Sprig (among others), this means you. What kind of files should I back up other than my documents and my programs? For instance, where would I find the files for my Outlook? I want to back up my contacts, but I have no clue how to go about it.
And hey, if you happen to be hooked into cheap (that is, free) laptops, whoever, let me know. My stupid CD/DVD drive is shot--shorted out because of the cord short--and I have no idea what else might be shot, too. I have functionality right now, and I'm backing up like crazy, but apparently the backup function on my external hard drive doesn't work (it runs the program, but when you try to retrieve the files, you get empty folders--it replicates the folders, but not the actual files... !!!). So I don't want to just plunk the whole C: drive over to the E: drive--this would take forever; I'll do it eventually, but for the present I want to find the most important, un-recreatable things.
Of course, if i were to need to wipe my hard drive at this point, I wouldn't be able to reinstall anything because the drive is dead. I suppose I could buy an external. But the thing I worry most is that it isn't just the drive, that there's more that isn't working. The repair shop guy said it could be the whole channel too (I just had him look at it to see if the drive should be brought in for repair, while I was buying my new cord).
More economical to replace the drive? Or just get a new computer?
I wish I knew someone here who could come look at it. At any rate, it seems to be working for now. I just worry that it won't be for much longer.