computer help

[Shellback]

I need a little help with the computer. I have to send my laptop in for service and in case they have to replace the hard drive, I want to backup my explorer favorites and also my netscape bookmarks. Anyone be able to tell me how I can save them to 3.5 disk? Also my e-mail address book. As you can probably tell, I'm no computer guru so try and explain in dumb butt terms. Thanks in advance Shellback.

[Homer]

In Explorer, click on File in the upper left hand corner of your screen, then click Import and Export. This should start the Import/Export wizard, where you choose Export Favorites. Specify the folder where you want your Favorites saved, then copy them over to your diskette.

In Netscape, click on Bookmarks, then Manage Bookmarks, then File, then Export Bookmarks. You can then save this file directly to diskette.

[Juls_WI]

To copy your email addy book to floppy.
1. Put a floppy in the drive.
2. Double click on my computer.
3. Double click on 3.5 Floppy [A:]
4. Open your address book, and click on "edit"
5. click on "select all"
6. click "edit" again
7. click "copy"
8. click on your floppy window, and click "edit"..."paste"
9. Your files will start to copy to the floppy now. The number of floppies it will take to copy all the addresses is determined by how many addresses you have.

To copy the links from your "favorites" folder, just right click on the folder you have them in and select "send to" then select "3.5 Floppy [A:]".

Example: "favorites"...then i would right click on "Juls Favorites", then click on "send to"...3.5 Floppy [A:]

Hope this helps.

Juls

[Gumbo]

I highly recommend backing up the entire hard disk. At the very least, back up all your data files. If you have any questions why, I'll email you a WAV file of a tech support call from a guy who didn't back up his drive before sending it in for service.

As for backing up just your IE favorites, they are stored in a subfolder off the Windows directory. So just copy the C:\Windows\Favorites folder to floppy. I'm not sure where Navigator stores its favorites--don't use it.

[perchjerker]

Another piece of advice I can give anyone with a modern, large (over 10 gig or so) hard drive is to partition your drive, thus creating a seperate drive for all your important files. Then if you have to clean off your machine for some reason, you can save your important stuff on the second partition, unless, of course, the hard drive takes a poop.

Just a thought, it has saved my posterior a few times!!!

[Shellback]

Thanks to all, I've got figured out now. I do have my other important stuff saved to those cards you slip in the side of the laptop. I wanted the favorites and e-mail addy's on a small disk so I could put them on my old desktop. Thanks again.

[Leo Kam]

How do you partition your hard drive and how do you transfer the files to it? Is there a website on the internet that explains it in layman terms?

[perchjerker]

Actually its not an operation for rookies. The best thing for someone who dosent know much about it is to get yourself a copy of Partition Magic...it works great and will save you many a headache!

Check it out at
http://www.powerquest.com/products/desktop.html

Once you have another partition it looks just like another drive in Windows Explorer, you can transfer files to using any conventional method, drag and drop, copy paste, etc.

[Gumbo]

I personally don't like multiple partitions on a single, physical disk. What usually happens is you fill up your C drive with apps but your D drive, where you suggest storing your data files, typically has tons of spare space. Sure, you can move the partitions around on-the-fly with Partition Magic, but that solution isn't designed for people who are worried about self-inflicted damage to their system files. And PowerQuest's first recommendation before using their product is to make sure you have a verified backup. Just fill the disk with one partition.

Personally, I'd recommend buying a CD-R, ZIP drive, or tape drive (you can get an IDE tape drive for a couple hundred bucks). Or if it's a laptop and you already have a desktop computer, network the two together and copy your files to the other computer. Choose your poison, but don't go without a backup of 'at least' your data files. Applications can be reinstalled, but data files are gone forever.

A backup will protect you from loss due to drive failure, or much more probable, human error.