens if you press F1?

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

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!!!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

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!!!

How much ram do you have in your system? While your computer is open it's always a great time to upgrade the ram. And video card. Makes the internet porn load faster.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Got a 2TB hard drive. Going thru the fun re-install now.
They said my old hard drive is toast. But I'm not giving up hope on being able to recover files from it yet. They said there are places that can still get the data as long as the disc itself isnt scratched.

 

[Denny Crane]

If you are using XP, you should consider upgrading to windows 7 or windows 8.

This software can recover many/most of your files as long as the drive isn't physically damaged. You would hear the drive make bad noises if it's damaged.

http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

$99

You might find cheaper software somewhere.

 

[Denny Crane]

Sorry, this is the $99 software: http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue_pc.php

 

[Denny Crane]

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!!!

If it says "starting windows" then it is reading SOME data from the disk.

No guarantee much is readable though.

It seems like a lot will be, but windows won't boot because it's retrying some disk error. It could be taking a long time, too.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If you are using XP, you should consider upgrading to windows 7 or windows 8.

This software can recover many/most of your files as long as the drive isn't physically damaged. You would hear the drive make bad noises if it's damaged.

http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

$99

You might find cheaper software somewhere.

After he has removed the files that he wants to keep from the drive he should go to the drive's manufacturers website and download their software for testing and reformatting the drive. If the drive checks out he should reformat it, test it again and if that time it checks out he can use it for a second drive or internal backup.

 

[Denny Crane]

After he has removed the files that he wants to keep from the drive he should go to the drive's manufacturers website and download their software for testing and reformatting the drive. If the drive checks out he should reformat it, test it again and if that time it checks out he can use it for a second drive or internal backup.

I wouldn't. It's toast. I really wouldn't trust it for anything at all.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

thanks!!!

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Crappy thing is that I dont have a microsoft office disk anymore.

 

[MarAzul]

After he has removed the files that he wants to keep from the drive he should go to the drive's manufacturers website and download their software for testing and reformatting the drive. If the drive checks out he should reformat it, test it again and if that time it checks out he can use it for a second drive or internal backup.

You guys forgot to tell him, the best time to back stuff up is when it all works.
A tits up back up doesn't work all that well.