[Vorster]

Wow very diconcerting. I don't want to wake up in a month or so and find my expensive dual layer writer has bitten the dust because of SF.

I write alot of stuff with it mostly stuff I have downloaded, or a buddy of mine makes copies of the history channel programms for those of use less fortunate to not own a decoder so we can also enjoy the great programs and also to keep them for posterity. Almost like asking a buddy to tape a great movie on VHS for you because you are not home the weekend.

Then there is the back up of the gigs and gigs of data from my meters installed all across South Africa, which if lost will be catastropic.

Now I would like to make a copy of my disk, not to sell but as a back up. I got my disk yesterday after being ripped off by a pair of supposedly reputable dealers in Pretoria selling the game over the counter and thus being forced to buy a second , but legitimate, copy. The disk has already scratched due to dusk getting into the case, between it and the disk. It is brand new but the cellophane wasn't properly put on, and even if it was put on properly believe me African dust gets in every where. Now I would like to have a image which I can load and play away while the real copy is resting in a dust free (or as near to it as I can get) enviroment protected.

I believe this was the original idea behind programs such as Alcohol and Clone. To help you back up those precious disk you don't want to get damaged, and believe me I don't want mine damaged as SH 3 has been discontinued in SA and I bought one of the last remaining copies in the country.

Enough ranting. Please those of you in the know provide us with a step by step plan to remedy SF problems if they occur.