A lesson (computer related)

[AndrewF]

Back up your data.....or you will be at the mercy of your vengeful children

My father's computer pooched on him today. Not such a big deal for most of the year, but as a retired accountant who took over a tax business a few years back, this is the season he needs things to go smoothly. It never does though.

A couple of years ago, it was his laser printer which died. This year, it was the power supply to his tower. If it can go wrong, it will during tax season!

Seeing as though his computer is still under warranty, he wants to send it in. But the box store where he bought it won't have anything done inside of two weeks. Not good for him or his clients.

Cue the 'good son' (well, his only son, so beggars can't be choosers) - who can not only loan him a computer while he's down, but also recover his files and put them on that computer so he's able to go on as if nothing's wrong. At this point, I'm the only thing standing between him and disaster - and I'm wondering: Does this warrant a bottle of Crown Royal, or are we into the single-malt scotch territory here? :lol-sign:

 

[Nechochwen]

So long as it was just the power supply dying, you should be able to plug the hard drive into an external enclosure and get the files off of it that way, or just plugging it into another tower. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes if the drive isn't fubared.

 

[scob89]

My advice would be to just buy a power supply yourself and put it in. Then once tax season is over, put the bad one back in and take it to get fixed.

It;s more than likely a regular ATX style so it will work in most computers, would be a good investment just to have as a spare even.

I have been so thankful to have a couple spares here, saves a trip into town for me and I get up and going faster.

Yes, this does qualify for a bottle of Crown. lol

 

[DogstarAcademy]

It's in single malt scotch territory by virtue of the fact that it's less than a month till Tax Day.

 

[AndrewF]

So long as it was just the power supply dying, you should be able to plug the hard drive into an external enclosure and get the files off of it that way, or just plugging it into another tower. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes if the drive isn't fubared.

I actually went with the external enclosure which is up and running. My sacrificial tower (the one I was thinking of using will only accept PATA HD's).

My advice would be to just buy a power supply yourself and put it in. Then once tax season is over, put the bad one back in and take it to get fixed.

It;s more than likely a regular ATX style so it will work in most computers, would be a good investment just to have as a spare even.

I have been so thankful to have a couple spares here, saves a trip into town for me and I get up and going faster.

Yes, this does qualify for a bottle of Crown. lol

I was leaning towards this option and ignoring the warranty claim altogether. However, in spite of his deadlines, I think he just want's to get something out of the extended warranty he paid for.

It's in single malt scotch territory by virtue of the fact that it's less than a month till Tax Day.

So we've got one vote for the scotch and one vote for the crown.

 

[Nechochwen]

crown, because it's such an easy job.

Scotch, because it's so near tax-day.

I vote for both just to be sure.

 

[AndrewF]

crown, because it's such an easy job.

Scotch, because it's so near tax-day.

I vote for both just to be sure.

I like this line of thinking!

 

[Gustav]

Lightweights.. I opt for a cask of whiskey..


Ooooh, and chocolate for Louie, because I NEED it!

 

[Barb04]

OK, now for the question: How do I back up my computer?

I've read you should do this but have no idea. Is it simple to do?

 

[AndrewF]

Lightweights.. I opt for a cask of whiskey..


Ooooh, and chocolate for Louie, because I NEED it!

A cask sounds good

And some chocolate for mentioning the cask!

OK, now for the question: How do I back up my computer?

I've read you should do this but have no idea. Is it simple to do?

Very simple. It's just a matter of taking any files that you consider valuable (for me its photos) and either burning them to DVD or getting an external hard drive and copying your files over (I prefer using an external drive personally). This way, if your computer totally died tomorrow you could just hook your external drive into a new computer and access those files (or pop a DVD in and copy them over to the new computer. It's a much better solution to do it this way than to have to take your dead computer in to a computer shop and have to pay their price to attempt a recovery of your files.

The external HD is the easiest way and makes life a lot simpler in the long run.

 

[Renee750il]

P'raps a case of Midleton?

 

[AndrewF]

Do you mean Middleton Irish whiskey? Never had it before but I believe in trying new things.

The last Irish whiskey I had was a 17 year bushmills single-malt. I still have fond memories of that bottle

 

[Renee750il]

That would be the one! A Chevy dealer I used to date had a penchant for it. Marvelous stuff.

Wouldn't turn my nose up at the Bushmills though!

 

[Gustav]

My dad is a Bushmills fan, in fact he only drinks Bushmills.. I have to admit to not being a Whiskey lover.. It's too harsh for me, and to put coke in it seems like sacrilege.

 

[Renee750il]

Have to admit I prefer it straight up, although Irish coffee, done properly, is a treat.

 

[AndrewF]

My dad is a Bushmills fan, in fact he only drinks Bushmills.. I have to admit to not being a Whiskey lover.. It's too harsh for me, and to put coke in it seems like sacrilege.

Depends on the whiskey. A single-malt? Definitely sacrilege. In something like Segrams 5 star? Well, I can only say it takes a bigger man than me to go through that without mixing it! :yikes:

Have to admit I prefer it straight up, although Irish coffee, done properly, is a treat.

I've never done the irish coffee. I might have to try that one out soon

 

[Renee750il]

Irish coffee's wonderful.

You're drunk and awake enough to enjoy it

Make sure you have REAL cream.