Replies

1. 
   bobl | Jan 23, 2003 05:19pm | #1

   Why are you backing up?

   not to imply you shouldn't, but knowing why may help provide you an answer.

   I would use rewriteable cd's when i wanted to reuse them.

   do have other recovery procedures like, recovery disks?

   bobl          Volo Non Voleo      Joe's cheat sheet

1. 
   GregGibson | Jan 23, 2003 05:28pm | #2

   Luka, my man,

   While you're at it, please decifer this for me. 

   I do my own office payroll with Quickbooks, a good steady, easy to use program for those of us that finished school before the computer age.  I had to upgrade recently to Quickbooks 2003 (they won't do tech support any more for the older versions)  At the same time, I got a newer CPU with a CD burner.  Now, I want to back up to CD.

   The paragraph in the Quickbooks FAQ reads like this, "Note: Before you can backup to a CD, you must configure your CD-ROM drive to operate like an alternate disk drive and, for most operating systems, you must install a third party program on your computer. "

   Help me to understand what is needed.  I'm running Windows XP.  What sort of program are they referring to ?  We thank you for your expertise and for your help.

   Greg.

1. 
   toolnut | Jan 23, 2003 09:59pm | #4

   Luka, if I may.

   Greg,

   I bought a Sony writable drive and it came with "B's Clip" in the box.   I also recently bought a new Dell machine with a burner in it and it came with "CD Creater" or something loaded right out of the box.

   The appropriate software is probably on the machine and with XP, if you popped a new disk (glad I cought my typo)  in the drive I would bet the program would launch on its own.

   Bill

2. 
   Luka | Jan 23, 2003 11:35pm | #6

   Greg,

   Their statement is needlessly confusing. BTW: If you read their statement logicaly, they seem to be saying that you can make a regular cd drive into a writer. Har har.

   In layman's terms, all that happens is that you buy the cd writer drive. You install the cd writer. You install the software that comes with the cd writer.

   The cd writer is installed in the same way as a hard drive. The software is the program that makes the writer work as a writer. (You install software to make a new printer work. Or a new webcam. Etc. This is no different.)

   It's no big deal at all if you have ever installed anything else on your computer your own self.

   Quittin' Time

2. 
   wflather | Jan 23, 2003 06:31pm | #3

   Mr T,

   I would just use a regular write-once, read-many CD, and make sure that you close it once you have everything on it you need.  Most CD Write software I have seen will allow you to leave the CD "open" and add to it in the future as you find more stuff to more off to the CD. 

   If you don't "close" the CD once you have gotten everything you want on it, you will only be able to read on on another, compatible CD-R drive.  If you close it, you should be able to read in on any CD drive, which gives you the most flexibility.   There is little as frustrating as popping your CD in to another drive and getting the "unrecognizable format" error.

   CD's are pretty cheap, so you can afford to make two copies of important stuff if you have learned to distrust this sort of stuff. 

3. 
   Luka | Jan 23, 2003 11:25pm | #5

   T,

   1.) Do not use re-writeables. Aside from the other reasons given, I have found them to be unreliable. A large percentage of them, which I have used, have refused to be readable by a standard cd player, even when properly closed. I have also had too many come out fine, only to be "coasters" when I really needed them. I don't trust a re-writable.

   B.) For your first back up, simply back everything up exactly as it is. The whole shebang.

   First thing you do, is to do a scan disk. Then, you do a defrag. Once the defrag is finished, then you can do the full backup.

   III.) See B.) above. Also, right now is the time to organize your files and your hard drive. If you have been putting off reorganizing all your files and/or programs, do it now. Do the scandisk first. Then organize the files. Then do the defrag. Then do the backup.

   Doing all the above, will assure a faster backup. Even so, after that first backup, you'll be so fed up with the time and effort it takes that you will probably want to start just backing up the files that you consider most important.

   Quittin' Time

1. 
   MisterT | Jan 24, 2003 02:34am | #7

   Thanks Luka,

   I'm gonna try to get it done this weekend.

   Saturday is the Pinewood Derby, and Friday I have to help set up the track.

   Plus DW and son have the bug that has been going around, soooo.......

   I'll let you know how things turn out.

   Oh Yeah should I turn off my Norton anti virus for the backup?

   I think it checks out EVERYTHING and slows some stuff way down.

   Mr TDo not try this at home!

   I am a trained professional!

1. 
   Luka | Jan 24, 2003 03:04am | #8

   When you do the backup, it is best that yout turn of EVERY other program running.

   Anything at all that is running at the same time, is going to make changes to the hard disk.

   This means hunting down and killing all those processes that are running in the background, that you never knew about before.

   You can, of course, just turn off the norton, for exactly the reason you stated, and do a down-and-dirty backup. But you didn't hear that from me, because I believe in Fine Computing. Not just adequate computing. Do it my way and instead of just staying staus quo, (just getting by with whatever works.), with your computer, you'll be happier with it.

   Quittin' Time

2. 
   clwebb | Jan 24, 2003 04:35pm | #9

   Sorry guys don't mean to but in but I have a question Luka might be able to help me with.

   Luka I have a computer that was given to me, I think it is kind of a bastard, was "built" by a shop or someone, I don't have any of the setup discs for it, It runs windows 98, with a 12gig harddrive and amd 500 processor. I have experienced numerous problems with it, but they main thing that irrritates me is that it wont defrag. It used to, and I don't know if it locked up and was restarted at some point (not by me some one else with little fingers) while it was defraging but now it seems like its a stuck record, it will defrag to about 10% then it will say that "drives contents changed restarting" or something to that efect. I have left it defraging for up to 24 hours on a couple of occasions and it goes now where.

   Any advice would be appreciated

   Chris

1. 
   Qtrmeg | Jan 24, 2003 05:41pm | #10

   If I were you I would download the latest drivers for your hardware and Format C:, but that is another story.

   As for the Defrag issue, Defrag often freezes because of hard drive activity. What you could try is to shut down, (end task), programs running in the background. The easiest way to do this is to use what’s called a three-finger salute; You do this by holding down the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys simultaneously to open the Close Program window. Highlight and end task for everything but Explorer and Systray. Then run Defrag.

   The Defrag program installed in Win ME is faster and more tolerent of system activity, and you can install it into Win 98 if you want to bother.

1. 
   Luka | Jan 25, 2003 01:18am | #12

   Qtrmeg,

   Tell me more about installing the different defrag...

   : )

   Quittin' Time

1. 
   Qtrmeg | Jan 25, 2003 04:53am | #13

   The ME patch is all over, Google "me defrag to 98". I never bothered with it, but power users like to play games.

   I won't comment to the previous post's statements. I'll respect the way you build comps, but we will never repair the same way.

   Btw, I'll never run anything Nortons on my comp again, haven't for a very long while, don't even start with the PQ nonsense.

2. 
   Luka | Jan 25, 2003 05:50am | #15

   I didn't mean to be offensive. Sorry if something I said came across that way.

   Thanks for the info on the defrag.

   Absolutely in total agreement on the Norton's. MacAffees as well.

   I railed long and hard against Norton for a while, then finaly gave up because too many people have been bamboozled into thinking that they are not safe without it. Then refuse to try anything else. For a myriad of reasons. Ranging from the fact that they have already paid good money for it, to it is just too hard/embarrassing/scary to try something else, or it's too much trouble, maybe they'll do it later.

   If I paid good money for a tool, and found out that not only was the tool not good for what I bought it for, it was damaging my other tools, I would not hesitate to get rid of it and get a better tool.

   But even logical people seem to have absolutely no common sense when it comes to the computer. It's like many people turn off their brains, and turn on their emotions instead, when it comes to dealing with their computer. The same people who, in every other aspect of their life, are very logical, tons of common sense, in control, running a business... etc.

   Bottom line, most of the time I don't even mention it anymore. When I do, if I run into confusion or any kind of backlash, I just drop it. Most people have to actualy HAVE a disaster with the computer before they will listen anyway.

   ...

   Mike and Helen Smith, and James DuHamel all listened and watched very well. They learned enough to be able to do it over again themselves. Very cool people, all of them.

   Quittin' Time

3. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 25, 2003 06:21am | #16

   well, helen and james can anyway.... i'm way beyond dense... and my tinfoil hat ain't oriented right tonite.... wait...

   i think i'm picking up savidge nation.....oh, noooooooooMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

4. 
   Luka | Jan 25, 2003 08:11am | #18

   I swear I picked up K D Lang the other night.

   Oh wait, you mean radio reception.

   Quittin' Time

5. 
   Qtrmeg | Jan 25, 2003 06:38am | #17

   Oh stop apologizing, Luka.

   I have a hard time looking at a comp that needs to be fixed, and not recommend the right fix for it. You said it might be out of his appitude, we are probably both right.

   Sorry to step on your thread but the question was hanging, and was pretty simple. Sometimes I think everyone should buy a fruit comp, they never have any problems. ;-)

6. 
   Luka | Jan 25, 2003 08:13am | #19

   Step all you want. Doesn't bother me at all.

   They have plenty of problems. They just call them something else.

   ; )

   Quittin' Time

2. 
   Luka | Jan 25, 2003 01:17am | #11

   Chris,

   Qtrmeg gave good advice.

   Aside from telling you to format your hard drive. LOL I won't recommend that because you have already stated that you don't have all the needed drivers. And from the rest of your post, I have to assume that you don't have any idea how or where to get them. To explain all that would take forever, so instead I simply don't recommend that you format and start from scratch.

   If you need a better explanation of the three finger salute, let me know. Although it really is as simple as Qtrmeg showed.

   One thing... you have to redo that three finger salute for each program that needs to be shut down. You can only do one program at a time. (Sometimes, it take two or three times before an individual program actualy shuts down, as well.)

   Also, as he said, it is not because of a glitch, or earlier malfunction in defrag. It is because there is a program running in the background, This program is making a change to the hard drive while you are trying to defrag.

   For instance, Norton was mentioned earlier in this thread. If Norton is running in the background, then defrag will continualy and forever just keep getting to a certain percentage, and then start over again.

   If you use the three finger salute, rest assured that the next time that you reboot the computer, all those programs will be right back again. You are not going to screw up your computer if you follow his instructions.

   Also, follow his instructions, and then be sure not to reboot the computer until you have alreay run the defrag.

   Quittin' Time

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 25, 2003 05:03am | #14

   just  keep it up.... still operating without a license i see.....

   here's Luka dispensing advice at Texfest.... to James &  Helen...Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore