Hi, All!


!!!!!!!!!!S.O.S.!!!!!!!!!!

Message just received on black screen when starting up the computer:


SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk O: Quantum Fireball CX20.44-(PM).

Warning: Immediately back-up your data and replace your hard disk drive.

A failure may be imminent.

Press F1 to Continue.

What to do? :confused:

It's the only computer I've got that's working right now. :(

Operating system is Windows '98. Lots of information on it. Must save!

I've got extra hard drives lying around and also blank CD's.

Might not be on the site for awhile...

Thanks!

Start backing up everything you want NOW NOW NOW as you just may totally crash at any moment!!

Which way first, please?

Okay, have created a new folder on the desktop. Named it Back-Up.

So I am absolutely not qualified to answer this question...

So, knowing I could be the one in your place... reading the same message... and posting the same "please help"... I searched and found this thread...

View topic - HDD SMART monitoring - Maximum PC Forums (http://www.maximumpc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=653341&highlight=)

Which, at least at one point, seems to have a poster say its really not as scary as you might think... at least that he's lost drives without a smart warning, and he's had warnings on drives that have lasted years past the message...

So...

Again... if nothing else, this bumps your thread to the top of the new posts list...

Thanks for the link, kp2171!

I'm kind of afraid to go there right now though, because I just had something freeze up when trying to put emails into a file.

Computer has been acting weird lately...

Seems like something happening might have been imminent!

so i am absolutely not qualified to answer this question...

so, knowing i could be the one in your place... reading the same message... and posting the same "please help"... i searched and found this thread...

View topic - HDD SMART monitoring - Maximum PC Forums (http://www.maximumpc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=653341&highlight=)

which, at least at one point, seems to have a poster say its really not as scary as you might think... at least that he's lost drives without a smart warning, and he's had warnings on drives that have lasted years past the message...

so...

again... if nothing else, this bumps your thread to the top of the new posts list....

By the way...

Why is your tongue red/pink, please?

Okay, maybe I shouldn't go there.. :eek:

Why is your tongue red/pink, please?


?

What wavelength of visible light is preferred?

I had a different licking kitty ava before... I think the tongue was green. Oddly, nobody asked about my green kitty tongue...

Originally Posted by Clough

Why is your tongue red/pink, please?


?

What wavelength of visible light is preferred?

I had a different licking kitty ava before... I think the tongue was green. Oddly, nobody asked about my green kitty tongue...

Red definitely leaves something for the imagination...

Am burning a CD as I write...

Dang! The speed is only 8x!!

Now, the most important documents have been loaded onto a CD.

I'm not sure what to do about all the emails that I'd like to back-up, though...

I've already sent some of the recent ones to an email account that I use for back-up.

I still would appreciate advice as to what to do with emails, if anyone has any advice...

Thanks!

Not sure of the question... the emails are not saved on your computer, right?.

Please clarify.

If the emails are things you've saved to your computer, well, you need to back it up.

Personally, for not a lot of money you can buy an external hard drive that you can throw all the Important Crap on and toss it into the safety deposit box...

But, again, I'm not sure about the email question... are they saved on your computer? Or just read emails that you can access anytime you log on?

Hi, kp2171!

The emails are saved in my computer in Outlook Express. I don't have the funds to purchase anything external.

When trying to move emails from Outlook Express to folders, say, on the Desktop, and emails that have identical titles need to be re-named since two files of the same name and type of file can't occupy the same folder at the same time.

Most of the emails I've read. Some, I've created and saved to the Draft folder.

Also, most of the ones that I would like to save are business related. There are hundreds of them.

Thanks!

I'm not an expert. Just will tell you what I have done and would do.

When I had a ton of pics and a bunch of music to back up I put it all into a couple of folders... if you right click on the folder and select properties, it'll tell you how big the folder is... how much memory you would need to copy it.

Now, I know you said you didn't have the funds to buy external... but really... a bunch of emails might not add up to that much space, and usb drives can be really, really cheap and easy to use... less than $12 for 2GB...

So... first thing is first.

If you wanted to rent a storage unit for all the stuff you have, you'd look at what you have and estimate based on size...

So... gather the stuff you want to save into a folder or two or whatever... right click on each and select properties and see how big each folder is with the stuff in it.. thisll give a feel for how much storage you might need.

I've already copied the really important documents and other files into folders and saved them to a cd.

If I move the emails to folders on the desktop, then I would have to rename a whole bunch of them.

That could be as simple as adding an "A" or number to each email that's a duplicate of another one. However, the time it would take to do that could take the earth of time!

You're correct about the email files not taking up all that much space, though. But, I don't know what problems I would encounter putting duplicate files on a usb drive.

I think you need a better system of naming...

Or a better "expert" at giving you the answer you seek

Another angle... if you try to dump a bunch of files into a folder and there are some with duplicate names, the computer will often ask you if you want to replace one file with the incoming one...

If they aren't the same size, you say no...

If they are the same size... well... it's a guess... might be the same message or not... better to say no and then explore the two later...

Point is... unless many have the same names, you could still probably condense down to a few folders quickly and then putter through the rest...

If you really have many files with the same name... well.. again... I'm guessing there are better answers.. but you could still gather several different folders into one grouping folder and save it...

I don't know.

As robin williams would say if he compared my computer backups to octogenarian sex... its slow and sloppy...

But it might do the trick.

Your mails are in files named something like "inbox.dbx", "sent.dbx" - look for where they are using the search function - type "*.dbx" (without quotes) & they will be found.
Back those up.
Whilst you're at it... buy a computer from this millennium!

Man, if you plan on making 25,000 more posts I would seriously think about upgrading.

Please do put yourselves in my place first...

Not everyone has the same means to do things.

Sorry mate. Carry on.

The easiest way to back up anything is to make an image of the OS, but with your machine, it'd probably take a while.

I would just stick to what you're doing, burn all files on to a CD, it is slow but it will work. But, if you have USB 2.0 ports on your machine, you'd probably be better off buying/borrowing a few 2GB key drives and doing it that way, it'd be quicker than an 8X burner.

Time to start shopping for a good IDE HD, better start now as they may be hard to find.

Your mails are in files named something like "inbox.dbx", "sent.dbx" - look for where they are using the search function - type "*.dbx" (without quotes) & they will be found.
Back those up.
Whilst you're at it...buy a computer from this millenium!

I've found emails in other hard drives that way. Thanks for the reminder!

I've also used the converters for those types of files previously. Still though, the process can be a cumbersome one.

However, just finding those files with the titles like you've mentioned and then putting them on another hard drive that's a slave might be the answer.

Thanks!

I know what I need to do, it's just how to do things the most efficiently where I have a problem.

I also have a couple of computers where I'm on a Wi-Fi connection. However, neither of them will even start up right now. I was used to having the Wi-Fi connection for about six months. Before that, it was a dial-up connection, for the most part, when I've been on this site.

So, I've had to make do with what I've had.

I have a friend who is a computer guru who is the person from whom I'll normally get my machines. We barter for the labor. I tune and work on his piano and he prepares a machine for me. Stopped by his home a few days ago. He wasn't there. Really would just like to get the other two machines working.

For now though, it's the "antique" computer with which I have to deal and use. When it "blows" it "blows", but my business information must be off it.

Like I've already mentioned earlier, all the pertinent documents are backed-up. I do also have back-ups of programs on Cd's and other hard drives.

The emails are the main things which are hard for me to figure out how to back-up without it taking the earth of time to do so.

Thanks!

The easiest way to back up anything is to make an image of the OS, but with your machine, it'd probably take a while.

I would just stick to what you're doing, burn all files on to a CD, it is slow but it will work. But, if you have USB 2.0 ports on your machine, you'd probably be better off buying/borrowing a few 2GB key drives and doing it that way, it'd be quicker than an 8X burner.

How does one make an "image" of an operating system, please?

Man, if you plan on making 25,000 more posts I would seriously think about upgrading.

Hey! 25,000 posts, most of the time using only a dial-up connection ain't bad, considering that I also get a lot of other things done besides being on the computer, doncha think?

I was just worried that this is a main hobby for you, it'd be a shame if you started having more downtime than uptime considering the antiquated hardware and software. I'll leave it your local computer guru, hopefully he reappears shortly.

Thanks, NK! Well, it is a main hobby for me, especially considering the connections that have been made with people and what I've learned on this site!

Am presently house and dog sitting. So, I'm really enjoying the high-speed connection on their computer! However, even this one is having problems!

Microsoft Office doesn't work and the "My Computer" window won't have anything in it without my having to go into Safe Mode.

But, that needs to be the subject of another thread...