Are we too dependant on PCs?

[DaOld Man]

By PC I mean personal computer, be it mac or PC or timex sinclair 1000tx or C64 or....

Anyway, my computer failed to start. Got the old "bad data from disk read" (or something similar) error on boot.
First thing you say is "Oh no... what did I do to deserve this?"
I have 4 VB6 projects Ive been working on,  a ton of pictures and my checkbook on this thing!
And to beat it all, I havent backed up anything in probably 6 months (Bad daold man bad boy!!)

Well, I had the pc out of my arcade machine to do some updating with mala etc, so I am now using it.
I took the hard drive out of the downed soldier and put it in this one as a slave.
After several attempts, I got the hard drive to spin, so I immediately copied everything (I think) over to the new soldier.
So I think Im ok.
My other computer is still down. I have another drive in it that I use for extra storage.
I have my checkbook on it.

In a jukebox thread, it was mentioned how much was paid for some laminate. I wanted to go look up how much I paid, and guess what! Checkbook is on the other drive!
Now I got to take it out and hook it up to this one.

Anyway, I was thinking, how in the world did I get to this?
It really wasnt that long ago that I didnt even know what a computer was, now it seems my very life is stored in one.
And also, Ive got to get my arcade back up!!

Is it time we got back to the basics of life?
Only if we can still play mame right?

[Blanka]

I had my life stored in the basement, and when cleaning the house, I could bring most boxes straight to recycling. Mould had taken over my possessions. Don't know what is worse. Unreadable bits or smelly falling apart paper? The idea of a box with the dearest memories, replaced by a digital vault with the dearest bits and bytes is perfect OK for me. Only problem: sort all the digital crap out and reduce it to the essence.

[csa3d]

I've had numerous hard drives fail and even laptops with tax spreadsheets stolen once.  I've always been able to recover the data thus far, but it is never a fast nor fun process.  I'm pretty close to biting the bullet and getting a mirrored raid capable NAS backup server, and only putting the important docs on it through network drives.  Every time I encounter these issues though, I ask myself why I have made life so complicated as well.  I think computer data storage is a must in this time and age though.

I think of it this way, if it wasn't lost on a computer, you could loose it to fire, tornado, or mold like blanka says. 

-csa

[richms]

I make gmail accounts to back important things up to that are documents etc - just configure it as imap in outlook, and then make a new post in the folder, attach the files, and save it.

Can get it via web or outlook in the future. Just watch the pst file size when doing it - over a couple of gigs and outlook starts to sulk...

[leapinlew]

My computer told me I'm not too dependent on it. So, I'm good.

[ark_ader]

I backed up my entire DVD offline storage last year to hard drive.

Took me two weeks of disc in and disc out.

I swore I would not archive to DVD again, and so far it is working.

To be honest our lives are so caught up in PCs, that when we have a break from it, we wonder what the world is up to and hop back on.  I think the Internet has had a big impact on our lives.

Its not hard to remember what life was like before ARAPANET and MILNET, what it became,  and what it is now. 

I know the music and video companies were turning a fair profit.   

[polaris]

My computer told me I'm not too dependent on it. So, I'm good.

what software did you use, i've just networked my pc mac and laptop and i'm compiling a database to determine if i need my computers or not

[SavannahLion]

It's not the PC per se that I'm too dependent on, it's the internet.

I can keep at least one computer running regardless of the failures, but if the network goes out, I go ape ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. 

[danny_galaga]

[Cakemeister]

I make gmail accounts to back important things up to that are documents etc - just configure it as imap in outlook, and then make a new post in the folder, attach the files, and save it.

Can get it via web or outlook in the future. Just watch the pst file size when doing it - over a couple of gigs and outlook starts to sulk...

Would you please elaborate (more details) on this? I would like to do something like this.

[orion]

I make gmail accounts to back important things up to that are documents etc - just configure it as imap in outlook, and then make a new post in the folder, attach the files, and save it.

Can get it via web or outlook in the future. Just watch the pst file size when doing it - over a couple of gigs and outlook starts to sulk...

Would you please elaborate (more details) on this? I would like to do something like this.

[daywane]

Wife would never allow checks or any bank stuff on a PC unless I built her one and it never ever got on the internet.
that PC has been in the bedroom for years now. no problems
You know what.... come to think of it... she still don't put the check book on it.  
I did buy last year a Max one touch 500 gig external hard drive.
Very simple to use.
plug it in USB port.
auto run asks a few questions and you are set.
I have mine back up every Monday (automatic)
you can have it do more often if you like.
cost like $90.00
I know times are tight but still worth saving up $90.00 and buy one.
to bad Wal-Mart don't have lay a way any more.
check if Kmart has one, but I doubt they do.
Try and stick in your windows CD
do not do a fresh install... do a repair windows
This has worked for me in the past.
edit on after thought.
also a Linux CD will boot.
save data from hard drive with linux boot cd.
most linux cd has a cd burning program and will read files off hard drive.
It might not run files but it will see them and let you back them up

[Malenko]

I am kinda dependent on the PC, I tried to run MAME on my toaster and it didn't work.

[daywane]

that was a chuckle 

[danny_galaga]

I did buy last year a Max one touch 500 gig external hard drive.
Very simple to use.
plug it in USB port.
auto run asks a few questions and you are set.
I have mine back up every Monday (automatic)
you can have it do more often if you like.
cost like $90.00

yeah, external drive for me too. im more paranoid though. i dont leave it connected to the computer. keep it separate. i back up maybe once a month, more if i've scanned old photos or summink...

damn, bloody pcs and internet. just realised its been about 5 years since i met a girl the normal way...

[daywane]

to be honest I also use it as a thumb drive.
I move it from PC to PC all the time.
Warning.....
USB 1.0 STINKS !!!!
2.0 rocks

[Ummon]

I keep physical registers of my accounts, and periodically check them against my online banking register, so it's half and half for me there. Sometimes I don't turn on my computer...or leave it off for a bit and just sit with the silence. It's nice - though of course there is a certain comfort of convenience in having a machine on.

[calder]

in the summer i am usually without the internet for a month. Which is completely fine so long as i have some supply of pron.

I also often fantasize about just living off the grid, going out into the woods of northern arizona, building my self i nice cabin, growing all my needs. i would like that.

[Cakemeister]

I make gmail accounts to back important things up to that are documents etc - just configure it as imap in outlook, and then make a new post in the folder, attach the files, and save it.

Can get it via web or outlook in the future. Just watch the pst file size when doing it - over a couple of gigs and outlook starts to sulk...

Would you please elaborate (more details) on this? I would like to do something like this.

I found a link with instructions. I have not yet tried it.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/microsoft-office/use-gmail-imap-in-microsoft-outlook-2007/

[orion]

Sorry about that last post, the baby was crying and I must have hit send accidentally. I was just going to suggest looking at an online storage company. I found a few that offer unlimited space for $5.00 a month.

[richms]

I make gmail accounts to back important things up to that are documents etc - just configure it as imap in outlook, and then make a new post in the folder, attach the files, and save it.

Can get it via web or outlook in the future. Just watch the pst file size when doing it - over a couple of gigs and outlook starts to sulk...

Would you please elaborate (more details) on this? I would like to do something like this.

Just go to gmail and make a new account - I called mine something like richards.documents or something.

Go into settings, enable imap, and set it up in outlook.

Then you can make folders in it in outlook.

To put a file into it, highlight the folder on the left, and go to new, then choose post.

That opens the mail compose window but without a to: field

Then just attach files to it, and hit post - it will chug away for a while saving it to gmail and the local pst file, and then you just log into gmail via the web, go to the folder and there is your message with files attached.

Sadly you cannot edit the messages, but choosing compose reply and then attaching new stuff makes it relativly easy to find in there.

[richms]

no idea what happened there, i got an error to resubmitted it and it appeared without my words...

[Dartful Dodger]

It’s not just computers, as technology gets smarter we get dumber.

The only calls my parents get on their home phone is telemarketing calls, so last month they cancelled it.

Not counting my own, that was the only phone number I knew by heart.

In school we were taught NOT to use calculators, now the classes revolve around different makes and models.

[Kevin Mullins]

no idea what happened there, i got an error to resubmitted it and it appeared without my words...

Dang ol' pooters and that interweb ya know.....

[Cakemeister]

Mozy has gotten favorable reviews as a free online backup service.

http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2007/07/online-backup-solutions-a-review.ars/2

If you have more than 2GB of storage you can pay for unlimited storage. But 2GB should be enough to back up irreplaceable files.