BackupFilter: My new replacement laptop arrives tomorrow--help me make sure I don't forget anything critical in my backup process when I transfer everything to the new computer because I have to ship the old one back to Dell (hard drive as well). [more inside]
posted by Elminster24 on Nov 8, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm going to wipe my hard drive and reinstall Windows XP. But my files are in a huge mess and I'm scared I'm going to screw something up. [more inside]
posted by kitcat on Sep 30, 2009 - 16 answers

I have two computers, one Windows, one Linux. How can I make it so they synchronize automatically with each other, as in, I update the file on one computer, and the updated file gets put onto the other? Networking? Using an external hard drive? What software might be useful? Bonus points for free software
posted by gilsonal on Aug 22, 2009 - 13 answers

Advice for a server newb who needs help getting started with a simple media/backup/torrent server? [more inside]
posted by wastelands on May 29, 2009 - 12 answers

I need to move several gigs of music files from one external hard drive to another. But, there are a few problems... [more inside]
posted by reenum on Apr 23, 2009 - 16 answers

Computer (XP SP2) won't recognize any usb drives, but will recognize my usb mouse? [more inside]
posted by imposster on Sep 19, 2008 - 3 answers

Data Backup Filter: I have about 6TB (yes TB, not GB) of data. I need to back it up BEFORE it crashes. I also need a good way to share it on the network. How can I do this? Details within... [more inside]
posted by arniec on Jul 8, 2008 - 28 answers

I am upgrading my PC and I have questions regarding transferring my data. This is probably a total newbie question but I can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere. [more inside]
posted by Zaximus on Jul 1, 2008 - 8 answers

My mom and my brother are looking for a simple, solid online backup solution for their Windows XP computers. I know that there are sites like Carbonite, Mozy, and Crashplan. What I don't know is how good or simple any of these sites are or if there are others that are better that I just don't know about. Also, how heavily does the background services these site's software install impact system performance?
posted by Ikazuchi on Jun 30, 2008 - 14 answers

Why won't Norton Ghost make a recovery point for my C drive? [more inside]
posted by Thin Lizzy on May 24, 2008 - 8 answers

Is Time Machine in Mac OS X 10.5 really a good full hard drive backup solution? [more inside]
posted by joshrholloway on Oct 24, 2007 - 4 answers

I'm trying to find a way to efficiently back up a large, ever changing folder periodically. I believe what I want is something that does a "mirror backup" but only when I want it to. Do programs like these exist? Any recommendations? [more inside]
posted by Defenestrator on Aug 5, 2007 - 17 answers

SO my laptop was stolen... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 30, 2007 - 9 answers

I use Carbonite to backup my home machine, and recently purchased an external hard drive. Carbonite does not backup external hard drives (as I found out after the fact), so I am trying to find a way to make Carbonite think that the external drive is just another folder off of my C: drive. Is this possible?
posted by GernBlandston on Jun 12, 2007 - 3 answers

I can't boot my MacBook in any way, shape, or form that I try. Much more info inside! [more inside]
posted by joshrholloway on Mar 8, 2007 - 12 answers

So it's come to this - I see no other option than to ask a "help me fix my PC" question. After some troubleshooting the STOP errors seem to have been resolved, XP now boots successfully but is excruciating slow to the point of being unusable. Details and specs below the fold. [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane on Mar 4, 2007 - 25 answers

Network Attached Storage for dummies 2 [a follow-up to this post]: If you backup your home computers to a device that's also sitting in your home, do you then take additional backups off site? And what about encryption? (Thinking of fire, or if the babysitter walks out of the house with the NAS drive in her backpack.) [more inside]
posted by Dave 9 on Sep 14, 2006 - 11 answers

I've taken the role as a graphic designer at a small company, and I also wear the IT hat sometimes. That being said, I'm more of a Mac Guru than (blech) XP. BUT, we have a small file server (40 GB, half full) of data we would like to backup nightly. #1: What's a good tape drive (or other media) for that much data, with room to grow, of course. #2: What software? #3: What's a "typical" backup schedule. I'd prefer just to do incrementals, but how often to rotate tapes/etc...? Thanks!
posted by Wiggo on Oct 6, 2005 - 11 answers

I will be wiping the hard drive of my Dell Inspiron 600m, which is currently running Windows XP with multiple profiles. What's the best way to make sure I back up everything? [more inside]
posted by MeetMegan on Sep 20, 2005 - 6 answers

MySQL hot backup: I need to set one up.
One of my clients has started to get worried about their data in their MySQL database, which they have become very dependent on. The database is currently backed up twice daily, once at noon and once at end of business, and the backups are encrypted and stored offsite. However, they want to have a up-to-the-minute backup in case things go very pear shaped with the server. What's the best way to do this? (Note: MySQL 3.23.x)
posted by SpecialK on Jan 15, 2005 - 12 answers

How do you backup your blog(s)?
posted by jellybuzz on Dec 14, 2004 - 22 answers

A friend of mine has a really fucked up computer that was invaded by spyware and viruses via Kazaa and other trojan horse programs. The only way to fix it at this point is to nuke the entire hard drive and re-install everything. [more inside]
posted by interrobang on Jul 17, 2004 - 13 answers

Another boooooring computer question - sorry!

How do I clone a HD in a win2k system? My system's boot hd is a 20g 5400 rpm. I'd like to swap it for a 20 g 7200 rpm which is sitting at the moment in an external firewire enclosure. I also have 150g in an internal RAID array.

More inside ... [more inside]
posted by magullo on May 20, 2004 - 5 answers

I have a WinXp machine with three hard drives, each one holding 100GB. I'm researching backup alternatives, and there are tons these days (tape drives, external firewire drives, jazz drives, etc.). I'd like to find a solution that strikes a nice balance between ease of use, cost and durability. Any suggestions?
posted by grumblebee on Jan 8, 2004 - 8 answers