I've had several hard drives fail over the years. The first time it happened, some of the data I lost was impossible to replace and I had no backups. It's not the reinstallation that gets you, although it is a HUGE pain and a gigantic time investment, but rather the stuff you didn't think about, such as custom files, recipts (yes, I keep digital receipts for stuff I buy online), your old email, bookmarks, digital art, digital photographs, etc. Those things can't be "reinstalled" unless you have a backup from which to reinstall them. Keeping working backups is only good sense. If you don't, you may one day find yourself wishing you had. It's like car insurance. Maybe you won't need it, but when/if you do, you'll be very glad that "safety net" is there. bonni

"When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch." - Bette Davis