You can save money if you have an external drive laying around...

Turn your external harddrive into a bootable device with linux (or your original copy of whatver O$ you have). It'll run slower, but cheaper than replacing the hard drive and then having to buy new O$ install disk if you don't have one.

Just a tip from a guy this happened to last week. Old computer is old.

Keep in mind, you'll need access to another computer if you didn't pre-stage this external boot hard drive...so maybe you oughtta think about making at least a bootable thumbdrive of some sort now...it'll save you a headache of getting someone to let you use their computer to do it post-computer-death.

i just suffered from a windows accident, lost 6 months of work.
because I didn’t make a backup of my files. I was so used to the bubbly
land of windows I expected everything to stay put. I accidentally formatted that drive, because I was switching drives regularly between windows and Linux. Now im stable and have a streamline backup system.

I try not to do redundant backups , so I name folders by month and year and back them up like that.

a good idea when using Linux is too keep all your files somewhere else. especially if your using an experimental distro that might bugger up or you accidentally format a new kernel and lose everything.

Rule #2 of HTML5 W3C - OFF LINE STORAGE.
you might not have all your data handy, but at least it's somewhere safe.

My live current data is considered 'ALWAYS AT RISK' until stored off line.

after my last windows misfortune, I am taking the extra steps in Linux to keep my data safe. I cant get my new windows up and running with drivers. but who cares, Ill use it to type my resume in word pad.

Linux is stable enough to store all your files. but just like web design.
where you ALWAYS separate style from content.
You should always separate personal data from OS.
or if you are 100% open and transparent, try something like Google drive and keep your files in the cloud.


May the force be with you, my Linux nerds.

PS. get a new internal hard drive . there pretty cheap.

sorry if i misinterpreted the topic and went on a fanatical rant of mal information.

what I think i meant to say was,

if your HD or OS crashes, you can rescue your files easy.

1. boot a usb live linux.

2. find your files and drag them to somewhere else.