Delayed

[Don Tomas]

My main PC has taken a crap! The files are safe on a separate drive so no need to worry, but the main OS drive died so I cannot access them for a bit. :mad:

Tried rebuilding the drive without success. I have to buy a new drive tomorrow...

[MrHappy]

Same thing happened to me on Monday. The only things I lost were saved emails and my browser favorites. That sucks.
Does it make sense to use a usb stick drive to store all of my files, instead of using my hard drive?

[weyland]

Does it make sense to use a usb stick drive to store all of my files, instead of using my hard drive?
I am thinking of getting an external hard drive to save the contents of my PC, as backup, and also so I can take all my files to the DR when I emigrate without needing to take the whole unit.

Does anyone see any problem with that, or have a better idea?

How about saving my files online? I am looking to store around 40GB. Would that be an economic way of doing it?

[Apos]

i've gone the external hard drive route but for 40 gig i would consider just backing up on DVD.

it would only take 10 singe dvd's, mas o menos, or 4 dual layer to do the job.
of course you would want 2 do it twice, or thrice, for extra security.

for me the external hard drive has been a blessing.
i can even boot from them and have traveled to the DR with one full of music and movies.
much safer than bringing a laptop if you have proper access to a computer when you arrive.
I am thinking of getting an external hard drive to save the contents of my PC, as backup, and also so I can take all my files to the DR when I emigrate without needing to take the whole unit.

Does anyone see any problem with that, or have a better idea?

How about saving my files online? I am looking to store around 40GB. Would that be an economic way of doing it?

[Apos]

i use foxmarks with firefox to manage and store my bookmarks online and i keep all my saved emails backed up online with whatever email site i use. yahoo and gmail are perfect for that as well as hotmail.

i'm also experimenting with mini linux distributions like puppy linux www.puppylinux.org or www.puppyos.com and damn small linux http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ . they both can be stored on a usb thumb and boot from it. basically giving you a fully functioning and mostly complete OS that will work on virtually any computer with a free usb port.
Same thing happened to me on Monday. The only things I lost were saved emails and my browser favorites. That sucks.
Does it make sense to use a usb stick drive to store all of my files, instead of using my hard drive?

[Don Tomas]

i use foxmarks with firefox to manage and store my bookmarks online and i keep all my saved emails backed up online with whatever email site i use. yahoo and gmail are perfect for that as well as hotmail.

i'm also experimenting with mini linux distributions like puppy linux www.puppylinux.org (http://www.puppylinux.org) or www.puppyos.com (http://www.puppyos.com) and damn small linux http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ . they both can be stored on a usb thumb and boot from it. basically giving you a fully functioning and mostly complete OS that will work on virtually any computer with a free usb port.

If you don't like the lack of features with small linuxes, you can boot Fedora on a single CD, the images are premade and available. It would probably be easier finding a CD-ROM rather then a USB 2.0 port in a place like the DR since for any new USB drives most of the time you need 2.0, not 1.1.

[Apos]

usb...is it not backwards compatible?

the CD idea is certainly viably although perhaps more cumbersome and fragile...but still simple.
If you don't like the lack of features with small linuxes, you can boot Fedora on a single CD, the images are premade and available. It would probably be easier finding a CD-ROM rather then a USB 2.0 port in a place like the DR since for any new USB drives most of the time you need 2.0, not 1.1.

[Don Tomas]

I am thinking of getting an external hard drive to save the contents of my PC, as backup, and also so I can take all my files to the DR when I emigrate without needing to take the whole unit.

Does anyone see any problem with that, or have a better idea?

How about saving my files online? I am looking to store around 40GB. Would that be an economic way of doing it?

I have multiple drives in my main PC, one drive alone wouldn't be enough for my porn! :rofl:

External drives are nice and probably the most economical and compatible way in the 40GB range.

DVDs are nice but finding DVD drives in a place like the DR might be difficult.

[Apos]

i have two 250 gig externals and one 500 gig.

the smallest external i see in the stores around here are 80gig and amost the same price as the 250 or even 320 gig versions.
I have multiple drives in my main PC, one drive alone wouldn't be enough for my porn! :rofl:

External drives are nice and probably the most economical and compatible way in the 40GB range.

DVDs are nice but finding DVD drives in a place like the DR might be difficult....doesn't "everyone" have a DVD writer? :rolleyes::lol:

[Don Tomas]

usb...is it not backwards compatible?

the CD idea is certainly viably although perhaps more cumbersome and fragile...but still simple.

USB is backwards compatible to a degree, most bootable USBs can be read/wrote on 1.1 but won't boot. Also I have found issues even with the writing/reading, my sister's 256MB will work on this laptop (1.1) but her 1GB won't.

[Don Tomas]

i have two 250 gig externals and one 500 gig.

the smallest external i see in the stores around here are 80gig and amost the same price as the 250 or even 320 gig versions....doesn't "everyone" have a DVD writer? :rolleyes::lol:

I have 2TB for my porn and other files, including the backup of this site! :deviltail:

Everyone in the modern world does have a DVD-Writer but I would bet Rocky's doesn't even being a popular internet site during breakfast.

[Apos]

true, i don't know that he does on the
"public" computers but that's not what they were setup for either.:wink::lol:
I have 2TB for my porn and other files, including the backup of this site! :deviltail:

Everyone in the modern world does have a DVD-Writer but I would bet Rocky's doesn't even being a popular internet site during breakfast.

[Apos]

DT,

i recently changed my partitions to better accommodate linux installs but i've apparently screwed it up:o

i have a 3 gig ext3, i think, partition and a 500meg swap partition setup but it's not working.


what would you recommend?

[Don Tomas]

DT,

i recently changed my partitions to better accommodate linux installs but i've apparently screwed it up:o

i have a 3 gig ext3, i think, partition and a 500meg swap partition setup but it's not working.


what would you recommend?

What boot loader are you using to choose between the OSes?

This is the NT way (I never used it) http://www.packetwatch.net/documents/guides/misc/multi-boot.php

This is the Linux way:
http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html

[Apos]

thanks DT.

i'm just trying to follow the instructions given but the linux is not completing installation.

i'll have a look at these links :D

i may just reformat my C drive and reinstall both XP and linux...dual boot.

had it working before with ubuntu but not with puppy linux currently.
What boot loader are you using to choose between the OSes?

This is the NT way (I never used it) http://www.packetwatch.net/documents/guides/misc/multi-boot.php

This is the Linux way:
http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html...oh, i'm using GRUB for a boot loader

[Don Tomas]

thanks DT.

i'm just trying to follow the instructions given but the linux is not completing installation.

i'll have a look at these links :D

i may just reformat my C drive and reinstall both XP and linux...dual boot.

had it working before with ubuntu but not with puppy linux currently....oh, i'm using GRUB for a boot loader

I thought you were dual booting, odd you were having issues then, when you installed did you do complete format.

I never worked with puppy linux, just Fedora & Redhat before then, never had any issues with them and I have been running Linux on PCs and laptops since 1995.

[Apos]

i suspect i set the partitions up incorrectly and am about to remove them and start over. my XP is fine so i just have to figureout what i'm doing wrong with the linux.

i was previously experimenting on a desktop but am now using my laptop. it has a "recovery" partition and is using a gateway proprietary version of XP, i wonder if that recovery partition is the issue?
I thought you were dual booting, odd you were having issues then, when you installed did you do complete format.

I never worked with puppy linux, just Fedora & Redhat before then, never had any issues with them and I have been running Linux on PCs and laptops since 1995.

[Apos]

do i actually "need" to make a separate partition and a swap partition?

[Don Tomas]

do i actually "need" to make a separate partition and a swap partition?

Yes Linux cannot run on NTFS!

[weyland]

i've gone the external hard drive route but for 40 gig i would consider just backing up on DVD.

doesn't "everyone" have a DVD writer?

Everyone in the modern world does have a DVD-Writer

I don't have a DVD writer, only a DVD player. Are you suggesting 20 miles from London, England, is the not the modern world?

[Apos]

Yes Linux cannot run on NTFS!ubuntu must have created a partition automatically during initial startup then....puppy isn't doing that for me.

what type of partition do i need then? ext2, ext3...other? what's best.

does it need to be in any particular location?
i now believe i'm having issues because of the gateway recovery drive...i think i'll try ubuntu on this machine and see what it does.

i have been trying various types and locations of partitions without success...perhaps if i install ubuntu then delete it but keep the partition(s) puppy will be happy:confused:?

[Don Tomas]

ubuntu must have created a partition automatically during initial startup then....puppy isn't doing that for me.

what type of partition do i need then? ext2, ext3...other? what's best.

does it need to be in any particular location?
i now believe i'm having issues because of the gateway recovery drive...i think i'll try ubuntu on this machine and see what it does.

i have been trying various types and locations of partitions without success...perhaps if i install ubuntu then delete it but keep the partition(s) puppy will be happy:confused:?

Might try the auto install with ubuntu first and then install puppy. Never worked with puppy so not sure about it.

[Apos]

i've given up on puppy for now. my cdr/dvd appears to be burning only coasters...
i'm posting this from an ubuntu live CD install

also i've managed to fuckup the partitions on my HD. i have a 100gig HD in my laptop normally formatted with a D: recovery (gateway proprietary including all drivers, etc...) of about 6 gigs formatted FAT and the normal C: formatted NTFS. the problem is that it is now only showing about 93 gigs and the balance, equalling the normal D: space, does not show.

i've tried everything i can think of and i'm stumped.

how do i return the HD to show the full size, like fresh from the factory?

hopefylly then i'll be able to just use the supplied disk and have XP do it's thing.

any help appriciated!

[Apos]

do i need to do a low-level format???:confused:

[Don Tomas]

i've given up on puppy for now. my cdr/dvd appears to be burning only coasters...
i'm posting this from an ubuntu live CD install

also i've managed to fuckup the partitions on my HD. i have a 100gig HD in my laptop normally formatted with a D: recovery (gateway proprietary including all drivers, etc...) of about 6 gigs formatted FAT and the normal C: formatted NTFS. the problem is that it is now only showing about 93 gigs and the balance, equalling the normal D: space, does not show.

i've tried everything i can think of and i'm stumped.

how do i return the HD to show the full size, like fresh from the factory?

hopefylly then i'll be able to just use the supplied disk and have XP do it's thing.

any help appriciated!

You got a recovery CD that came with your gateway? If so there is no need for the recovery partition.

What do you want to do in the end? Dual boot windows & linux? Also what are you using to divide up the partitions? I have a hacked copy of Partition Magic which is a great tool.

[Apos]

right now i just want to restore my laptop to the way it was BEFORE i started fucking around with it.

the problem is that the D: restore partition loads all the drivers and without it i cannot even get internet access.

it just makes it all so much easier and i am NOT short on HD space since i save everything to external HDD.

what i need is to get harddrive sorted out.

can you post the partitian magic here or email it to me?

i'll pm you my email address if needed.
You got a recovery CD that came with your gateway? If so there is no need for the recovery partition.

What do you want to do in the end? Dual boot windows & linux? Also what are you using to divide up the partitions? I have a hacked copy of Partition Magic which is a great tool.

[Don Tomas]

right now i just want to restore my laptop to the way it was BEFORE i started fucking around with it.

the problem is that the D: restore partition loads all the drivers and without it i cannot even get internet access.

it just makes it all so much easier and i am NOT short on HD space since i save everything to external HDD.

what i need is to get harddrive sorted out.

can you post the partitian magic here or email it to me?

i'll pm you my email address if needed.

I will need to find Partition Magic, it's not on the CD I thought it was, but I know I have it.

As for drivers after you get the PC setup just download them all from Gateway and then burn them to a CD for future issues. While you are there you might as well grab any Linux drivers they have too.