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I've done more than my fair share of rebuilding PCs lately. And here's what I learned:

• Always have usable backups of all systems.
• Keep a record of software installations, including how your mod_jk is compiled and installed.
• Rebuilding boxes is easy, restoring all custom software, preferences, and user data is hard.
• Fedora Core, and Red Hat Linux before it, is far easier to install then Windows NT/2000/XP. Rebooting after install wastes more time than you think.
• "My Documents" does not contain Outlook emails.
• Backup data and then reinstall immediately. Don't check POP3 emails after the backup and before the reinstall.
• Backing up to CD is the way to go.
• Backing up by ftping a tar file to another box is confusing.
• Backing up to a partition that you "promise not to delete" during the install is asking for trouble.