Computer "totally" crashed

That stinks, viruses will do that. Linux is safer from viruses mainly due to the fact that hackers don't like M$ and it's not worth their time writing viruses for Linux since most people use Windows. But still nothing is completely safe. I'm sure you have a backup system in place now. I have an external harddrive that I backup to, and then burn to DVD's every once in a while.

 

James, I'm sorry to hear this but this is but this is the very reason I back up all my files on a external HD.

 

I can vouch for Will's method.

I back up all my files on his external drive, too.

 

One quickie way of backing up just a FEW things of high importance - e-mail them to yourself, but do NOT open them, and they (should) sit on the e-mail server until you open them.
Or go register a Yahoo or Gmail account and e-mail them to that account, and only logon to it when you need to.

You obviously don't want to do this with everything, but in addition to my File Servers I use for backup, I also e-mail myself a few Word and Excel documents.

 

If the files aren't too large or of a confidential nature, this is a great bet and also helps you access the files from anywhere in the world with internet access. Yahoo now offers unlimited space for free, so I think it would be worthwhile to sign up if you haven't already.

 

My yahoo e-mails holds 1GB.

 

Gmail hold 2.8 and counting

 

what does it take to add an external hard drive and how much $ ?

 

Do you know how to plug in a USB cable?
Costs vary from about $50 into the hundreds, depends on how much space you want.

 

inbox.com gives you 5GB

 

This is a great thread covering the discussion of various types of external hard drives, I hope this helps. FYI, it's better to build your own rather than buying a factory enclosed unit.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138114

 

+1 on build your own. Also, make sure you turn it on once a month at least. Not sure if the article mentions that, but hard drives that sit in a closet more highly likely to fail way more often. They like to be on all the time

 

Tell us all about your new Linux OS

 

What would I do?

Same thing I did for my uncle who is an Anesthesioaloggoyist. The guy that knocks you out AND brings you back for surgery.

I got him an iMac + 2 firewire external hdd's from Lacie (the porsche designed ones).

Then I set up Carbon Copy to copy his entire computer to both of the drives.

He takes one of them home at the end of the day. Now he's got offsite back up (in his car) and on-site backup. Incredibly easy.

If he didn't need a new computer and wanted to use his old machine? Ubuntu + rsync.

 

Those are hosted on Yahoo's servers, so there is no reason your computer crashing should have anything to do with that. Could you explain more about what you mean by "lost"?

 

Offsite backups are great for those ever important backups. At my previous employer as Sys admin, we rented out a safety deposit box at the bank and regularly rotated our backed up harddrives through there.

 

Mine cost $100 and it is of 120 gb...and looks beautiful in black

 

For 100$ you should've gotten close to a 500gb external hdd

I'm waiting for 500gb drives to drop under 100$. Then i'll pick up 4 of them and be set for the next ten years