Re: Article - Buying a computer? Ask these 3 questions!

In news:%237UJUXhhFHA.2484@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Lil' Dave <spamyourself@xxxxxxxxx> typed:

> "Ken Blake" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:ONKG1VWhFHA.2644@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> In news:uqyWz8VhFHA.1948@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
>> Lil' Dave <spamyourself@xxxxxxxxx> typed:
>>
>>> The days of the single physical hard drive are gone. One
>>> needs
>>> 2
>>> minimum nowadays.
>>
>>
>> This is a *drastic* overstatement. Although there are clearly
>> merits to having multiple hard drives, stating that "one
>> *needs*
>> 2 minimum" is completely false. Only a very small percentage
>> of
>> personal computer owners have multiple drives and the others
>> get
>> along very well without such a configuration.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>
> In denial of requirement of a complete OS backup with user
> customizations and application installs.


I don't think it's a "requirement," but for many people I think
it's an excellent idea. In fact I do such a backup on all my
machines and recommend the same to many others. However what kind
of a backup one needs differs depending on how one uses his
computer.


> Only viable location for
> such is a separate hard drive, preferrably an image backup to
> file(s).


I don't agree. The following is an excerpt from a message I've
posted many times to these newsgroups:


"I don't recommend backup to a second non-removable hard drive
because it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss of the
original and backup to many of the most common dangers: severe
power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even
theft of the computer.



"In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and
not kept in the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for
example, if the life of your business depends on your data) you
should have multiple generations of backup, and at least one of
those generations should be stored off-site.



"My computer isn't used for business, but my personal backup
scheme uses two identical removable hard drives, which fit into a
sleeve installed in the computer. I alternate between the two,
and use Drive Image to make a complete copy of the primary drive.
"


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



> Many "get along" without it, but they may wish they had same in
> many
> instances. Of course it keeps the MVPs hopping to help fix
> such, not
> always successful, that could easily restored instead from an
> image.


.

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