I just learned the hard way. My PC crashed (Windows ME did, actually!), no way to start it up again. Some friends of mine were able to install Windows 2000 so we could at least get on to the hard drive and retrieve the data, but the PC has to be set up completely new. Man, that costs time and nerves!
My next purchase will be an external harddrive to save all data on it. In case of a system crash, you can immediately install the system new and then copy the data back.
One of the main things I hate about Windows in all flavors, besides the innumerable glaring security flaws, is the fact when the sytem eats itself, you must wipe out ALL data to reinstall it.
Not so with a Mac, you just reinstall the system and run Norton or a disk repair utility.
Sure it isn't perfect, but light years better. I'm not gloating here.
I do have a twin processor PC with Win 2K, but it gives me so much MORE hassle than any of the 17 Apples I have had, there is no comparison.
If I had a PC system as large as my current Mac system (560 gig ; 3 IDE & 3 Ultra scsi 160 disc chains),
it would need a back up system that costs close to $5,000... and take much of every night all week to keep backed up properly... 25/7
I have seen DOS based systems kill other disks not just the start up disk too. So not having much data on the start up disk isn't the only solution.
A DVD RW incremental back up is good if your can afford it.
So yeah, back up regularly for sure.
Mac or PC.
Good luck Walter.
<SMALL>about Windows in all flavors, besides the innumerable glaring security flaws, is the fact when the sytem eats itself, you must wipe out ALL data to reinstall it.</SMALL>
That has not been my experience. When I re-installed WinME here, or Win98 on a friend's computer, all the installed programs and data files were still there.
Of course if you choose, you can ersae everything first, or re-format all the hard disks first.
I bought a 40 gig Maxtor external hard drive to suppliment my puny 10 gig on the (now) old computer. As it began to show signs of problems I copied all the files to the external drive just in case. I also bought a new Dell with all the bells and whistles, just in case.
After many pains in the * the old one is up and running again. Why bother, you ask? Well, I answer, most of my music writing/recording software works in win98, not XP.
Main point. Had I not bought that external drive and backed up the files, I would have been one sad puppy now.
Cakewalk Pro Audio 9, BIAB 8, Audigy2 platinumex. Of the three, Cakewalk is the most critical, and the help desk told me by phone it was only for win98. I had Audigy2 in the computer when I went from win98 to XP and the troubles were a nightmare. To be honest, I haven't tried BIAB. One nightmare is enough.
There are other programs that I have that are before winXP, and for me it's just not worth the risk to try and load them in XP.
My PC will be in "surgery" in the enxt days, first all data will be retrieved and copied, then, the harddrive will be cleaned and newly formatted, then I will switch to Windows XP and (hopefully) be back. At the moment the machine is so slow, it takes forever for pages to open, mails to be sent etc. - Isn't it amazing how fast we get used to these speed connections? A few years back we would have been real happy with 20% of the speed, today we all get nervous if something takes more than a few seconds to be done.
