I had some major problems over the past week with my 7 year old desktop PC. I had to reinstall Windows XP and Microsoft Office. It was a painfully scary and very long process, but I am glad to say I was able to make a full recovery. My first and immediate concern was for all of my data: photos, music, and videos. Between my local backup - Western Digital 1TB MyBook and my remote backup service - SOS Online Backup, I was fully covered and am very glad to say I did not lose a single file.
I have been wondering lately if I will make it through my own personal challenge to make this machine last through the rest of Windows XP's supported (by Microsoft) lifetime - the end of which is mid-2014. I know that whatever machine I buy to replace this desktop will be running at least Windows 7 if not Windows 8. I enjoy the challenge, but the price I had to pay both in my time to recover and the anxiety over the possible loss of data makes me wonder if it's worth it. But, for the time being at least, I shall soldier on and continue with my quest.
This PCMag.com article is therefore quite timely and should be good for thought for everyone. Do be certain that you have a solid backup plan for all of your data (I use SOS Online Backup) and also for recovering your operating system (I admit I did not but I did have the original DVD so could reinstall XP).
I encourage you to read this article: The Beginner's Guide to PC Backup
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