[bittersweet_]

Hello to all the pro computer specialists/geeks!

I have a 4 year old Dell Dimension E310. Don't ask me the RAM etc, because I really don't know.
I have over 1000 pictures ( all of them in pretty huge sizes) and over 1000 songs that I have downloaded over the years.
& It has sooo many applications, and softwares that i don't even know.
& I have never even thought of backing it up until just now.
I have few messages coming out saying, Virtual Memory Too Low.
& just few mins ago I couldn't do anything on the pc. My Pictures, Documents, Computers, Firefox, even Task manager won't even open up.
So i decided to shut it down. but I clicked on the turn off button like 50 mins ago. and the cursor has changed into the "sand clock" thingy and it has been that way for the last 50 mins now. None of the commands would work.

So yea, i probably have to manually shut it down now. that means i might lose everything =(
If I don't lose it, what can i do to back my files up???????????
External hard drive, online backup, backup software???
Which one?
someone please help meeee~~~~~~~~~~~

[awdark]

Its fine to just turn it off, only a slight risk.



Right click My computer> Properties
You can go to that and change the virtual memory settings, I like to leave it on auto... if it doesnt have auto as an option, just double whatever is currently there.

[marrymehyori]

I agree with awdark - it's unlikely any data would be lost. An external drive is probably the easiest way to back up that many files, although it will take quite a while using any backup method.

If you have the patience, writing the files to CD might be a decent way to spread the risk - it will probably require a lot of CDs, but then if something goes bad with one CD, you lose only the files on that CD, not all the files. With an external drive, if the drive goes bad, you lose everything. But avoid HP CD-Rs, they are absolute utter crap - every HP CD I've ever burned has gone bad in under a year, where I have other brands that are still readable without error after 10 years.

[awdark]

I agree with awdark - it's unlikely any data would be lost. An external drive is probably the easiest way to back up that many files, although it will take quite a while using any backup method.

If you have the patience, writing the files to CD might be a decent way to spread the risk - it will probably require a lot of CDs, but then if something goes bad with one CD, you lose only the files on that CD, not all the files. With an external drive, if the drive goes bad, you lose everything. But avoid HP CD-Rs, they are absolute utter crap - every HP CD I've ever burned has gone bad in under a year, where I have other brands that are still readable without error after 10 years.

Should try to find out which company makes those disks because HP probably doesn't make their own blanks. I had really bad luck with memorex actually. DVD-R disks would stop reading after like one install test... no idea why but I had a good batch I thought was "good" backups that never worked

[marrymehyori]

HP probably doesn't make their own blanks, but it seems like everything HP sells these days is not good. Computers, CDs, even their printers aren't as good as they used to be. Personally I plan to avoid all HP products of all types from now on.

But back on point: how would a person go about finding out the ultimate manufacturer of a CD-R?

[awdark]

haha we are going so off topic, I think it might tell you in Nero Info Tool... but I might be mistaken and that information might only be available to DVDr disks. I totally agree with you about HP quality, I guess I am using my laptop to its fullest potential like typing on it all day and night but its still falling apart just after one year of use.

[bittersweet_]

thank you guys.
actually i turned on my pc today, and seems like its okay.
so i went to My Computers->Properties.
and for Virtual Memory Settings, there was no auto option like you said.
It was on custom from like minimum to 756mB-1512Mb.
So i chose System Managing Size. I can't see the numbers on that one. and its restarting right now.
im waiting

[awdark]

Its normal for it to be grayed out in system managed settings. Hope its stable after this.

[bittersweet_]

im baak and i will tell you guys what i did.
So friend suggested i download Glarysoft utilities!
so i did, and this program found about 900 some invalid registries and some 1.06GB of trash you know.
and it did cleaning and stuff. so i am not getting any virtual memory too low error anymore!!!!! =))))

to tell you guys, I did try changing the settings but i was too afraid to mess everything up so i just stopped. hehe

but i went to ComputerPros place and this man said he wants to examine my pc for 25 bucks to tell me if somethings wrong.
his suggestion was not to change the setting but get it reboot! or just buy another one haha