Will I Ever Learn?

[RollerBall]

Yup, it's happened again. Windows XP Pro has trashed itself for about the 3rd or 4th time. Well, not so much trashed itself but trashed ALL my personal files and folders - literally - due to an unrecoverable error in my (system) user folder. That means EVERYTHING in the folder has gone - My Documents and all its contents, the whole of my email, all of my Favorites, my Desktop (with zillions of files and shortcuts including stacks of uninstalled fs scenery and aircraft), program settings (yeah - fs9.cfg and all of my saved flights and flightplans) and so on and so on and so on.

And I have yet to have ANY version of Windows do a 'Repair' by doing a reinstall and selecting that option. Something crucial has always been left undone. This time, although I have Broadband I also need a dial-up modem which the system will not give a connection to.

And for some reason the 'repaired' system is booting up with the My Documents folder open on the desktop.

So yet again, it's another full system install.

My HD is 120 GB but luckily I still have the 40 GB I used 3 months ago when it last happened with the data from then still intact. So I have a sporting chance, although I have to be resigned to losing 3 months worth of emails and other correspondence.

What's the answer? I dunno. I have a couple of old tape drives but although having a backup routine is fine for a company, it's a real pain for an individual. But I'll have to do something with my 'key' data - even if it's only just once a week.

Anyone else been having the same sort of problem?

[bm]

I've recently discovered a version of linux called Knoppix. I've downloaded it and burnt the .iso image onto CD. It boots directly off the CD - unpacks and runs in the memory without installing anything on disk. Allowing you to access and rescue your data when windows plays up.

[smashie]

I think this must have happened to most people at some point or another (me more than one). You have my sympathy.

What I do know is use a 60gb drive for backups, I use a bit of software called "cobian backup", it's free and very easy to use. You can back up everything incrementaly, zipped you name it. A quick google should help you find it.

It won't help you now but it will in the future.

Good luck

[ozzy72]

Roger try http://www.handyrecovery.com/index.shtml it can recover most stuff, even after a crash. I've used it to recover stuff a few times now and its pretty good. I'm not promising anything, but its one of the better programs on the market (freeware) and it might help you recover at least some of your data.

Mark

Ps. Get a RW CD and backup each week onto it overwriting the previous backup is the most economic way to do things

[congo]

You guys must have heard of drive partitioning.

Next time you re-install, watch the text carefully as you boot from the XP setup disk. It comes up with a partitioning option. That's a quick and easy way to do it.

Use as many partitions as you like, I'm running 5 now,  15gb for C: , 30gb for my safe drive, 30gb for FSim, 20gb for other games, and 20 gb as general backup and workspace.

You may only require 2 partitions, it's up to you.

I make c: drive large enough to hold XP and a few extras, plus workspace to run a large desktop operation, where i do my work, download files etc for processing. (I treat my desktop as a large temporary buffer actually.)

I install many programs, but mostly my sims, to the other partitions. I have programs save their output to those partitions, so, after a crash, a re-format and re-install, I still have just about everything, possibly losing whatever was on my desktop at the time.

Basically, the general idea is to isolate your data from the opsys. And you can't do that by shoving your mess into my documents!  ;)

Configure as much as you can to orderly spare partitions, it's a LOT less painful if you find the word "format" attractive.

Repair? PFFFT! yeah right!  

[Scottler]

What's the answer?

As previously mentioned, Linux.  lol  

I actually run XP myself, but have been thinking more and more about dropping it.  The only reason I still run it is because I've never really had a problem with the OS itself.  But it's tempting to separate myself from MS as much as possible, with FS being the obvious exception.

[Skittles]

You guys must have heard of drive partitioning.

To further illustrate... My partition setup

C: MAIN - Windows install only
D: GAMES - All games
E: APPLICATION - Programs that produce something
F: UTILITIES - Programs that don't produce something
G: APP STORAGE - Files created with applications... docs, pics etc
H: SWAP FILE - I located Windows swap file here
I: INTERNET - Temporary Internet files
J: CD_ROM
K: STORAGE - Drivers, Downloaded programs, all MSFS stuff

I have three physical drives C, D, E
C also contains partitions F, G, H
D is a single partion
E also contains partitions I, K

Now, as to why. I kept Windows on it's own partition so it can fry itself all it wants and I only loose that partition.  Putting the swap file on "H" keeps it on that same drive a Windows. Why a separate partition? It allows better control for sizing the file.  The most important partition is the APP STORAGE.  Everything I made... Docs, videos, Excel files, everything is there in one place. However, don't do what I did and get confused on your partitions when re-installing Windows. I accidentally formatted my APP STORAGE and lost 5 years of accumulated files. OOPS!

Anyway, I kept the temp files on a separate partition again to control size.

I then establish certian areas for backup. My e-mail accounts, internet favorites list, App Storage.. I do not back up Applications and Utilities. If I can't reinstall it, I back it up.  My E Drive containing the STROAGE partition is a HHD attached to a USB 2.0 external drive case.

I hope this provides some ideas on setting up partitions.

Joe