Post Your Computer !!!

[Crmzendrgone]

I am a very confused man.(the apple was done by the kiddies) the Yamaha I take full responsibility for. Trust me I know the difference between apple and IBM and that is why I have a IBM.

I guess maybe I am trying to make a statement "Can't we all just get along"

[hotrodpc]

Originally Posted by Crmzendrgone

I guess maybe I am trying to make a statement "Can't we all just get along"

I think so Rodney. We'll do just fine.

[Crmzendrgone]

Originally Posted by hotrodpc

RAID is Redunency Array of Inexpensive Disks. Inexpesives can sometimes be substitired for Indepedant, and Disks is sometimes substituted for Drives. Either way you choose to say its correct. There are also differant forms of RAID. Most common are RAID 0 aka Striping RAID. Where you have 2 hard drives of say 250 gig and your data is written to those 2 drives at the same time and you have a total of 500 gig of storage space. Benefit being, and usually gamers like RAID 0. Your mobo bus can access the data on both drives at the same time speeding up the access time. Bad thing is, one drive goes bad, you have lost all your data because 1/2 is on drive and 1/2 on the other, and the data can not be accessed without all of it being there, so you lose all data. RAID 0 is for SPEED only. Not data security. RAID 1 on the other hand, you also have 2 hard drives, say 2 x 250 gig hard drives which = 500 gig storage space. But you will only show 250 gig, because 1 drive is mirroring or copying the other drive instantly. Benefit being, a hard drive fails, you have not lost your data, and you can keep right on working until its convenient to replace the defective drive in the RAID array and it will rebuild itself to be protected again. That is what I use. RAID 1, aka Data Safe RAID.

Well I think that is something I am wanting having family photos and just important 411 on my computer. So how do I know if I have that capability or not?

[BernieB]

Originally Posted by Crmzendrgone

Well I think that is something I am wanting having family photos and just important 411 on my computer. So how do I know if I have that capability or not?

You don't. But you can add it if you have an open PCI slot on the mobo.

Just gotta buy a good quality RAID card and a second drive to mirror to.

[hotrodpc]

You don't have it. You could probably add it. Find a RAID PCI card and add it to your computer if you want. While on the subject though, do not think that RAID 1 will take the place of every backing up your data. You still need to back or should back up you data to an external source and keep it in a safe place. It was that other thread I mentioned, I can never emphasize enough how important it is to back your data. Even with RAID, what if I get a bad viurs that eat my data? What if someone breaks into the house and steals my computer? Both RAID drives were in that computer that I no longer have. What if my house burns down with the computer and those RAID drives in it? Sure its a big advantage, but the ONLY real advantages to RAID 1 are no data loss if a Hard drive takes a dump, and the fact you can keep on working or have your computer until you replace the harddrive to rebuild the RAID array again. That is really it. It is not a back up replacement as many people think. Here is what I did for back ups. I use SATA drives now instead of EIDE drives, so I bought USB external enclousres for EIDE hard drives. Installed my older good working EIDE hard drives into the enclosures, then I hook the USB cable to my computer, plug it in, turn it on, and XP Pro has a back up utility within itself, and I use that sometimes, other times I use Norton Ghost, so I have 2 differant sets of back ups, one is XP utility, and one is Norton ghost utility. Then I put those back up external USB hard drives in the fireproof gun vault. Not likley to be stolen or burn if the house goes. Then I also back up my changed MS Office Docs and my Quick Books Pro daily to USB memory stick and also put them in gun vault. This way I keep the most important stuff backed up in between full back ups and should not lose anything.

[hotrodpc]

Neener Neener, you beat by a minute BB, but I typed alot more, so I though it before you did !!!!

[hotrodpc]

This is pretty much my main nest in the office. The older Dell system gets used more than that nice tower I built. If I ever get that other desk situated right, then I will use it and make this system just a server with RAID 1 that can be accessed by by the laptop, the nice tower, the DVR dedicated computer for running 4 security camers and recording everthing inside the main part of the house, the perimeter exterior of the house, and the driveway and then the guest computer in the living room. To many computers here for just 1 person, but they all have a purpose, and I do not like poeple on my computer, so when I have visitors they can use the guest computer in the living room.

[Crmzendrgone]

Now that is what I want a dual monitor setup. I know my video card can do it I just need a second moniter. Thanks for the 411 in RAID 1. I need to get a setup going were I can back up my files. The only security type "thing/process" I have is a buddy of mine awhile back put XP pro on my computer and partitioned my hard drive. This was all after my daughter was downloading something off of limewire and it crashed my whole computer pics and all. I had XP home before that, so sense then I have had XP pro and agree it is way better.

[BernieB]

Get yourself in the habit of putting "important stuff" only in certain folders, then burn those to DVD every week or so and put the DVD in a safe location, like a fireproof safe.

[Crmzendrgone]

Originally Posted by BernieB

Get yourself in the habit of putting "important stuff" only in certain folders, then burn those to DVD every week or so and put the DVD in a safe location, like a fireproof safe.

I like that idea. My christmas wish list fireproof safe