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Well guys and gals, it finally happened. I lost a hard drive this weekend. The problem is, it was my main drive and it had been up and collecting info and programs for 3 years. Another words, lots to lose.Here is the moral to this painful story. Buy yourself a good backup and restore software and learn how to use it BEFORE you crash. I had assumed that WINDOWS backup utility was good enough, but boy was I wrong.
My backups do contain all my pictures and documents (whew!), but restoring all the programs to the new drive did not go well. I am sure an expert Win user could have done much better, but after three unsuccessful tries I decided to start over with a fresh install. It has been an unbelievable pain in the ass. I am finally back online, but I still do not have things back in order after two and a half days and nights of struggling.
I have decided to purchase a disk imaging backup software, so this won't (I hope) happen again. It has been an unfortunate learning experience to be sure...
Follow Ups:
keep your OS and Data on the same drive!A 40Gb drive costs nothing these days. Keep that for the OS and nothing else. If this drive fails a new one can be rebuilt without threatening your data.
I fail to understand your logic."If this drive fails a new one can be rebuilt without threatening your data."
What if the _data_ drive fails? If you don't have a backup of your data, you're still screwed. Doesn't matter if the OS and data are on the same drive or not. Managing the drives may be made a tiny bit easier by segregating the two, but you gain nothing in terms of data security.
No, when we're talking about a music library, there are some other advantages to placing it on its own drive(s). For instance, you can pull the drives from one machine and place them into another. But that's a question of convenience more than anything.
I can see your point... if the disc dies, then the data dies with it. But allowing for the main data being backed up as a matter of precaution, having the OS as a seperate entity does mean that a system rebuild can be done alot easier.
Since a component on my OS went astray warranting a full refomatting of the drive, the whole system is running so much faster. I suppose over time with fragmented files etc and registy entries that arent the full shilling the OS can benefit from a regular spring clean/rebuild. If it is seperate from all your main files and folders then this does make life easier.
I think that was possible the point that he was trying to make....But having the music library on its own drive does, as you say, allow you to plug in to another machine. Thats the bit I like, I can stroll about with it under me arm... and plug in elsewhere.
I have wondered if having a seperate music drive, unfragmented, makes the playing of the music a lesser load on the machine. Less searching by the heads I suppose... but I'm no 'puter guru. I know its alot happier when I use a seperate drive for photoshop to work onto, so I assume similar now with other processes.Enjoy,
I have now followed this idea....
I had a problem with a drive a while back and was just about able to run windows from the 'set up' disc. Gave me enough time to export my data to another drive but the OS was beyond salvage.
I now have 3 internal drives....
1:- OS and programs and internet rubbish... (160Gb)
2:- Photos (160Gb) and scratch disc for Photoshop
3:- Music (320Gb)And I still back up everything like RAW files from my camera to 2 of the internal drives and an external. They are also burnt to DVD's a s well.. really would hate to loose photos.
I was lucky to be able to get my stuff back, but still took a few days to get running again, but I'm much faster since the rebuild.
As George Harrison sung "with every mistake we must surely be learning".
George was right! I have learned yet again!I now have a setup very much like yours; 150g SATA WD raptor for OS & stuff, 160g SATA seagate for general storage of docs/data and 320 maxtor usb external for music. I will soon add a 500g for music back up as well. Oh yeah, I will definitely backup my pictures/important documents to DVD-R!
I think what has really amazed me and changed my perspective regarding the issue of computer document control is this one key fact: I didn't realize that over the past 3 years I have gone from a casual "for fun" computer user, to one for which the computer is now integral to every part of my life.
That is a scary realization to be sure, but one that I suppose is unlikely to change.
I have been looking at puting a NAS server on my home network. That way I can get to all my music and photos from anywhere in the house and have both new, ie current, photos and an archive.
I take alot of pictures and the work on the themes of the original photo or idea. I can never just have the one final image and I use several programes to work on them... and as I hate to compress images, you end up with alot of very big duplicated files and folders.
I also have been ripping lots of music into iTunes as WAV and also some that I feel are more serious.. a duplicate EAC copy as well. Sames as the photos... can't bring myself to compress them either.
So I figure a pair of 500Gbs mirrored.. and that will leave 2 more bays for later on.
I original started, as you yourself said, as a fun computer user. But more things get added, its a big Silverstone case so loads of bays... and the thing is now a monster.... then the external audio kit, back up drive(s)... scary.I am surprised just how much business gets conducted on a home computer... and how much money gets blown casually online.
Oh well, what else would we do...?
I have a full blown Server 2003 (but oldish) PC in the garage under the bench. BIg disks, o screen or kbd and accessed by remote desktop.Figured it was the safest place in the house until I saw my wife backing her car into the garage!
I now have a similar PC in the attck mirrored off the server using Robocopy.
All I need now is a total house fire. But I'll probably be in bed at the time and past caring!
Who have a server mirrored in the out-buildings or detached workshops for that very reason... even back up drives in flame proof safes..!
I do take important back up DVD's elsewhere just in case but there is only so much paranoia you can take.As long as I still have a pulse, thats the only form of system recovery I will care about at that point...
Enjoy,
K
Methinks someone should design back-up software with paddles.CLEAR!! ;)
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