[Retired Tech]

My instinct is for backing up the data and doing a clean install, because you have checked the system files, done a repair and for some reason the USB ports won't kick in, and because you now have two versions, you can tell XP to ignore one if you do not want to clean install

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I'm with you there but what's the simplist way to back up?

There is about 20GB on the disk, mostly music files and some word/excel.

[th3]

I'm with you there but what's the simplist way to back up?

There is about 20GB on the disk, mostly music files and some word/excel.

[Retired Tech]

Do you have Nero or Roxio

[th3]

Roxio is installed but not showing up in the start menu..nor will it open from explorer..but I have the disk somewhere and I have Nero on this machine for which I also have a disk...

[Retired Tech]

Nero is fine, you just make data DVD then when you want to put them back insert the DVD, click copy, set up folders for them to go to, and transfer them from the disc to the drive, if you try move, it usually won't let you as the files on the dvd disc will likely be read only

The thing to do is burn a DVD, (you can use CDR but for 20GB, DVDR/RW will be better), and then check they will copy back, which they will as long as the burn was successful

If you use Nero 6 then just before you click burn, use record settings to determine maximum write speed

[th3]

The machine only has a DVD reader, does this matter or is that a DVD Disc just holds more and we burn to it with the CD Burner...

[Retired Tech]

You will need to use CDR for the CD Writer, though you will need about 25 of them

[th3]

Thats what i feared...

What about slaving the drive to my machine or using a spare drive as a slave to recover the files.. or is that just too much hassle?

[Retired Tech]

You can do either of those