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Old December 5th 17, 12:21 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Keith Nuttle
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Posts: 1,844
Default Help for a friend

On 12/4/2017 5:46 PM, Big Al wrote:
On 12/04/2017 05:43 PM, Alek wrote:
Wellllllll, he rebooted one more time and guess what?

Alek wrote on 12/4/2017 5:12 PM:
A dear old friend called me in a panic -- "my computer won't boot".
Windows 10 on an 8-year-old PC.

I walked him though all the repair/restore/reset options and nothing
worked.

Any thoughts as to what is wrong?

Since he needs to pay bills online no later than Thursday, I suggested
he go out and buy a new computer, and set it up for the most important
tasks. And then we can consider getting his files off the old HD onto
the new.

What do you think?

Please, no snarky remarks. We're both 83 y.o. and have lost a few brain
cells. No, he hasn't made any backups although he did copy some files to
thumb drives.

Oh, he lives an hour away and doesn't drive at night. I hardly drive at
all these days.

Thanks.

Heat?Â*Â* Hurry with the new computer and make a backup with Macrium or
such, ASAP!
That's my 2cents..

I would second the motion. Once you start having boot problems the
count down starts for the end of the computer.

I have had several computers that I was able to get through several
"won't boot" episodes but eventually had to replace the computer. The
last one went "POP" during the final attempt.

If he is just using it for email, and online banking he does not need a
high end computer and should be able to get a new one for 3 to 5 hundred
dollars. Since he probably has not done much customization to the OS,
all he needs to worry about is his data files which are mostly stored in
My Documents (Windows OS. For things like Firefox and Thunderbird, if
he backs up each of the profiles for the USER folder, he will not loose
anything. If he is using one of the Mozilla products, he can back up
all of his web settings by copying the Profile for TB and FF to an
external disk.

If he has a limited budget I would also recommend that he get at minimum
of 32 GB thumb drive and back up all of his data files. If he wants he
could buy a 1TB external drive for less that $100 though my guess is he
does not need that much storage space.

A good, easy to use back up program is available at

https://www.2brightsparks.com/downlo...cbackfree.html

Which will work with a thumb drive, or other types of external storage.

Just because the boot sector is bad or corrupted, does not mean that the
disk can not be used. The easiest way to transfer data, is to buy a USB
Disk enclosure for the old disk. The old disk can then be plugged into
the USB port of the new computer and the files copied to his new
computer. I have been using a "failed" laptop drive for years as an
external backup drive

One point, to make a disk image (Macrium) is probably over kill for the
way he uses the computer. With a disk failure, (Improbable in his
lifetime with a new computer, at least at 74 that's the way I see it)
the OS, and All of the programs can be reinstalled either from the
manufacturer website or the installation CD.
If you do a complete re installation you get start fresh with none of
the garage that you have collected over the years and a chance to review
the settings of all of you programs.






--
2017: The year we learn to play the great game of Euchre
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