Excuses from Bill

CSGnet Archive CSG2009
1

[From Bill Powers (2009.02.23.0025 MST)]

My activity on CSGnet has been pretty low over the recent day or two
because I almost lost everything on the desktop computer on Saturday.
I made a change recommended for decreasing the latency of the sound
after striking a key of a music keyboard, after which a rapidly
increasing number of errors began to appear. After many struggles I
was able to copy all my mailboxes to a memory stick and transfer them
to this laptop on which I'm writing now, plus the Delphi programs
I've been working on (the local-area network had stopped working). I
spend the rest of Sunday, which is now just barely yesterday, slowly
restoring the desktop computer to nearly normal functioning. Skype
still isn't working right (no video). I've had to reinstall a lot of
unlikely programs like the Microsoft .NET Framework. I managed to get
Service Pack 3 for Windows XP downloaded to the laptop and burned to
a CD which I then was able to use to install SP3 onto the desktop --
I had accidentally restored the program to SP2 by trying to use the
recovery disc, and thought that might have messed something up. At
the moment I perceive the desktop computer as having a high
uncertainty of working, a sensation I dislike intensely. No wonder I
don't like information theory.

So if I haven't replied to some posts, it's not because I don't like you.

Best,

Bill P.

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.3/1966 - Release Date: 02/22/09 17:21:00

2

[From Fred Nickols (2009.02.23.0550 MST)]

[From Bill Powers (2009.02.23.0025 MST)]

My activity on CSGnet has been pretty low over the recent day or two
because I almost lost everything on the desktop computer on Saturday.

Been there, done that. It's a royal pain. You have my condolences.

However, I regularly back up all data files so I've never lost anything except operating programs. Hope you do the same.

···

--
Regards,

Fred Nickols
Managing Partner
Distance Consulting, LLC
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us

"Assistance at A Distance"

3

[From Dag Forssell (2009.02.23.1735 PST)]

Maintaining several computers, I developed a couple of habits long ago.

A) Divide your hard disk into several logical disks and load the operating system only on the C:\ drive. Designate other logical disks for program files (installed programs) such as E:\ drive. Store data on another drive, such as D:. Keep reference files on another logical drive, such as software and utilities you have downloaded or otherwise hoarded on a drive such as F:.

User friendliness is bad news. Do not use “My Documents” or such because that stores your data on the C:\ drive.

In case of an operating system crash, consider pulling the drive altogether and inserting a virgin drive (or reformatting one) and installing the OS on it. Once the OS is installed, stick the original disk back in, perhaps changing to slave. It will still be divided and have all the logical disks with data etc. The old C:\ drive will still have the fonts you installed before, any Favorites and other items that were stored on the C:\ drive.

An alternative, not quite as safe or flexible, is to install the OS to the original C:\ drive, reformatting it as required.

I find it a good idea to name the drives with an indication of what they hold. See attached image.

With two drives in the same computer, you can back up to a logical drive on the next drive. Note that Windows default when dragging folders and files is “Move” when dragging within the same logical hard disk. It is “Copy” when dragging to another logical drive. So I do not have to think about it because i drag to another logical hard disk when I back up.

With an external USB hard disk, you can power it up briefly and back up to it. In my case, Christine and I are granny-nannies across the bay two days a week. I keep a second, separate 500 GB USB hard disk over there and back up my work (when I remember). That way I have all my data in another location, no matter where I am at the moment.

I’ll attach a word file with a picture that shows my current setup.

Best, Dag

Hard disk setup.doc (45 Bytes)

···

At 04:52 AM 2/23/2009, you wrote:

[From Fred Nickols (2009.02.23.0550 MST)]

[From Bill Powers (2009.02.23.0025 MST)]

My activity on CSGnet has been pretty low over the recent day or two

because I almost lost everything on the desktop computer on Saturday.

Been there, done that. It’s a royal pain. You have my condolences.

However, I regularly back up all data files so I’ve never lost anything except operating programs. Hope you do the same.

–

Regards,

Fred Nickols

Managing Partner

Distance Consulting, LLC

nickols@att.net

www.nickols.us

“Assistance at A Distance”

4

[From Dag Forssell (2009.02.23.1735 PST)]

Maintaining several computers, I developed a couple of habits long ago.

A) Divide your hard disk into several logical disks and load the
operating system only on the C:\ drive. Designate other logical disks
for program files (installed programs) such as E:\ drive. Store data
on another drive, such as D:\. Keep reference files on another
logical drive, such as software and utilities you have downloaded or
otherwise hoarded on a drive such as F:\.

User friendliness is bad news. Do not use "My Documents" or such
because that stores your data on the C:\ drive.

In case of an operating system crash, consider pulling the drive
altogether and inserting a virgin drive (or reformatting one) and
installing the OS on it. Once the OS is installed, stick the original
disk back in, perhaps changing to slave. It will still be divided and
have all the logical disks with data etc. The old C:\ drive will
still have the fonts you installed before, any Favorites and other
items that were stored on the C:\ drive.

An alternative, not quite as safe or flexible, is to install the OS
to the original C:\ drive, reformatting it as required.

I find it a good idea to name the drives with an indication of what
they hold. See attached image.

With two drives in the same computer, you can back up to a logical
drive on the next drive. Note that Windows default when dragging
folders and files is "Move" when dragging within the same logical
hard disk. It is "Copy" when dragging to another logical drive. So I
do not have to think about it because i drag to another logical hard
disk when I back up.

With an external USB hard disk, you can power it up briefly and back
up to it. In my case, Christine and I are granny-nannies across the
bay two days a week. I keep a second, separate 500 GB USB hard disk
over there and back up my work (when I remember). That way I have all
my data in another location, no matter where I am at the moment.

I'll attach a word file with a picture that shows my current setup.

Best, Dag

Hard disk setup.doc (67 KB)

···

At 04:52 AM 2/23/2009, you wrote:

[From Fred Nickols (2009.02.23.0550 MST)]

>
> [From Bill Powers (2009.02.23.0025 MST)]
>
> My activity on CSGnet has been pretty low over the recent day or two
> because I almost lost everything on the desktop computer on Saturday.

Been there, done that. It's a royal pain. You have my condolences.

However, I regularly back up all data files so I've never lost
anything except operating programs. Hope you do the same.

--
Regards,

Fred Nickols
Managing Partner
Distance Consulting, LLC
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us

"Assistance at A Distance"

5

[From Bill Powers (2009.02.23.1940 MST)]

Dag Forssell (2009.02.23.1735 PST) --

Thanks for the tips, Dag. I'd like to get that organized, but it
would be a long way from where I am now. I do have an external drive
and quite regularly back up using an Xcopy batch file that stores
data files. That works pretty well. I back up the laptop that way, to
the same external drive (which is on an NSLU2 minature computer
connected to the local network).

Also I try to keep my laptop synchronized with the main files on the
desktop that I'm working on. And no, I don't use all that silly My
Documents stuff -- everything sits on the C drive root directory.
where I don't have to dig through layers of folders to get to it. The
incremental backups take only a few minutes now, and I turn off the
external drive except when backing up. It should last a while.

Right now the top problem is that I can't uninstall the Logitech
webcam software so I can get new versions from the net -- the camera
isn't working, and I either have to get it going or go buy a new
headset to use with Skype. The camera works fine on the laptop, but
the new software says I must uninstall any old versions before
installing the new one.

Best,

Bill P.

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.3/1968 - Release Date: 02/23/09 18:22:00