LBAMagic  - Regarding dead hard drives which I have also faced, here's a possible solution that did work for me. Acronis True Image Home (http://www.acronis.com/promo/ATIH2011/ATI-ALL/index.html?source=us_google&ad=ati&c=5336852657&k=acronis%20true%20image&gclid=CPiT7aDb7aQCFRYM2godgSWA2w).

 

I clone my hard drives, and perhaps overkill by re-clonign them anytme I install at least two new software programs. example is I recently installed camtasia Studio 7.1

and DAZ 3D Advanced, and Poser Pro 2010. This morning I cloned my C drive. I will clone D and E this evening due to them having a month's worth of new work files

saved to them. If my original drive(s)  die, I just remove them and install the cloned drives then clone those. rarely happens but has twice over 8 years. Mainly due to my own foolishness.

tomorrow, I expect to use an old 100GB HD installed into an enclosure to copy all my content and other DAZ/Poser directories in hope of avoiding having to install files like the ones

**I discussed here. The theory is to merely copy them straight into the program if the need arises.
**