Tip: Apparently 'binder clips', otherwise known as 'bulldog clips', can make quite good cable organisers:

Had a major PC crash. I'm looking at it as an opportunity to do a clean re-install which is going well if tedious to locate discs, software download like itunes etc, etc. I have My docs, outlook.pst etc on an external hard drive using Goodsync but I find it limited as it only allows top level folder selection meaning I have to include a load of rubbish to get the outlook.pst file, templates file and the like included. I've looked at the XP backup but it seems a bit clunky and displays a tiny file selection screen.
Any recommendations for backup software - something that allows me to drill down and select individual files and then allows me to see those files on my external drive.

TIA :-)

Do have a look at the HP SimpleSave Portable

This is a USB connected portable separate hard drive. It has integral software, which makes both Backup and Restore a breeze. It sits there in the background, quietly handling Backup and you don't have to do anything other than set it up to start with and then just wisely check on it every so often to see if it is continuing to do its stuff.

It comes in various sizes from, say 320GB (circa 55-60) right up to 2TB (circa 150)

I like it and use one myself. I think it is a great value combination of portable hard disk and automated backup software.

There are some videos on it here.

You can use the Google Shopping (a tab off Google) to see where to get it from in the UK. I bought mine in Tesco.

You could also look at Acronis' True Image Home 2010, and another type of separate USB disk, such as Iomega's eGo Portable.

I suspect the best policy is to have more than one policy - that way if one scheme turns out bad you still have another string.
For this reason I store files I really need (like family pics etc) on CD as well as having a HDD copy on an external drive.
This keeps the PC's own drive clear to run the OS rather than be clogged up with important files.
Since the CD's have a serial number the same number should be used on the filename, on the HDD prior to burning the same-numbered disc.

hangon: But do take note of the expected life of CDs and DVDs. There is much debate on the subject, but cheap CDs may have quite a short storage persistance ( < 5 years??).

Thanks Excel - I'll be looking at your solutions.
Re: CDs - I've sometimes had a belt to go with the braces but it soon falls by the wayside due to laziness. Likewise I have a usb sync. stick - supposedly so you can take all your files with you for use on another PC and update your main machine on return but it's just too clunky and slow imo. plus again it takes effort to remember and act.

A website I am updating keeps putting strange charactors when I put an apostrophe or

Any ideas how to stop them.

Edit
This is how it displays even though I do not add the additional charactors in the editor

Fee of £100

client’s individual

Leo has the answer - which is bit complicated

Declare the character encoding in your HTML header, Jeffie. For instance:

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">

Clever Hiltops

That worked a treat

Cheers

Smarty pants :-)

skinny: I expect she has ;-)

Probably Agent Provacateur.;-)

Not a great lover of Smarty pants, but I don't mind the sugar candy ones from time to time.

Oh my God!

Alright if you need a nibble! :-)

If we've all recovered from Hil's pants, I offer this to those who may be having problems with their hard drive.

It seems that a failing hard drive, if chilled in a fridge or freezer, can be recussitated long enough to recover data.

http://www.kempa.com/2006/10/02/adam-is-there-a-reason-your-laptop-is-in-the-fridge/

How can I identify a powerful powered usb hub.

It is for my photographic pc so I need seven or eight sockets.

My old one died and I got the most expensive one (around 22) that my local Maplin had in stock. I now get repeated 'your usb device is faulty' messages and one of my usb hard drive disconnects itself from time to time - but works fine when powered down and up again.

My instinct is that the only thing that is powered on the jobbie I have just bought are the little lights. Googling does not seem to produce much real info about how these things perform.

Any pointers, chums?

TP

TP: I have never had a happy time running a USB hard drive through an external powered hub.

Many of these hubs have brand names you've never heard before. The last one I had seemed to be for gaming machines and had more little coloured LEDs than you could shake a stick at. It didn't work properly, failed completely after about a month, but enhanced the Christmas decorations for a while.

The one I'm using now is called a 'Link-it' and came in a package branded Belkin (of whom at least I had heard). It works well, but the USB disk will still only work reliably when connected directly to the laptop's USBs.

What is the power rating of the power supply for your hub?

MM

Thanks MM,

According to the Maplin spec " Supplied PSU is 5 volt @ 3.8A" I'll double check that when I'm next in my studio.

It seems daft that nobody wants to market a properly amplified one. If you run a PC to support photography you need ports for masses of peripherals (including hard drives that fill all too quickly) and no tower unit is ever going to be built with enough sockets. So this makes a mockery of the 127 USB devices Windows can support!

EDIT. Yes, I have checked and that is the power supply. The comic thing is that all the lights, including the red power light, remain on when I remove the adaptor to read the spec!!

TP