Posted by Els on 12/02/08 11:25

rf wrote:
> [installed languages]
>
>>> That's from about a year and a half ago
>
> Do you mean to tell me that you have not re-installed your windows system
> for eighteen months?

Longer than that. May 2003 I built the PC, installed XP Home on it,
and indeed, haven't done a re-install since.

> Dear girl, you should plan to do it every 3 months or so. I do, I often have
> to.

I used to do that when I was using Win95 on 408MB HD. Today, there
seems no need :-)

> 1) Clears out all the stuff one is tempted to download and install on a
> whim, those things that simply clutter up the registry and the disk[s].

But I /use/ those things...
I have a fairly good memory, and the other day someone asked about a
prog to make X-faces. If I'd done a re-install, I'd not have that prog
anymore, as I don't use it ever. But I'm still glad it's right here in
my shortcut collection in my Sidebar, just in case :-)
I've progs here that used to be freeware, and aren't available online
as such anymore. The more precious of those I've backed up on
floppies. But why would I wanna mess with those every three months?

> 2) Makes real sure your backups and so on are up to scratch.

I only back up what's really important to me. Which is my digital
photos, and sometimes mail.

> If you cannot
> re-install everything, and I mean *everything*, up till a half an hour ago
> during a scheduled refresh

I wouldn't even know how! :-)

> then you are stuffed when suddenly your hard disk dies.

If that would happen, I'd see which one of the two was the dead one,
and if it would be the one with the C:/ on it, I'd go install XP
again, and slowly build up the collection of all those little handy
progs again.

> This happens to me about once a year or so[1]. Where is the backup of
> that fine web site you maintain?

I'd say online ;-)
I have it locally, and remotely. Of course I could make a third backup
in case both the host's HD and mine die at the same time. And once in
a while I zip it up and burn it on a disk.

> I suppose I am a little different to you though. I have seen your computer.
> You have seen my computer room. The other day I installed an additional
> 160[2] gig disk in one of the spare computers to be used exclusively as a
> backup disk for the other six computers. And yes, I have backups way back to
> the early 1980's. The original source code of programs that are now
> obsolete. However, oddly, some of my customers still use that software :-)
>
> [1] The first time I lost a disk (many years ago) it caused me about a week
> downtime. I work for myself so I cannot cost this but I guess several
> thousands of dollars.

It wouldn't be a week downtime for me - it would only take me as much
time as I need to go to the shop around the corner and find my
screwdriver, and then adding the time it takes to install XP and
Apache, download some sites... One day total?

> [2] Less that AU$1 per gig. Cheap as disposables these days. It's cheaper
> for me to add a new backup disk than it is to spend the time to delete the
> rubbish :-)

Indeed.
<quote from my site>
Throwing out stuff occasionally would help of course, I might do that
later in life. Or I'll just wait till the whole lot crashes some time,
saves me the work of sorting out what I want to keep and what not ;-)
</quote>

> <aside>
> Bill Gates notices a $50 note in the gutter as he promenades down the
> sidewalk. Does he pick it up?
>
> No. It would cost him more to stop/stoop/snatch than to continue on the the
> meeting he is due to attend.
> </aside>

I wouldn't mind having his income :-)

--
Els http://locusmeus.com/
Sonhos vem. Sonhos vão. O resto é imperfeito.
- Renato Russo -
Now playing: New Adventures - Come On

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