Backup question

[Joe S.]

I need to back up my files (duuhhhhh - now that was a brilliant statement).

This morning when I turned on the computer, the HD made a clicking noise and
would not boot. I hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE and it booted normally. This
afternoon, same clicking sounds, I did nothing, it clicked a couple of more
times, then booted and is operating normally.

I have all my original application disks -- WinXP Home w/SP1; Excel; Word;
FP; and the like. So, if I need to install a new HD, I can start with a
bare drive and install all my apps.

As I understand it, I need to back up my perishable, changeable files. I
plan to use Windows Explorer to copy the following files to ZIP disk(s) or
CD(s):

-- doc files
-- address book
-- spreadsheets
-- digital photos

Here are some questions I can't figure out.

1. I need to back up my web -- I maintain three websites using FP. I edit
the webs on the HD and publish to the live web. How do I back up my webs?

-- Copy to a CD?
-- Publish to a CD?
-- Use the WinXP backup function to backup to a CD?
-- Or, is it sufficient that the live web is synchronized to the HD drive
thereby letting the host server act as a backup?

2. I have a lot of e-mails that I want to save. In Outlook Express, I have
several folders in which I save e-mail -- how can I copy/backup the saved
e-mail and its respective folders?

3. How do I copy/backup my Favorites from Internet Explorer?

Thanks.

 

[Mike Mueller]

Joe- please don't cross-post. Post to one NG at a time.

Seeings your machine is still functional at this time, I
would create a new folder, for this example we'll call it
JoesStuff.

Inside of that folder, create folders for each type of
document you have (eg addresses, documents, spreadsheets,
websites, mail, etc). Copy all of the relative documents
into their respective folder. In Outlook Express you would
copy over the dbx files to the mail folder. To find where
those files are, open OE and then >Tools >Options

Maintenance >Store folder. IEs favorites are stored in

C:\Documents & Settings\(your login name)\Favorites.

Then you only need to burn that one folder to disc.

I would go with the new hd and do the clean install of XP
and then do Windows Update right away- hopefully you can get
SP2 right away.
Install your applications and then their Service Packs.

Copy that CD back to your hard drive, open up your apps and
goto tools and options and set the default storage location
to C:\JoesStuff\Documents (or whatever you set as the folder
for that program). The only thing you will need to copy
back would be your favorites

Mike




"Joe S." <deleted(underscore)2athotmaildotcom> wrote in
message :I need to back up my files (duuhhhhh - now that was a
brilliant statement).
:
: This morning when I turned on the computer, the HD made a
clicking noise and
: would not boot. I hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE and it booted
normally. This
: afternoon, same clicking sounds, I did nothing, it clicked
a couple of more
: times, then booted and is operating normally.
:
: I have all my original application disks -- WinXP Home
w/SP1; Excel; Word;
: FP; and the like. So, if I need to install a new HD, I
can start with a
: bare drive and install all my apps.
:
: As I understand it, I need to back up my perishable,
changeable files. I
: plan to use Windows Explorer to copy the following files
to ZIP disk(s) or
: CD(s):
:
: -- doc files
: -- address book
: -- spreadsheets
: -- digital photos
:
: Here are some questions I can't figure out.
:
: 1. I need to back up my web -- I maintain three websites
using FP. I edit
: the webs on the HD and publish to the live web. How do I
back up my webs?
:
: -- Copy to a CD?
: -- Publish to a CD?
: -- Use the WinXP backup function to backup to a CD?
: -- Or, is it sufficient that the live web is synchronized
to the HD drive
: thereby letting the host server act as a backup?
:
: 2. I have a lot of e-mails that I want to save. In
Outlook Express, I have
: several folders in which I save e-mail -- how can I
copy/backup the saved
: e-mail and its respective folders?
:
: 3. How do I copy/backup my Favorites from Internet
Explorer?
:
: Thanks.
:
:
: --
:
: -----
:
:

 

[Jim Pickering]

First, the clicking would seem to indicate that your existing hard drive is
in major death throes. I'd remove it and replace it with a new one, then
try picking the files you need off of the old drive to the new one and try
importing your messages. For info on backup/restore operations for Outlook
Express, see the info at this link:
http://www.insideoe.com/backup/index.htm

The more you try to use a failing hard drive, the quicker it is likely to
give up the ghost. Get a new one, get a system installed on it, then try to
find and recover the info you need from it. Once it fails, recovery of data
can be an expensive, time consuming and frustrating exercise. You don't
mention the brand of hard drive, but some IBM drives were noticeable for the
"click of death" sound they used to emit just before becoming totally
unusable.