Laptop Emergency

Bigun · Advocate Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2198

I have a empty box being sent to me for warranty repair on my laptop (keyboard issue).

At any rate after I hung up the phone I realized that if I sent my laptop in, they would most definitally pop in a restore CD and retore it to it's originality. If that is done all of my Gentoo installation is wiped. I called back and asked if they would leave the HD alone, they replied that they are not responsible for data loss. I would have to backup my stuff.

So, here's the problem.... it's a laptop... the only way I can connect another hard drive is via USB docking bay. In which case I need something that can backup like 5 partitions via USB.

I need an answer in two days. Help?
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"It's ok, they might have guns but we have flowers." - Perpetual Victim

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:01 pm Post subject:

bigun89,

If you can get control (via ssh or external keyboard) you can attach a USB HDD and back it up there.
USB 2.0 is as good as an internal drive. USB 1.1 is 1 MByte/sec at best
You don't need your entire install - that can be recreated you do need your data.
Do you have any network storage you can back-up to ?
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Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Bigun · Advocate Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2198

WOAH TOO COOL!

My laptop somehow recognized the USB tray as an IDE device upon reboot. I can copy the partitions via BootItNG floppy.

I think I got it, thanks...
_________________
"It's ok, they might have guns but we have flowers." - Perpetual Victim

loki99 · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:05 pm Post subject:

Do you really want to bother backing up your whole install? Why not just backup your "/home" and some configs in "/etc"?

Should be less of a hassle.

EatMeerkats · Apprentice Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 234

If the problem isn't with the hard drive, remove it before sending it in. If the complain, tell them it contains "sensitive data". This worked for a friend with IBM, so hopefully it does for you too!