Rearranging from the Ashes. Different from "rebuilding" because it's just rearranging. I'll create a header for this series of posts tomorrow or soon.
Today I begin by doing some kind of a weird, weird backup procedure. I'm copying over everything bit by bit. I'm a real weirdo. BUT, since everything near and dear to me is in one master folder, I can pretty much get it all in one fell swoop- the rest is in a few other strange places.
I then run into a problem; write-protected files immediately end the copying process. Instead of hitting the snag then continuing on, it just stops. That is plain idiotic. So I have to copy everything over painstakingly. There has to be a better way.
My friend Don Horsegoggles suggested that I try Disc Copy 2.0. That program seems quite exquisite (in my view, "exquisite" should always be in near proximity of "quite"), but I am unsure if that will wreck my external hard drive. I'll definitely use it when I upgrade my hard drive, but until then, it's not worth the risk. It both scares me and makes me salivate.
Thus I begin the maddening, crazed stumble into the wily world of backup programs. I find one named SyncBack, which is free (though there is a paid version). It's um, also a 1.77 MB program. Despite its small size, it works very well. It can't copy the operating system (nor can it copy other "difficult" files), but it allows you to sync the two drives- this allows for easy, current backups. My external drive came with you-gotta-buy-me software of this type.
Happily, it doesn't snag and quit when it hits a non-copy file. It tells you "41 of the 60000 files failed to copy" instead, and they're the same files I had trouble with when trying to copy over manually, thus that's my definition of "difficult" files. I only have 28.2 GB of files (pictures, documents, music, recorderings), so it took less than two hours to move everything over. I think this will do for now. I will thus commence my setup procedure.
OK, time to clear out the programs menu (then I'll sync my programs menu to my external drive). I re-download Google Talk and reinstall OpenOffice.org Writer.
I need to delete Aspell. From what I remember, it is an all-together worthless program compared to Firefox's built-in spellchecker. Next an empty folder called "AWL." Next, three failed, can't-come-close-to-e-Sword Bible programs. Bible Ocean, Biblepro Toolbar, Online Bible.
Next to delete is "To Burn," my ill-fated prior attempt at backing up. That was before I had an external hard drive and tried to use DVDs. Seeing all my failed attempts, it's obvious I tried, I just didn't persist. Convertion Ethalon, DavidRM Software (it failed; I am always on the lookout for a logging program that's searchable and archivable like a blog), and DIGStream all deleted.
Goodness. Now I must delete 10 GB of Command and Conquer 3 and Kane's Wrath. Oh, it burns. But it is only a reminder of how much space I actually need, which is lots and tons. If I am correct, the save files will be under Documents and Settings. I am correct, thus with them comfortably saved on my external drive I delete it. It's too big for the pwnt bin...I have to delete it permanently.
It is gone. Let us observe a moment of silence.
Good. Now, Otto is the next to find its way into the fray of death known as my pwnt bin. Then ESPN Motion (which refuses to get the hint!) and some failed tablature software x3. Failure permeates. I also delete the Gamespot download manager, and then a cheap game demo, and HP Rhapsody- it won't get the hint, either. And it really, really wants to stay. I will delete it. It has codecs and modules and mpaplugins, but I will still delete it.
Then my mom's dumb failed phone browser, Walmart's music service (Amazon pwns it), MSN, MSN Encarta, MTV Networks (MSN and MTV came with the operating system), SUPERAntiSpyware, Spyware Doctor, and Spybot Search and Destroy (I may reinstall that), all deleted. And SwordSearcher 4, another failed Bible program.
Now I will mercilessly clear my lands, specifically Mya Documentes, from the ravage that is Lol Fctry, the factory-installed, useless "sample" videos and pictures and audio. It's only a few MB, but I hate them. Hate is a strong word, I must not use it. I despise them. Is that any less severe?...
May that dread scourge die a single, non-sentient death. OK, now I'll begin the exodus and migration tha...oh, wait. It's time to go!
It's my hope these posts aren't overly boring as to be purposeless- I feel that while boring they serve as a memorial of disaster (though my disaster was not that bad). So think of them that way, please, and I feel that in that they will find their worth. I'll soon blog about claw machines...kites...bikes...and my changing mind.
Wait in boredom until those happy days, humble fools.
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