Rant Aaaargh!

[Scouse]

Fucking Crucial SSD's

Had one which has exclusively been for my games (steam + starcraft) for about 8-9 months. Just come up as defunct.

All my games

Fucking balls


Seems SSD's have a penchant for failing suddenly. Which is an arse. Do I swap out for an old reliable (and much bigger) - or do I accept that they're crazy hot and just use 'em anyway?

 

[MYstIC G]

What are your backup options like?

If you've literally just lost the OS and your steam stuff, that's a time thing more than a loss thing so you'd probably balance out your loss of time in the long haul with your lack of waiting for stuff to load.

If it's your personal stuff as well though I'd swap back to tried and tested.

 

[Scouse]

I use GFI backup so all my documents are safe.

I've got a few drives:

C: SSD for OS
D&E: Docs, Films, Musak etc.
F: SSD for Steam & Games < this one's gone pop
Z: Big 2TB WDC Green for backups

I'll get the games SSD replaced and reinstall the games (gonna take ages to redownload tho - and any local saves that steam don't keep are gonna be gone).

I just thought about creating an image backup for the OS SSD. However, GFI free doesn't cater for image backups

Any ideas of good free image backup software? Just want to copy all of C: to the backup location... Suppose I could just use windows backup?

Edit: Fez, windows backup wants to take a nearly a terabyte of files of a secondary drive too

 

[MYstIC G]

Free I've always struggled with. I've used stuff like Clonezilla before but getting it to restore always ends badly in my experience.

You might be luckier than you think with your save games, many titles ignore the "stay within steam" side of things for their saves, you'll likely find a lot of them are scattered all over the place and will likely be in your windows profile on your C drive (See here: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/23/stop-it-put-save-games-in-one-place/)

If you can live with the downloading you might just be better off running http://www.gamesave-manager.com/ going forwards?

 

[caLLous]

I just thought about creating an image backup for the OS SSD. However, GFI free doesn't cater for image backups

Any ideas of good free image backup software? Just want to copy all of C: to the backup location... Suppose I could just use windows backup?

Give Macrium Reflect a go, it's free and it does OS images.

If you're talking about a running backup then maybe get FreeFileSync and schedule it to sync your OS drive with the backup location every night or something.

 

[soze]

Windows Backup under Win 7 is ok. And gives you a nice restore option.

But if you want a full disk image you could try Hirens Boot CD and use Ghost or Acronis to save the whole disk to the WD Backup Disk.

 

[Scouse]

Ta 4 teh ideaz. I'll have a good look at them later

 

[TdC]

Guys, which of those tools would you recommend for me to use to handle my Steam games? Perhaps even the internal Steam backup tool?

The only thing really running on my windows partition is Steam, as I use windows for games and nothing else really.
As for my laptop, all my docs are in the Dropbox anyway, so that's safe.

 

[TdC]

mmmkay so the windows 7 backup is completely gay as it will not work out of the box. why is it that when I want the simplest things (eg software mirror bootsdisk natively, create backup image, that kind of stuff) windows just can't do it?

 

[caLLous]

Are you talking about saves and stuff or backing up all the downloaded stuff? It's easy enough to setup a scheduled sync to a backup folder with FreeFileSync.

 

[TdC]

mmmkay so I had to change the order of the disks in the BIOS, as the backup was presumably freaking out over the linux bootloader I have. No bootloader == working windows backup, though what their problem is with it only they know I guess.

 

[TdC]

Are you talking about saves and stuff or backing up all the downloaded stuff? It's easy enough to setup a scheduled sync to a backup folder with FreeFileSync.

aimed at me? well, I was out for a fasterish restore for my windaes if/when things go titsup.com. Also, I aim to get rid of this mechanical disk it's on in favour of an SSD.

 

[caLLous]

Oh, well you can do scheduled image backups with Macrium Reflect too... depends what you want. I don't have massive experience with imaging OS's. I only did it because I put win7 on my old Vaio after I put an SSD in it. Win7 isn't supported on my model by Sony in the slightest so it took me bloody ages to get everything working with correct drivers and stuff. So I got it all set and made an image that I can throw back on should the need arise. Other than that, no experience.

 

[Scouse]

the internal Steam backup tool?

The internal steam backup tool is great. If only I'd used it

You can use it to backup all of your games to a single file and then use that file to restore your desired selection.

As it is, I'll be downloading about 100Gig. Overnight jobby I guess...

 

[TdC]

yeah I used it just now to backup skyrim. it does NOT compress data, but hey, I have TB's so moo.

 

[MYstIC G]

The internal steam backup tool is great. If only I'd used it

You can use it to backup all of your games to a single file and then use that file to restore your desired selection.

As it is, I'll be downloading about 100Gig. Overnight jobby I guess...

To be honest mate I'd just do it as you go, last time I reinstalled I discovered that I played considerably fewer of the games on my list than I remembered.

 

[Scouse]

B'jeesus. Decided to move the thing off the floor for the first time in years, take the desk fan I was using as makeshift cooling out of the side and clean the fucker.

Nearly killed it. Was unresponsive for two hours. If I'd been a fireman or policeman I'd have written it off and called for the meatwagon but after much deliberation, gnashing of teeth and worrying that I need immediate access to my CV I got it's heart started again.

I'm fucking Scottie of the PC world me

 

[caLLous]

Or you just suck at maintaining computers.

 

[MYstIC G]

Did you just pick a new SSD in the end then?

 

[TdC]

I'm certainly going to. My nerdy friends tell me the Crucial M4 has a decent price point.

 

[Scouse]

It was my second SSD (not the OS) that went pop. Going through the returns procedure now. Thought I'd pick up another 2Tb Western Digital Green for more backup space whilst I'm at it.
BTW - it's the Crucial M4 that's gone pop on me Teedles...

 

[TdC]

yeah I gathered that for some reason. still fantastic value. still that is the one my nerdy mates say is the way to go.

 

[MYstIC G]

That is because they don't actually manufacture them in house I believe.

 

[TdC]

another alternative they mentioned was plextor. I thought they made highish end burners?

 

[MYstIC G]

They did the last time i ever heard them brought up (ages ago)

 

[caLLous]

I haven't heard that name for a good few years.

 

[TdC]

they're not too bad actually: http://www.storagereview.com/plextor_pxm3s_ssd_review

 

[TdC]

I got one today, a plextor that is. should be delivered tomorrow or friday. I'll letcha know how I get on.

 

[TdC]

mmmkay, I have the SSD here in my hand, and a freshly made windows backup + system restore to my NAS.

I'm deliberately not looking anything up, I am full of faith.
teh cunning plan:
1) take out mechanical disks
2) place SSD in system
3) boot with windaez dvd
4) restore backup
5) ???
6) profit

this is what my sense of logic says is the correct way of doing things. We will see.​

 

[MYstIC G]

Windows Profile Transfer to start.