Simple backup option non-techy person

In response to what Chris wrote :
A family friend wants to get herself a laptop to help get through
isolation. I can help with the choice of laptop, but what is a good,
effective and preferably cheap option for backups? She doesn't have
broadband (and is unlikely to get it anytime soon) so cloud options are
a non-starter. She will be using mobile data for her limited internet
needs (e.g. news and food shopping).

This person has never owned a computer before, is retired and used to
get her internet needs fulfilled by the local library. So it needs to be
as fire-and-forget as possible. I want her to get into good habits from
the start, but I'm not so familiar with range of options for Windows.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

For this question...
o Simple backup option non-techy person
https://alt.comp.os.windows-10.narkive.com/Ql5qvXi7/simple-backup-option-non-techy-person

I saw this last night and hesitated to answer because
(a) there is no easy solution for non-technical people
(b) everything depends on everything else anyway

Plus, "my" solution is only for the technically savvy, IMHO:
o *Philosophy on a tutorial for setting up Windows*
*in a well organized KISS philosophy such that*
*search is never needed & reinstall is trivial*
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/1Gf59YRkaI8/5MfQi5wMCQAJ

As noted by many, there are plenty of freeware solutions.
Yet... most non-technical people, essentially, want a HDD "dd" of sorts.

For me... on a single-user system...
a. I plan my backups a decade or more prior to the backup
b. Which means I break the backup into two components
1. Data I care about
2. Programs I care about
Nothing else matters.

From day one, I put all data I care about where it belongs.
From day one, I put all program installers where they belong.

When it comes time to back up, all I back up are two directories:
C:\data\{my hierarchy of data I care about}
C:\software\{my hierarchy of installers I care about}

Nothing else matters.
o Everything else can easily be replaced by a technical user.

Notice that some of the answers are essentially that if we count the
"Windows' built-in File History backup" that Frank Slootweg & mechanic
spoke about.

My only problem with any pre-defined folder in Windows (or in any operating
system) is they get polluted like you can't believe.

That's why, for example, I never use any pre-defined folder in Windows,
and, the ones that you can't avoid, I simply right click on them to move
them to where they belong if they will contain, usually momentarily,
something I care about.

a. For example, desktop, screenshots & downloads are moved into C:\data.
b. Yet 3D Objects, Music, and Saved Games, for example, are ignored.

When it comes time to re-install the operating system, as I did recently, I
simply re-install the software hierarchy, one by one.

And then I copy back the data hierarchy.
o I keep the "menu" in the data hierarchy, so it doesn't change in decades

I admit there are a few hundred tweaks, e.g., adding right-click context
menus to "open cmd window here" or setting the default for extensionless
files to open in vim, or disabling the window resizing upon hitting the
edges of the screen, or editing more than 15 files at once, etc..

Maybe a "system restore" might solve that but I have never really found
system restores to be of much value, where, lately, I don't even use an
add-on AV program - I don't know why I don't get viruses - maybe I do and I
don't know it - but I just don't. (famous last words, perhaps)

In short, only "some" of what I suggest can the lady use.

Probably the most prescient advice I can give her, and everyone, is to plan
your backup a decade before you buy the computer by having a plan to store
at least your data, if not your installers, in a place _outside_ the
(unfortunately polluted) Windows hierarch.

There's _more_ to my plan, but that's the summary.
a. Put data you care about where it belongs
b. Save all your program installers in a safe place
--
Together we have great solutions to offer for Usenet's public potluck.

In response to what Arlen Holder wrote :

a. I plan my backups a decade or more prior to the backup
b. Which means I break the backup into two components
1. Data I care about
2. Programs I care about

I've been thinking of how to summarize my backup & restore solution, where
I think it's three main components, not two... all of which are planned
ahead years in advance:

1. Data I care about goes "where it belongs" (easily saved).
2. Program installers I care about go "where they belong" (easily saved).
3. Settings I care about are well documented (harder to save).

Notice that the data and programs are essentially trivial to back up and
restore; it's the hundred or so tweaks to Windows that takes effort.

Hence, to restore a system after backing up the two folders:
o C:\{data,software}

Goes sort of something like this when you restore a system:
a. Create the {app,data,software,menu} hierarchy, e.g.,
mkdir c:\app\{archiver,browser,cleaner,etc.}
mkdir c:\data\software\{archiver,browser,cleaner,etc.}
mkdir c:\data\menu\{archiver,browser,cleaner,etc.}
etc.
b. Install your desired programs, one by one.
(Each program has its own custom readme log for its setup particulars.)
c. Lastly, tweak Windows from about a hundred files found in:
C:\data\software\os\windows\setup\{setup howto files}

My point is that most of the work is in the tweaking of Windows, IMHO...

For example...
o how_to_add_a_second_clock_to_system_tray.txt
o how_to_add_a_shortcut_for_internet_explorer_ie_bro wser.txt
o how_to_add_and_remove_items_from_the_image_openwit h_context_menu.txt
o how_to_add_colorized_open_as_admin_command.txt
o how_to_add_command_line_additions_to_windows_task_ manager.txt
o how_to_add_dualboot_ubuntu_and_setup_grub.txt
o how_to_add_edge_browser_add_save_as_dialog.txt
o how_to_add_edge_shortcut_to_custom_menus.txt
o how_to_add_open_command_window_here_context_menu.t xt
o how_to_remove_custom_folders_like_3dobjects_videos _pictures_music.txt
o how_to_add_pdf_printer_sans_privacy_metadata.txt
o how_to_add_registry_favorites.txt
o how_to_add_sendto_create_rmb_send_menu_customizati on.txt
o how_to_add_shutdown_slide_menu_slideshut.txt
o how_to_add_the_mvp_hosts_file_merged_with_others.t xt
o how_to_change_cortana_default_from_bing_to_a_priva cy_search.txt
o how_to_change_default_icons_for_key_folders_and_sh ortcuts.txt
o how_to_change_default_new_text_file_name.txt
o how_to_change_hostname_domain_mac_randomly.txt
o how_to_clean_msocache_perflogs_pollution.txt
o how_to_clean_the_default_desktop_and_make_energy_e fficient_background.txt
o how_to_clean_up_the_mess_in_the_rightclick_new_men u.txt
o how_to_create_batch_shortcuts_in_quicklaunch_menu. txt
o how_to_create_custom_icons_for_batch_file_shortcut s.txt
o how_to_create_master_bookmark_file_system_access.t xt
o how_to_create_master_vipw_encrypted_etc_passwd_acc ess.txt
o how_to_create_most_often_used_start_run_commands.t xt
o how_to_create_network_public_share_smb_folder.txt
o how_to_create_shutdown_cmda_curlme_killgw_reboot_b atch_commands.txt
o how_to_create_system_restore_point.txt
o how_to_delete_unwanted_context_menu_items.txt
o how_to_disable_auto_resizing_of_window_privacy_hol e.txt
o how_to_disable_automatic_restart_after_update_and_ crash.txt
o how_to_disable_fast_startup_hibernation_sleep_for_ dual_boot_ubuntu.txt
o how_to_disable_google_opera_ccleaner_onedrive_upda te.txt
o how_to_disable_keyboard_capslock.txt
o how_to_enable_editing_of_extensionless_files.txt
o how_to_enable_editing_of_more_than_15_files_contex t_menu.txt
o how_to_enable_hidden_administrator_account.txt
o how_to_enable_non_admin_to_see_network_ftp_net_use _drive_letters.txt
o how_to_fix_adobe_flash_privacy_settings_for_privac y.txt
o how_to_install_legacy_printers_since_ms_update_wil l_fail.txt
o how_to_install_license_for_msoffice_and_acrobat_an d_turbotax.txt
o how_to_make_user_administrator_with_full_access_ri ghts.txt
o how_to_modify_all_windows_settings_in_series.txt
o how_to_monitor_and_log_installation_changes.txt
o how_to_relocate_screenshots_downloads_desktop_spec ial_folder.txt
o how_to_properly_unpin_quickaccess_folders_in_file_ explorer.txt
o how_to_randomize_the_system-timezone_and_add_custom_clocks.txt
o how_to_remove_extraneous_scheduled_tasks.txt
o how_to_remove_scan_with_windows_defender_context_m enu.txt
o how_to_remove_shortcut-to_link_text.txt
o how_to_remove_uac_user_account_control_for_one_pro gram.txt
o how_to_remove_unwanted_windows_programs_and_files. txt
o how_to_run_and_save_initial_system_benchmark_resul ts.txt
o how_to_set_privacy_settings_for_timeline_activity. txt
o how_to_set_reg_files_to_open_in_gvim_as.text.txt
o how_to_set_the_edge_browser_to_open_in_private_mod e.txt
o how_to_set_up_basic_windows_file_explorer_options. txt
o how_to_set_up_dvd_fixed_sized_storage_folders_for_ burning.txt
o how_to_setup_dual_display_monitors.txt
o how_to_snapshot_initial_setup_files_and_services.t xt
o how_to_turn_off_useless_microsoft_notifications.tx t
o how_to_uninstall_microsoft_play_store_garbage_apps _like_groove.txt
etc.
--
The number of desired tweaks to Windows is about a hundred or so I think.

I use 'freefile synch'
you select the folders (rather put in exceptions'
you can have mulilple paths eg email to one location/dir and work doc in anothr
you can set differnt targets eg differnt drives
it remembers the filtes so you don't have to enter them again
you can set up to have one directional where its' truly a backup or a mirror , that means however if you delete on pc/laptop then file is delted on harddrive backup (i prefer to do backup of new files)


On Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 2:12:57 PM UTC-4, Arlen Holder wrote:
In response to what Chris wrote :
A family friend wants to get herself a laptop to help get through
isolation. I can help with the choice of laptop, but what is a good,
effective and preferably cheap option for backups? She doesn't have
broadband (and is unlikely to get it anytime soon) so cloud options are
a non-starter. She will be using mobile data for her limited internet
needs (e.g. news and food shopping).

This person has never owned a computer before, is retired and used to
get her internet needs fulfilled by the local library. So it needs to be
as fire-and-forget as possible. I want her to get into good habits from
the start, but I'm not so familiar with range of options for Windows.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

For this question...
o Simple backup option non-techy person
https://alt.comp.os.windows-10.narkive.com/Ql5qvXi7/simple-backup-option-non-techy-person

I saw this last night and hesitated to answer because
(a) there is no easy solution for non-technical people
(b) everything depends on everything else anyway

Plus, "my" solution is only for the technically savvy, IMHO:
o *Philosophy on a tutorial for setting up Windows*
*in a well organized KISS philosophy such that*
*search is never needed & reinstall is trivial*
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/1Gf59YRkaI8/5MfQi5wMCQAJ

As noted by many, there are plenty of freeware solutions.
Yet... most non-technical people, essentially, want a HDD "dd" of sorts.

For me... on a single-user system...
a. I plan my backups a decade or more prior to the backup
b. Which means I break the backup into two components
1. Data I care about
2. Programs I care about
Nothing else matters.

From day one, I put all data I care about where it belongs.
From day one, I put all program installers where they belong.

When it comes time to back up, all I back up are two directories:
C:\data\{my hierarchy of data I care about}
C:\software\{my hierarchy of installers I care about}

Nothing else matters.
o Everything else can easily be replaced by a technical user.

Notice that some of the answers are essentially that if we count the
"Windows' built-in File History backup" that Frank Slootweg & mechanic
spoke about.

My only problem with any pre-defined folder in Windows (or in any operating
system) is they get polluted like you can't believe.

That's why, for example, I never use any pre-defined folder in Windows,
and, the ones that you can't avoid, I simply right click on them to move
them to where they belong if they will contain, usually momentarily,
something I care about.

a. For example, desktop, screenshots & downloads are moved into C:\data.
b. Yet 3D Objects, Music, and Saved Games, for example, are ignored.

When it comes time to re-install the operating system, as I did recently, I
simply re-install the software hierarchy, one by one.

And then I copy back the data hierarchy.
o I keep the "menu" in the data hierarchy, so it doesn't change in decades

I admit there are a few hundred tweaks, e.g., adding right-click context
menus to "open cmd window here" or setting the default for extensionless
files to open in vim, or disabling the window resizing upon hitting the
edges of the screen, or editing more than 15 files at once, etc..

Maybe a "system restore" might solve that but I have never really found
system restores to be of much value, where, lately, I don't even use an
add-on AV program - I don't know why I don't get viruses - maybe I do and I
don't know it - but I just don't. (famous last words, perhaps)

In short, only "some" of what I suggest can the lady use.

Probably the most prescient advice I can give her, and everyone, is to plan
your backup a decade before you buy the computer by having a plan to store
at least your data, if not your installers, in a place _outside_ the
(unfortunately polluted) Windows hierarch.

There's _more_ to my plan, but that's the summary.
a. Put data you care about where it belongs
b. Save all your program installers in a safe place
--
Together we have great solutions to offer for Usenet's public potluck.

Since the OP (three levels of "" in this post) talks of a friend who
"wants to get herself a laptop", and says the OP is "not so familiar
with range of options for Windows", it sounds like a new Windows laptop
- and thus Windows 10 - is being considered.

Given that this was posted in the XP 'group only, I strongly suspect
it's a troll; however, since I'd written my answers before I spotted
that, rather than waste it _if_ it isn't a troll, I've broadened the
target 'groups. Use your discretion to decide whether to skip it.

Right ...

On Sat, 2 May 2020 at 10:13:04, "
wrote:
I use 'freefile synch'
you select the folders (rather put in exceptions'
you can have mulilple paths eg email to one location/dir and work doc in anothr
you can set differnt targets eg differnt drives
it remembers the filtes so you don't have to enter them again
you can set up to have one directional where its' truly a backup or a
mirror , that means however if you delete on pc/laptop then file is
delted on harddrive backup (i prefer to do backup of new files)

(I don't understand the above paragraph; I can't parse the "English".)

On Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 2:12:57 PM UTC-4, Arlen Holder wrote:
In response to what Chris wrote :
A family friend wants to get herself a laptop to help get through
isolation. I can help with the choice of laptop, but what is a good,
effective and preferably cheap option for backups? She doesn't have
broadband (and is unlikely to get it anytime soon) so cloud options are
a non-starter. She will be using mobile data for her limited internet
needs (e.g. news and food shopping).

What will actually need backing up? Without broadband, she's not going
to get a lot of either software or files; news and shopping won't
generate much she'll actually want to _keep_.

There's the usual question: do you (for her) want to be able to restore
her system to as-when-backed-up in the event of disaster (HD failure or
really bad malware such as ransomware), or would she (you) be willing to
rebuild from scratch if that happens, and she just wants to keep - I'm
not sure what, mostly emails is all I can think of.

To be able to restore a working system, you'd need some sort of imaging
- Macrium and Acronis are the best-known; you'd also need an external
drive to do the imaging to. (And to make the boot CD [or USB stick; I
feel happier with a CD] sooner rather than later.) If just data, then
any backup mechanism, even just Explorer; I use SyncToy. And you'd still
need the external storage, though a USB stick might suffice.

This person has never owned a computer before, is retired and used to
get her internet needs fulfilled by the local library. So it needs to be
as fire-and-forget as possible. I want her to get into good habits from
the start, but I'm not so familiar with range of options for Windows.

IMO, Macrium - booted from the CD, not run from inside Windows (you have
to do that when restoring after disaster, so IMO it's good practice to
always do it [it also checks the CD hasn't gone bad]) - is pretty
simple. (Note that for recent Windows 10, you need a recent Macrium;
Macrium 5 works fine for 7 and early 10, but not current 10.) For just
data, SyncToy isn't hard either, especially after the first time (i. e.
once you've set up one of its "pairs").

The "good habits" have to include actually doing the backup regularly,
_whatever_ you use.
[]
As noted by many, there are plenty of freeware solutions.
Yet... most non-technical people, essentially, want a HDD "dd" of sorts.

For me... on a single-user system...
a. I plan my backups a decade or more prior to the backup
b. Which means I break the backup into two components
1. Data I care about
2. Programs I care about
Nothing else matters.

For me, I include under 2.
the-OS-plus-all-software-I've-spent-time-configuring; in other words, I
want to put in the new hard drive, do the restore, and have everything
working how I had it. Many others seem willing to, if disaster strikes:
(re)install the OS; reinstall all software; and configure both how they
had them, including updates, passwords, usernames, and so on. Each to
his/her own; I don't see any _advantage_ of the longer-winded process.
Some people see a disaster as an opportunity to do a spring-clean; fair
enough.

From day one, I put all data I care about where it belongs.

Me too: a D: partition if a one-disc-only laptop. (I'd probably have
separate drives for a desktop, but haven't run one for years.)

From day one, I put all program installers where they belong.

_Installers_, I just consider to be data. The software once _installed_,
I consider to be part of the OS; modern software places so much in lots
of places, that trying to keep track of it (or to only use software that
"behaves") is something I have better things to do than. YMMV.

When it comes time to back up, all I back up are two directories:
C:\data\{my hierarchy of data I care about}
C:\software\{my hierarchy of installers I care about}

Nothing else matters.
o Everything else can easily be replaced by a technical user.

Ah, so you're one of those "I'll reinstall everything, redo all
configurations, and get all updates" people. Fair enough.
[]
That's why, for example, I never use any pre-defined folder in Windows,
and, the ones that you can't avoid, I simply right click on them to move
them to where they belong if they will contain, usually momentarily,
something I care about.

Yes, I move them to D:; I'm amazed MS haven't switched to that
(including partitioning if necessary) by default yet. Well, I would be
amazed, but from a company that still defaults to hiding known
extensions ...
[]
When it comes time to re-install the operating system, as I did recently, I
simply re-install the software hierarchy, one by one.

Perhaps if you don't have much, that doesn't take long - and either you
are very disciplined, or so untidy (which, given what you've said above,
seems unlikely) that the opportunity to spring-clean is welcome.

How long does re-installing the operating system, then "the software
hierarchy, one by one" take you? I just boot the restore CD, then set
the restore going - I think it'd take well under 2 hours, even over
USB2, but even if it was an overnight job, I could leave it to it,
rather than having to sit there posting CDs (or running installer
files).
[]
I admit there are a few hundred tweaks, e.g., adding right-click context
menus to "open cmd window here" or setting the default for extensionless
files to open in vim, or disabling the window resizing upon hitting the
edges of the screen, or editing more than 15 files at once, etc..

Maybe a "system restore" might solve that but I have never really found
system restores to be of much value, where, lately, I don't even use an
add-on AV program - I don't know why I don't get viruses - maybe I do and I
don't know it - but I just don't. (famous last words, perhaps)

The "system restore" process doesn't seem to ever have been as good as
it ought. It's mainly for when you (or something else) screw up, though:
it saves on the local HD (at least by default, I'm not sure if that can
be changed), so no good if the HD dies.

In short, only "some" of what I suggest can the lady use.

Yes, depends how much the OP is willing to do him/herself to help, when
disaster strikes. Did say he wants to teach good habits from the start.

Probably the most prescient advice I can give her, and everyone, is to plan
your backup a decade before you buy the computer by having a plan to store
at least your data, if not your installers, in a place _outside_ the
(unfortunately polluted) Windows hierarch.

There's _more_ to my plan, but that's the summary.
a. Put data you care about where it belongs
b. Save all your program installers in a safe place
--
Together we have great solutions to offer for Usenet's public potluck.

Aargh.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"To YOU I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the Loyal Opposition." - Woody Allen

On Sat, 2 May 2020 19:56:49 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

Since the OP (three levels of "" in this post) talks of a friend who
"wants to get herself a laptop", and says the OP is "not so familiar
with range of options for Windows", it sounds like a new Windows laptop
- and thus Windows 10 - is being considered.

Given that this was posted in the XP 'group only, I strongly suspect
it's a troll; however, since I'd written my answers before I spotted
that, rather than waste it _if_ it isn't a troll, I've broadened the
target 'groups. Use your discretion to decide whether to skip it.

Right ...

On Sat, 2 May 2020 at 10:13:04, "
wrote:
I use 'freefile synch'
you select the folders (rather put in exceptions'
you can have mulilple paths eg email to one location/dir and work doc in anothr
you can set differnt targets eg differnt drives
it remembers the filtes so you don't have to enter them again
you can set up to have one directional where its' truly a backup or a
mirror , that means however if you delete on pc/laptop then file is
delted on harddrive backup (i prefer to do backup of new files)

(I don't understand the above paragraph; I can't parse the "English".)

It looks like he's just describing some of the features of a program called
FreeFileSync, available he https://freefilesync.org/

snip

Arlen,

1. Data I care about goes "where it belongs" (easily saved).
2. Program installers I care about go "where they belong" (easily saved).

You're customary vague, meaning that noone can disagree with you there.
Ofcourse, your vagueness robs you of the possibility of being warned of a
possible mistake in your choosing of "where it belongs" ...

Notice that the data and programs are essentially trivial to back up and
restore;

Great, another person who doesn't realise that dropping a rather important
part of a description makes it sound like something quite different, and
also doesn't seem to notice that that quite different thing /also/ exists in
the same context. Which ofcourse results in confusion.

Yes, Windows /installers/ are easy to save. Windows /programs/ however, not
so much (understatement).

Hence, to restore a system after backing up the two folders:
o C:\{data,software}

Goes sort of something like this when you restore a system:
a. Create the {app,data,software,menu} hierarchy, e.g., mkdir
c:\app\{archiver,browser,cleaner,etc.}
mkdir c:\data\software\{archiver,browser,cleaner,etc.}
mkdir c:\data\menu\{archiver,browser,cleaner,etc.}

Lol. You (re-)created the "data" folder, but forgot the "software" one.
Than again, you're introducing a folder, "app", which you haven't mentioned
before.

Also, what you seem to be doing there is not restoring a system from backup,
but re-creating it from backupped material. A quite different beast.
Yours takes more work, and is far more complex and time-consuming.

b. Install your desired programs, one by one.
(Each program has its own custom readme log for its setup particulars.)

I hope you also have a document saved which describes in which order you
installed all of it. Changing that order might cause one-or-the-other
program to malfunction (crash).

My point is that most of the work is in the tweaking of Windows, IMHO...

And you do that after each (re-)install ? Really ?

A widely known and accepted rule: If you know you will repeat stuff than
automate it. Doing handwork just begs for entry errors and/or skipping
steps.

Another widely known and accepted rule: Keep the data and the OS (and
installed programs) apart. And no, not just in two folders, but (at least)
on different partitions. That way you can actually backup the OS and all
its programs in one go, and *restore* it as easily (and fast) - /including/
all the settings and applied tweaks.

Still a good idea to keep all the installers though - including the one for
the OS itself.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

P.s.
Setting up a "follow-up" newsgroup robs the people of the, in this case just
one, excluded newsgroup to read about what advice fellow newsgroupers have
posted in their newgroup. Rude. Very rude even.

Than again, you show time-and-again that you absolutily do not care about
sharing your "potluck" results with the very people who made that potluck
possible, so I should not be amazed about it.

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:
Since the OP (three levels of "" in this post) talks of a friend who
"wants to get herself a laptop", and says the OP is "not so familiar
with range of options for Windows", it sounds like a new Windows laptop
- and thus Windows 10 - is being considered.

Given that this was posted in the XP 'group only, I strongly suspect
it's a troll; however, since I'd written my answers before I spotted
that, rather than waste it _if_ it isn't a troll, I've broadened the
target 'groups. Use your discretion to decide whether to skip it.

Right ...

The original post - by Chris (Message-ID:
) - was absolutely legit and was - correctly
- posted only to alt.comp.os.windows-10.

Arlen Holder responded to Chris and crossposted his response to
microsoft.public.windowsxp and then - a Google
Groups poster - somehow responded only to microsoft.public.windowsxp.

So it's not a troll and probably made a mistake
without realizing it.

[...]

On Sun, 3 May 2020 at 10:33:41, Frank Slootweg
wrote:
[]
The original post - by Chris (Message-ID:
) - was absolutely legit and was - correctly
- posted only to alt.comp.os.windows-10.

Arlen Holder responded to Chris and crossposted his response to
microsoft.public.windowsxp and then - a Google
Groups poster - somehow responded only to microsoft.public.windowsxp.

So it's not a troll and probably made a mistake
without realizing it.

[...]

Yes, apologies to Chris ithinkiam. I realised, after encountering other
parts of the thread in the other 'groups. I happened to read the XP
'group first, and saw (when posting my followup) that it was _only_
going there.

I hope what I said was some use to OP.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If a cluttered desk is characteristic of a cluttered mind, what does an empty
desk mean ?