Help me out guys quick, I think my PC is dying. It gave blue screen of death this a.m. and took me several attempts of restarting it to get it to come to life again.

 

How do I go about backing up all of my personal info docs and pics before it crashes again. My wife and I are tech illiterate and have never backed anything up which we have talked about doing for years but keep putting it off dumb dumb dumb I know :banghead: . we have several years of pics on the pc that have never been transferred to anything as well as documents and files and also the info in my e-mail.

 

we had a computer crash a hard drive several years ago and we lost everything including years of photos do to the dumb thing we have now of never having backed up.

 

What do I need to do. it is becoming unresponsive even now as I type and try to get through the site, every screen is slow and shows things as not responding.

 

HELP QUICK!!!!!!

I need more sleep will check back in a couple of hours, wife just woke me up and said we had the blue screen.

Its Windows...

Its at the repair shop right now.

using my wifes tablet which is a pita!

Sent

Repair shop "Geek squad at best buy" called and the hard drive is failing, going to buy the one year service contract for 199 which covers 3 seperate devices which we have and replace the hard drive with a 1 terra byte drive for 80 bucks. all for about 300 bucks, should have it back in a day or two.

Repair shop "Geek squad at best buy" called and the hard drive is failing, going to buy the one year service contract for 199 which covers 3 seperate devices which we have and replace the hard drive with a 1 terra byte drive for 80 bucks. all for about 300 bucks, should have it back in a day or two.

 

 

Seriously. If you had Linux installed the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) would of warned you long before the drive was dying and given you more than enough warning to backup data before it failed. Like the 250 GB drive on my desk it fail this winter in the shop computer and both BIOS showed the failure and so did Linux at boot time then impending drive failure is going to happen backup now before the drive starts to fail.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T. <- Read more...

 

What is really weird is Microsoft doesn't use SMART technology in Windows software other than the Scan Disk for error but there is no software within Windows to monitor SMART status of the drives unless you purchase the software and install it.

 

 

I might have you help me with that one if I get me a new laptop, Mike!

 

Not a problem I've gotten pretty good at doing remote support for Linux now.

After talking to the Geek squad they could partition the hard drive and have both Linux and the newest windows 8 both loaded but am thinking I will wait and do Linux when this one dies for good.

It doesn't cost anymore to do right now though.............Thoughts, I don't know what a partitioned hard drive is or how it would affect how I use it.

Here is a partition drive.

 

 

What partition drives do is is separate data logically so it can be two different file format say Linux or Windows. May even just separating data like I've done. There is a performance gain to separate partitions being the index is smaller it quicker to find data. In my layout I moved static stored files like pictures, videos, music and other thing like that away from the system so fragmentation didn't occur which is a big problem for Windows but not on Linux. But keeping the partition is still handy because the static files stay out of the way.

 

As for Linux relax and install it. It will dual boot with Windows very good. Not to mention Linux can see and use all your Windows files. But Windows can't use or even see Linux. So Linux is very universal for OS software.

Called the geek squad and will have windows8 and linux installed and partitioned even though I have no clue what I am looking at or doing. Guess I have more learning to do, I have no clue what I am seeing in your screen shot of your partitioned drive either?

Total drive size is 1,000 GB or 1 TB...

 

First block is Root which is 83 GB in size. Root is where all the Ubuntu Linux program files are stored.

 

Second block is Home which is 99 GB in size. Home is where all your personal folders and data is stored.

 

Third block is Swap which is 5.4 GB in size. Swap is what windows calls virtual memory. But in Ubuntu its rarely even used.

 

... on and on...

 

Thing is Windows would assign a drive letter to every partition. So root would be C: and home would be D: and so forth. In Ubuntu Linux there is no drive letters just folders. What great about this is you can force commonly changing data forward on the drive giving it better access time where storage stuff like music and download a spot to the back of the drive where it doesn't need the boost. This is true for Windows NTFS system but now with Linux Ext4 format data is written differently it starts in the middle of the disc and works outwards. So Ubuntu Linux typically has faster drive timings compared to Windows and no fragmentation problem like Windows NTFS does.

 

Brief article on installing a Ext4 Hard drive.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingANewHardDrive

 

Some conversation on NTFS (Windows) vs. Ext4 (Linux)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1786501

 

Might help you.

This is all a language I do not speak, just want to point and click my way through the net and store pics and a few simple files and pics and stream.

It's easier for me to call you and explain over the phone. Sorry...

No problem, I do the same thing when describing mechanical issues to people, it goes right over peoples head just like computer stuff does for me. We all have our weak areas and this is mine along with carpentry.

  ...this is entertaining!

  ...this is entertaining!

 

Why don't you jump in the ring go some rounds with Ubuntu Linux? Hmmm?!

I strongly agree.  At one time I had my tower under my desk & it choked with dust & lint.  I had to disassemble (unplug everything & open the case) power off of course, clean with alcohol, Q tips, tooth brushes & air.  And relocated it to the top of the desk.   My wife's brother has cooked a number of laptops & refuses to shut them off when not needed for long periods & ventilate underneath.  Harder to do with laptops but power down, remove battery, open every access & remove dust & lint.  Oh, well, he can afford to replace them. 

Dang geek squad still doesn, t have my pc done yet........grrrrr!!!!!

 

That's truly sad. I built computers for a living. Even with a pile of parts I could assemble a full computer and load all the software in about 2 hours completed. Heck in a one week time I could build 28 computers. It they still aren't done. OMG!   I think they need some new geeks...

I think they need to find someone who actually wants to work period. I went in and checked on it in person today which makes a week since taking it in, 3 geeks just sitting on their back sides looking bored and one goes back and checks, comes back and says it is on the repair bench for repair but couldn't tell me when it would be done, all depended on how busy they are at the counter. They were all very busy alright............ keeping the chairs warm with their fat back sides and picking their noses when I walked out in disgust.

(Shaking my head)

 

I never left a computer repair that long even with shipping parts from Boise, ID or even New York. A matter of fact I'll be doing a Linux class with a friend that spending the evening here at the house. Then we got split early in the morning doing a few jobs.

Well Best Buy is oficcially on my $#** list.  10 day since dropping it off and yesterday I call and they say it will be ready. I have melt down and let them know I have not been happy with chain of events. Wife went got it after another whole story about that I won't get into, we are going to have a sit down with store manager tomorrow and have a come to jesus speech. Get it home and it doesn't even boot up now, starts to boot and goes to a blank black screen every time.

 

Going to get a refund from service contract and have them return the new hard drive and go and buy a brand new PC tomorrow somewhere else, most likely Staples, they have a pretty good rep her in town and better customer service.

 

Any advice on a good brand of home PC and what options to get? Primary web browsing and soon to e used for streaming video for tv as we do not have satelite or cable, looking at getting ROKU through our local phone IT provider.

Also simple word and basic program use, nothing spectacular.