Computer maintenence

Quote from gnome:

Here we've been talking about HD backups, and I just TODAY had my HD get corrupted!! Got very slow and several programs acted weird... Win2000 did a couple of scandisks with the comment about something "being dirty".

Extra HD saved the day once again.
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MORE Trouble.... FWIW

After a corrupted HD yesterday, turn on my rig today and found it making a buzzing noise with the power supply fan slowing to nearly stopped, then revving up again... slowing, surging, slowing surging...

I squirted some Gunk Liquid Wrench into the fan, and now all's quite again and don't have to replace the power supply... not yet anyway. (Had that trouble on a new rig a few years back. Before taking it into the repair shop under warranty, tried squirting the juice into it first... ran for another 3 years just fine; never did fail, just got retired.)
 
Quote from nonam:

any girl who would go off with a scumbag like Gollum is not worth having.
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I take it you haven't seen the rock stars that models date?? Oh, come to think of it, proves your point. (Hate to admit it, but back in my youth I had such a real-life experience!)
 
Quote from Bankedout:

Thanks again! I will build my next PC as a quiet one. Those types of noises do annoy me. Did you just Google for step by step instructions on building your PC?

I'm trying to think about what I all want to save prior to doing the clean install. The My Documents folder is obvious. I also want to save some of my emails, and favorites from IE. I would also like to keep my Windows settings intact. Do you think that is possible? What other types of things are good to save?

If I do a clean install, and then load the minimal programs I like. I would then do the Windows Update to get to the current XP status. Is there a way at that point to make a copy of that information? That way I wouldn't have to go through the Windows Update process all over again in the future. The downloading is not so bad with cable internet, but all of those reboots on top of the downloading can add up.

Would there be a step by step for idiots guide available for the copying of "clean" environment above? :) I would guess that information would be too large to put on a CD-R. Maybe that's why everyone gets another hard drive. I'm not against buying another hard drive, if it will save me a headache in the future.

Thanks again for all of your help,

Banker
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Internet Explorer favorities: good point. Just backup this folder and copy it back into the same place later:

c:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\Favorites

That's where it is in Win2000 anyway. Have a sniff around until you locate this folder if it's in a different place in XP.

Emails: See if there's some sort of 'Backup' option in the File menu that let's you save all your folders, email addresses, all emails etc. Then do a File/Restore once in your clean environment. I don't use Outlook cos it's what all the viruses attack. Given that it's in such regular use, I prefer to splash the cash for a third party email application and use Pocomail (easy to backup and re-load), although Eudora Pro v6.0 is what I would get next time around.

Windows settings? I never bothered with that. I guess you mean things like dispay resolution etc. I just did all that stuff manually once in the clean environment (Control Panel/Display settings). Maybe there's some advanced registry stuff you could save - but I wouldn't go into that realm cos it's no longer for dummies!

Before you do a Windows Update: install your anti virus (a good free one, better than Norton or McAfree is AVG). I recently did a fresh install with a friend and got a very ugly virus just by using the Windows Update function itself!

Copying Windows Updates onto CD for future use: yes you can do this. Just download and burn them onto a CD. Then the next time you go through this process you could install a large portion of the updates from the CD before doing the online updates.

Here's a dummies version of your backup clean environment(!):

Once you are all complete with the process (while everything is fresh in your mind), shut the PC down. Having bought a cheap new hard drive, unplug the existing one and plug in the new one. Repeat the exact same 'fresh install' process again. You will now have two identical fresh hard drives. Keep one in your underwear drawer as insurance. If ever your PC hard drive dies, just pull out the one in the underwear drawer and plug it in. Simple. No need for worrying about Ghosting images and all that advanced non-dummy very clever stuff. Just do regular backups of key files onto CD. So if you ever needed to plug in your "underwear" hard drive, you can quickly copy over all the new files accumulated in recent months.

This is a real "dummies" solution that any PC tech worth their salt would laugh at. But hey, it's simple and it works. If your PC caught fire or your house was burgled and it was stolen, then the underwear drawer with spare hard drive & backed up data CD (done weekly) would save the day for the smart "dummy" :p

Well OK, maybe there's a better place to keep the second drive and data CD than with your knickers! Some hard core people put it in a safe in the garage. Just how important is it in your life if you were to permanently lose everything on your PC after a burglary or fire?
 
Wow, thanks again! I think I'm all set. I have printed off both of your posts, and saved them to My Documents as well. At some point I will take the leap. You have a real talent for speaking 'tech' to non-techies. I hope other people find your information as helpful as I did.

How do I get Windows Updates saved to a folder on my hard drive instead of installed on demand? Every time I go to the site it just automagically installs. I never see an option to save to disk.

Thanks a million,

Banker

Quote from John Lydon:

Internet Explorer favorities: good point. Just backup this folder and copy it back into the same place later:

c:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\Favorites

That's where it is in Win2000 anyway. Have a sniff around until you locate this folder if it's in a different place in XP.

Emails: See if there's some sort of 'Backup' option in the File menu that let's you save all your folders, email addresses, all emails etc. Then do a File/Restore once in your clean environment. I don't use Outlook cos it's what all the viruses attack. Given that it's in such regular use, I prefer to splash the cash for a third party email application and use Pocomail (easy to backup and re-load), although Eudora Pro v6.0 is what I would get next time around.

Windows settings? I never bothered with that. I guess you mean things like dispay resolution etc. I just did all that stuff manually once in the clean environment (Control Panel/Display settings). Maybe there's some advanced registry stuff you could save - but I wouldn't go into that realm cos it's no longer for dummies!

Before you do a Windows Update: install your anti virus (a good free one, better than Norton or McAfree is AVG). I recently did a fresh install with a friend and got a very ugly virus just by using the Windows Update function itself!

Copying Windows Updates onto CD for future use: yes you can do this. Just download and burn them onto a CD. Then the next time you go through this process you could install a large portion of the updates from the CD before doing the online updates.

Here's a dummies version of your backup clean environment(!):

Once you are all complete with the process (while everything is fresh in your mind), shut the PC down. Having bought a cheap new hard drive, unplug the existing one and plug in the new one. Repeat the exact same 'fresh install' process again. You will now have two identical fresh hard drives. Keep one in your underwear drawer as insurance. If ever your PC hard drive dies, just pull out the one in the underwear drawer and plug it in. Simple. No need for worrying about Ghosting images and all that advanced non-dummy very clever stuff. Just do regular backups of key files onto CD. So if you ever needed to plug in your "underwear" hard drive, you can quickly copy over all the new files accumulated in recent months.

This is a real "dummies" solution that any PC tech worth their salt would laugh at. But hey, it's simple and it works. If your PC caught fire or your house was burgled and it was stolen, then the underwear drawer with spare hard drive & backed up data CD (done weekly) would save the day for the smart "dummy" :p

Well OK, maybe there's a better place to keep the second drive and data CD than with your knickers! Some hard core people put it in a safe in the garage. Just how important is it in your life if you were to permanently lose everything on your PC after a burglary or fire?
More...
 
Quote from Bankedout:

Thanks again! I will build my next PC as a quiet one. Those types of noises do annoy me. Did you just Google for step by step instructions on building your PC?

Banker
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Pretty much yes. There's a zillion instructional sites on how to do it. But much like that other link I gave you, most them are 22 pages long and make it look very complicated. It's really extremely simple. You buy the components - picking out ones you like for noise (at least I do), and snap them together. It's really not complicated to take a memory stick or video card and snap it into place on a motherboard! The motherboard (the central item that everything attachs to) will come with a manual and diagram showing you what to attach where. Connect everything together, make sure the power supply is turned on ...and press the 'on' button on the case. If you plugged everything into the correct place, then the system should beep and take you to the Blue Bios window. From that point on, you already know what to do!

About the only thing to remember is that some motherboards will not boot if the CPU fan speed is set below 2000rpm (which your clever "noiseless" one may be). So set the fan to a higher speed initially (or connect a different higher speed fan just one time into the CPU fan connector on the motherboard) then it will boot into Bios OK. Then disable the CPU fan speed checking within Bios (just sniff around until you see that option). Shut down and turn the fan back to slow (or swap the fan for your quiet one if you had to use a different faster fan one time).

This way, when you see a bulletin board where a new PC builder swears blind that all his components are connected properly but it still won't boot into BIOS, you can tell him to disable CPU fan speed monitoring after hooking up a faster fan temporarily. And once again, marvel at how clever you are :D

Seriously, that's the most common blip in the process to look out for. Other than that, if you can stick things together and follow a diagram, then you can build a PC. Pretty much any dummy can do it these days :)
 
Quote from Bankedout:

How do I get Windows Updates saved to a folder on my hard drive instead of installed on demand? Every time I go to the site it just automagically installs. I never see an option to save to disk.
Banker
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I've never figured that out either - proof of my "dummy" status and always go through what seems like two hours of windows updates. Actually microsoft sells update CDs for about $10. I went and treated myself to SP4 (Service Pack 4) for Windows 2000 the other day because my original CD is only SP2 and that's a lotta updates to make it current. You could do the same with XP too, if you know that your original disk is quite old. I believe that SP2 for XP will be out soon. Either a $10 CD or free if you don't mind suffering the update process online.

You shouldn't really need to do a complete re-format too often (say once a year ...only sooner if you feel like gremlins have invaded your computer), so I normally just suffer the online updates. A tech could probably tell you how to download them onto CD yourself ...since I'm too thick to know how!
 
I can handle that. I have replaced RAM, processors, video cards, modems, etc. My fear was the DOS environment. I also wonder if the CD drive will just be able to boot without drivers. Perhaps it's all universal these days or something. Maybe I'll build a new PC, that would be a good project. This one is starting to get old anyway.

Thanks again,

Banker

Quote from John Lydon:

Pretty much yes. There's a zillion instructional sites on how to do it. But much like that other link I gave you, most them are 22 pages long and make it look very complicated. It's really extremely simple. You buy the components - picking out ones you like for noise (at least I do), and snap them together. It's really not complicated to take a memory stick or video card and snap it into place on a motherboard! The motherboard (the central item that everything attachs to) will come with a manual and diagram showing you what to attach where. Connect everything together, make sure the power supply is turned on ...and press the 'on' button on the case. If you plugged everything into the correct place, then the system should beep and take you to the Blue Bios window. From that point on, you already know what to do!

About the only thing to remember is that some motherboards will not boot if the CPU fan speed is set below 2000rpm (which your clever "noiseless" one may be). So set the fan to a higher speed initially (or connect a different higher speed fan just one time into the CPU fan connector on the motherboard) then it will boot into Bios OK. Then disable the CPU fan speed checking within Bios (just sniff around until you see that option). Shut down and turn the fan back to slow (or swap the fan for your quiet one if you had to use a different faster fan one time).

This way, when you see a bulletin board where a new PC builder swears blind that all his components are connected properly but it still won't boot into BIOS, you can tell him to disable CPU fan speed monitoring after hooking up a faster fan temporarily. And once again, marvel at how clever you are :D

Seriously, that's the most common blip in the process to look out for. Other than that, if you can stick things together and follow a diagram, then you can build a PC. Pretty much any dummy can do it these days :)
More...
 
Quote from John Lydon:

I've never figured that out either - proof of my "dummy" status and always go through what seems like two hours of windows updates. Actually microsoft sells update CDs for about $10. I went and treated myself to SP4 (Service Pack 4) for Windows 2000 the other day because my original CD is only SP2 and that's a lotta updates to make it current. You could do the same with XP too, if you know that your original disk is quite old. I believe that SP2 for XP will be out soon. Either a $10 CD or free if you don't mind suffering the update process online.

You shouldn't really need to do a complete re-format too often (say once a year ...only sooner if you feel like gremlins have invaded your computer), so I normally just suffer the online updates. A tech could probably tell you how to download them onto CD yourself ...since I'm too thick to know how!
More...

Go to Windows Update site and get into Windows Catalog. There you will find updates you can download to disk for future installation. However, WinXP stuff is new enough that not all of it is in catalog yet?? If you can hold your water a few months longer, WinXP SP2 will be out and should make reinstalling a ton easier!
 
Thanks. I hope my computer holds up that long. I would definitely be willing to pay the $10 to buy the disk. It's such a pain to go through the process. I will check the Windows Catalog section in a few months.

Banker

Quote from gnome:

Go to Windows Update site and get into Windows Catalog. There you will find updates you can download to disk for future installation. However, WinXP stuff is new enough that not all of it is in catalog yet?? If you can hold your water a few months longer, WinXP SP2 will be out and should make reinstalling a ton easier!
More...
 
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