Ask Leo!: Maintenance and Backup en-us 2008 Leo A. Notenboom and Puget Sound Software, LLC Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:30:38 -08:00 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:30:38 -08:00 720 http://img.askleomedia.com/altile144.jpg Ask Leo! http://ask-leo.com 140 140 Tech Questions? Get Answers! Ask Leo! How do I back up my e-reader? http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_back_up_my_ereader.html We readers know how you feel about making back-ups for our computers. Yes, I do have them, but how about making back-ups for e-readers? We can spend hundreds of dollars buying reading material; if the e-reader fails, it's all gone. Is there a way to do this?

]]> Absolutely.

In fact, believe it or not, there are scenarios here where backup is actually not required!

That's probably something that you'd never expected to hear me say. Smile

It depends on two things: the e-reader that you're using and where you got your books.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:30:38 -08:00 Technology My machine won't boot, how do I get at the files on it? http://ask-leo.com/my_machine_wont_boot_how_do_i_get_at_the_files_on_it.html I have Windows XP; it does not startup right away. I have to shut it down and open it several times until it works. It just hangs after the Windows logo and you feel you can work with it, but nothing's there. You can move the mouse, but there's no connection. It is a completely frozen PC. Today, it does not want to start or to work at all.

I have files that I want to save before I can format it.

]]> At the risk of annoying some of my regular readers (who'll know exactly where I'm heading with at least part of this answer), I wanted to address this for one simple reason:

It's oh so common.

A dead machine, with important files on it.

In fact, the dead machine is the only place that those important files happen to be.

I'll look at a few ideas on recovering those files, but perhaps most importantly, I need to make sure that everyone learns an important lesson from this situation.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:27:44 -08:00 Technology Macrium Reflect - Powerful Windows Backup Software http://ask-leo.com/macrium_reflect_powerful_windows_backup_software.html I consider backing up to be one of the fundamental necessities for anyone who uses a computer.

As anyone with even a little experience will tell you, you will lose something important someday without a backup; it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. And someone with more than a little experience will also be able to share horror stories of how and when they learned this important lesson.

In my opinion, that's why it's critical that you backup your computer and data regularly. As I've said repeatedly, if your data is in only one place, it's not backed up.

Over the years, I've developed a set of criteria - a set of features and characteristics - that I want out of a backup program before I recommend it.

Macrium Reflect makes the cut.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:52:17 -08:00 Technology How do I safely backup an infected drive? http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_safely_backup_an_infected_drive.html My hard disk got infected with virus. I am planning to format it. So is there a way to backup all of the data without carrying the virus?

]]> The short answer is no, there's no practical way to backup the entire hard disk without also including the infection in the backup.

Knowing that, however, I can make some strong recommendations on how to proceed.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Sun, 06 Nov 2011 09:20:34 -08:00 Technology Questions and Answers about Backup http://ask-leo.com/questions_and_answers_about_backup.html Backups are an oft-discussed topic on Ask Leo!, but options for how best to perform backups and what tools to use can be both confusing and difficult to find.

In this video excerpt from an Ask Leo! webinar, I answer several questions asked by the webinar attendees.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:20:29 -08:00 Technology