OT/ computer back up

[04customking]

I need some help. I want to back up my computer and don't know what to back up or how to do it. I have an 8g flash drive. I'm assuming I can back it up to that? My Dell computer is about 6 years old and has never been backed up. It is starting to lock up on me to where I have to shut it down and restart it. Hard drive going? That's why I better do something. So, what do I want to back up besides pictures and favorites? Do I save programs too? I really am clueless about this. Please help me... Jim

[road-dawgs1]

docs, pics and favorites.  The 8gig will work fine.

[crazycalvin]

Jim, have you tired running antivirus software and something like Ad-Aware?  have you ran defrag on your hard drive lately?  If it were me, I would back up my pictures, word processor and spreadsheet files, and e-mails that I did not want to lose.  I would just reinstall my software if I had to replace or reformat my hard drive.  I have about 50 computers at work that I have to deal with in a bad environment and when a HDD dies on one of those computers, it just dies.  Hope this helps.  Later, Calvin.

[CraigArizona85248]

In addition to your docs, pics, and favorites area, don't forget to grab the stuff from your desktop. A lot of folks use the desktop to store stuff they use a lot.

In addition to a possible virus, you may have a hardware problem.  My Dell, of the same age as yours, used to lock up too.  It was caused by a failing power supply.  The power supply would drop the voltage to the point where the system would hang.  Reboot and it would be ok for a while.  Apparently Dell had a lot of power supplies from these systems fail.  Not a difficult fix to install a new power supply.  I hooked up a multi meter to the 12V source in my system and watched it drop to verify that was my problem.

Oh... and the best backup strategy is to get some real backup software and push your data to a second physical hard drive on a regular basis.  The $150 you spend for the software and a second hard drive will be well worth it the first time you need it.

-Craig

[Rags722]

Not knowing what you are willing to spend, but my wife gave me a Christmas present she got from QVC.  It's a device called CLICKFREE ( http://www.goclickfree.com/products_portablebackup.php ) and a 120 gig version can be had for about $90.  It has self contained software ( Don't know if it adds anything to your system ) and connects to your PC via a USB cable.  All you do is connect the cable and it saves off over 400 file types, including photo, music, video, e-mail, e-mail attachments, Spreadsheets, documents, tax returns, favorite websites, etc.  It saves your files under your computer name and will save from up to 15 different computers.  Then, you connect it every so often and it updates any new files so you always have a full back-up for your PC.

It may be overkill, but at least now I know my computer is backed up, and all those baby pictures are safe someplace.  Ditto on the files I may have forgotten to grab just because I filed them in some oddball place.  The first time I used it it took a few hours to snag everything, but after that it is pretty quick at grabbing just the new stuff.  Again, it's just another option to think about.

Rags

[CraigArizona85248]

Good suggestion Rags.  Backup can be complicated, trying to make sure you don't miss anything, etc.  That device sounds simple.

[Rags722]

Craig,

If it works like it says, I'll be more than satisfied.  I can't tell you how often I've rebuilt a system and later found I forgot to grab some critical files.  It's not the kind of thing I would have purchased for myself, but I'm known to be a bit tight with a buck.  Sometimes, it's the gadgets that the wife gets me that turn out to be useful ( excluding the spikes to slip over my boots so I can walk on the iced over driveway... or the fold up hand dolly that bent the first time I tried to use it).

If nothing else, it is easy to use.  Plug it in, let it do it's thing while I'm down in the garage tinkering at the work bench.  Just look in every once in a while until it said it was done, then unplug it and toss it in the desk drawer.

Rags

[04customking]

Thanks guys. That backup gadget that Rags showed looks good. I may get one. Thanks Craig for the power supply idea too. I have gotten so lazy lately with this cold weather that I don't feel like doing anything. Even thinking of messing with this computer is not appealing. Thanks Calvin and road dawg.

[Faast Ed]

Any add on card or even a ram chip can also cause lockups - I even had a keyboard do it before (swapping keyboards solved it).
Can even be software related. A clean format/OS install or even a repair install might cure it.

Smart move backing it up. New computers are cheap, but the info on it is often priceless.

[crazycalvin]

Thanks guys. That backup gadget that Rags showed looks good. I may get one. Thanks Craig for the power supply idea too. I have gotten so lazy lately with this cold weather that I don't feel like doing anything. Even thinking of messing with this computer is not appealing. Thanks Calvin and road dawg.

You are welcome.  You got some good ideas to work with.  Hope you get it straightened out.  Later, Calvin.

[Xkvator]

I just did this last week...

I have a DELL that's about 7 years old, and although i'm not having problems, i figure it's best if i backup all the Grandkid and other pics...

I got a Seagate 500GB external hard drive for $90 shipped, right from them...and got it in less than 24 hours...

that price was about the same as ebay Buy It Now...and shipped free...

look under "special offers" on www.seagate.com

the software is already preloaded...just plug it in to 120v and USB, and after registration & stuff, you click on what you want to backup...

if I can do it, anybody can...

[drgn*95]

I did the same as X. I have a fairly large cd collection that I wanted quick access to so I got a Seagate 750gb external hard drive that I run through the computer to the theater system. My picture collection will be my next project. 

[cranky]

It has already been mentioned but I can not stress enough the saving of the Favorites and Bookmark files. Same stuff different browsers call the file something else. I rebuild my HD frequently due to too much fartin around all the time. Every time I forget to backup my bookmarks  I have to kick myself sooner or later. A Gig sounds like a lot but if you to to storing music and/or pictures you will find it gets eaten up right fast. Text files are relatively small. Good luck. You might even consider backing up your HD total next time you get done with a fresh redo and before you put all the extra stuff on that we all end up loosing at some point. Good luck and happy hunting. You will find things that you have forgotten all about.

cranky

[Redleg]

Try a maintenance program like System Mechanic by Iolo, I use it and it backs up the registry and repairs stuff in there it cleans all the junk from your computer also buy a can of the compressed air or whatever it is and blow some of the dust out of your computer case. Might help might not...