Good Stuff!!!

Get yourself a DVD-RW drive, these are cheap now. Back-up your data to DVD-RW discs and when you've filled one copy this to a DVD-R disc, so that you re-use the RW disc.

I am not someone who advocates the use of your DAW as a internet PC. I would highly recommend that you either partition your HDD for a seperate installation of Windows for Audio use. Or even better physically seperate them with the purchase of a new HDD and a couple of caddies. The HDD doesn't need to be big if you already have a HDD you use exclusively to record to, the new HDD only needs to be big enough for Windows, your recording appz and plugins and any samples you store on this. The caddies allow for you to change the HDD in your PC within seconds, a chassis fits into a spare 5.25" drive bay and you install a HDD's into a drawer each. Easy as.

On your Audio Windows installation, there doesn't need to be Antivirus and Firewall softawre installed, as you'll disable your modem and anything else that's not needed on this drive. Things like Windows messenger, outlook ect... don't need to be on this drive. Also disable hardware devices that are not needed for a Music PC, disable things like unused USB, Firewire and Sound devices (on-board sound or in my case a SB Fraudigy). Most people are suprised at what a performance difference there is when all the unneccesary stuff is disabled or simply not installed. Even the visual aspect of Win XP can be cut back. Run msconfig at the command line to disable any other service or start-up application that is not neccesary

Just have a think about what DOES NOT need to be on your computer if it is solely used as a DAW. This method I use which isn't exactly original is the cheapest, most effective way of giving you essentially 2 PC's. An Internet PC with AV and Firewall Software and a lean mean cut back DAW.

Here's a link to help you optimise Windows:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/winxp.htm

Thanks, Blade!
I have noticed a tremendous LACK of trouble since I pulled IE and the internet crap outta my DAW. Get a cheap iBook or Dell for that stuff.....

And the DVD-RW is a great tip, too!! Over 4GB of backup on one disk! Mac users with G4 AGP (or better) machines running 10.2 can purchase superdrives for around $170US. Installation is a snap. I'll try to post a link to an online reseller that has them.

Any one else have a tip to keep us from crying in our beers?

--Nuc

Actually with OSX and Hard drives with large caches, defragging is not needed.

If you leave your machine on, it will even clean it's caches, and repair the files system.

By all means DON'T use Norton's on a Mac, there have been so many problems, that it has been discontinued on Mac.

8)

The first fellow said run nortan. The last fellow said don't
I just bought a G5 and 828mk2 I don't know anything.
Looking for help and ya'll sound confused. So what is a dummy
like me supposed to do Mr. experts
Rawski

http://www.musicxp.net -> site with several tips for a better PC Audio DAW

Nice tips, backing up is never too late. going to do it now , :-) !

My goal is to have a readily established process for rebuilding my machine from scratch.

That said, all it is going to be is a dedicated recording box. (just a few days until UPS brings me my G5!)

After previously having a PC DAW w/ I.E. and some other on-line crap, I've noticed now that having a machine dedicated to RECORDING, not only functions better, but is not a resource hog also. What I mean is, it does'nt get bogged down from running a lot of extra utility stuff. Yes I run the maintenance programs, but that's it. And I have plans to purchase a DVD recorder too, which will make life a whole lot better.

Well that's what I get for trying to help the community.

well.
if I may add: stay away from dvd for backup purposes. go with additional hard drives. much better price/performance ratio per GB. I have 10 of them just for archive ! I keep them in a neat plastic box :wink: . (I never defrag ! all 7200 8mb buffers - no problems whatsoever. old/small hard drives end up in archive or as part of a internet/kids pc)

I can post a pic if you like :D .

I think one of the great things in digital audio is storage ! when I was recording to tape there was no way to backup without generation loss to some degree. now it is perfectly possibile so we should take advantage of that. (raid)

(how do you know when a computer file is important ? - if it has a backup !!! :wink: )

great forum !!!

For OSX Disk Warrior, or Tech Tool Pro are better products.

Disk Copy, included with the OS can make backups.

I agree with lofi hard drives are cheap, I just slap a drive into a firewire case.

Defragging was more of an issue when drives were had less capacity and 2MB cache.

Do the math to back up an 80Gb drive to DVD, at 4.7 Gb, plus the time needed to burn.

Time is the big issue for me, with DVDs you have to be available to swap disks. With hard drives, start the process, go to bed.

I will burn DVDs of individual projects.

8)

The last time I used Norton on my OS9 system it trashed my drive so bad I had to erase it, and re-install everything from my (thankfully) recent backup. Needless to say the Norton disk went into the circular file that day, and all the crap it installed in my system folder was subsequently deleted. My system has been much heathier since.

I've been using TechToolPro since without any major problems. Diskwarrior is also excellent for 9.

I also agree that de-fragging is a waste of time with modern drives. It's actually better to wipe the drive, and re-install from a fresh backup anyway. Safer too.

As always YMMV. :wink:

tweaking for PCs:

apart from the black viper site mentioned above, i just came across this pretty neat site.

http://www.pcmus.com