I'm not entirely sure which forum to post in...mods, please move if necessary.
I recently had a virus infection that screwed up my Windows XP installation. There's so many files missing or corrupted that I am forced to reinstall XP or reinstall my backup (I made one right I after I bought the computer.)
So, to reinstall XP, I would need at least $100 to backup my data with an external HD. I tried backing up on DVD's, but my drive is only 16X, so it will take roughly 12 hours to backup 30 gigs. The virus erased my network driver, so I can't pull stuff off my desktop to my laptop. Also, I will have to plug in my 3.5" floppy which is another pain in the butt.
My other option is to upgrade to a new OS. Hopefully, this will save my data and allow me to not have to spend on an external HD. (I currently have 600 GB on 4 drives with ~400 GB unused, so I really don't want to buy more HD space.)
So, I was wondering: if I do upgrade, what would be a good choice? My main concerns are cost, convenience, not having to backup my data and compatibility with MS Office and other Windows programs.
I have been thinking about Linux for a long time, but I don't know much about Ubuntu, which sounds like Linux but more advanced. I could also get Windows 7 ($130 in my area).
Thanks in advance.
I recently had a virus infection that screwed up my Windows XP installation. There's so many files missing or corrupted that I am forced to reinstall XP or reinstall my backup (I made one right I after I bought the computer.)
So, to reinstall XP, I would need at least $100 to backup my data with an external HD. I tried backing up on DVD's, but my drive is only 16X, so it will take roughly 12 hours to backup 30 gigs. The virus erased my network driver, so I can't pull stuff off my desktop to my laptop. Also, I will have to plug in my 3.5" floppy which is another pain in the butt.
My other option is to upgrade to a new OS. Hopefully, this will save my data and allow me to not have to spend on an external HD. (I currently have 600 GB on 4 drives with ~400 GB unused, so I really don't want to buy more HD space.)
So, I was wondering: if I do upgrade, what would be a good choice? My main concerns are cost, convenience, not having to backup my data and compatibility with MS Office and other Windows programs.
I have been thinking about Linux for a long time, but I don't know much about Ubuntu, which sounds like Linux but more advanced. I could also get Windows 7 ($130 in my area).
Thanks in advance.