Please guys backup your important data to cd/dvd regularly.
Just lost everything on my network, Main pcs’ hard drives, all personal data and it’s backups on what should’ve been a bulletproof linux file server .
Photos, speadsheets, letters, films, music every effingthing. Don’t quite know what caused it yet but its malicious! The barstewards have got through 2 hardware firewalls (router and smoothwall) and the poxy software firewall on the desktop, managed to wipe all partitions except the one XP is on.
Serves me right not to make secure backups, and I should know better.
If you have discs to install them from, or they come from major companies whose websites will let you download them again, then no.
Otherwise, backup the install programs.
If your machine came, as most do these days, with a reinstall partition on the hard-drive, then there’s usually a way to burn that on to a cd/dvd in case of HDD failure. Do that, and do it now.
Macka Packa:
Stay of those amputee,midget,■■■■■■■ ■■■■ sites.
Or you,ll get another nasty virus.
It looks like wwhen I was looking for a car loan I inadvertently let a trojan in, which was sat there for a wee while, AVG picked up on it, but I ignored it as it was in temporary internet files drive which is wiped every time I switch pc off, however as I usually hibernate/standby the pc this didn’t happen and the payload ran , and whatever it was wiped the partition info on all connected HDDs .
For backing up your entire system a usb external hard drive should be sufficient for most peeps Clicky and using backup inthe Start menu/programs/accessories/system tools folder. For a safe backup this way the drive should only be connected/switched on during the backup. The price of these drives is probably cheaper than having a Techie come out and do it for you or sat for flippin hours installing and downloading your operating system, drivers, programs and attempting but only partially succeeding in recovering your personal files.
allikat:
If you have discs to install them from, or they come from major companies whose websites will let you download them again, then no.
Otherwise, backup the install programs.
If your machine came, as most do these days, with a reinstall partition on the hard-drive, then there’s usually a way to burn that on to a cd/dvd in case of HDD failure. Do that, and do it now.
Depends on your make and model of PC Rog, as they all differ.
Acer PCs it can be accessed by pressing one of the F keys on bootup, or a message can appear on screen (once Windows is running) advising you to create system disks.
If your PC was built by the local PC shop then it may not have it. best thing to do Rog is to check the docs that were supplied with the PC.
I should add the re-install partion is normally hidden from view.
My compaq/HP machines had an option in the start menu to backup the system reinstall partition to DVDs. But like Colingl said, all makes are different.
However, if it’s WinXP, you can go to a pirate site, and download a simple OEM install CD for XP. This is entirely legal, since you have a legal licence. The thing that makes your windows legal is the little sticker with the numbers on. If your sticker is legal, your machine is legal, and your windows is legal, full stop.
That doesn’t mean you can use an XP sticker as an excuse to install vista, that’s not legal (and usually, not worth the effort)…
Colingl:
Depends on your make and model of PC Rog, as they all differ.
Acer PCs it can be accessed by pressing one of the F keys on bootup, or a message can appear on screen (once Windows is running) advising you to create system disks.
If your PC was built by the local PC shop then it may not have it. best thing to do Rog is to check the docs that were supplied with the PC.
I should add the re-install partion is normally hidden from view.
Bought at TESCO but supplier now gone bust - no paperwork - lost it
If it’s an image file for a CD/DVD then hunt for *.ISO files, that’s what an image looks like, feed that into your CD/DVD burning software along with a suitable disc, and you’re away.
Do you have any special options that come up when you turn it on?
Like messages that say “Press {F12} for recovery”?
Hi rog ,
I wouldnt worry too much about hardware drivers etc…
usually if you ask nicely,
someone on these forums will be able
to find you operating systems drivers etc,…
(usually free online from your hardware suppliers)
Just save all documents,pics,music etc…
I bought a 250gb external hard drive for about £80 before xmas
saved all my files, and still have 90% memory left
Those external drives are life savers.
Buy one as big as your hard-disk, and copy the LOT onto it.
A 1TB (thousand GB) cost me 100 quid at PCworld last week.
, it’s taken about 38 hours to get about 60% of my data back 
, and whatever it was wiped the partition info on all connected HDDs 