Buy a name-brand computer from a big supplier, say Dell or Apple or HP, and it comes with a stack of stuff that may be needed should you ever have to re-install your system eg. after a hard-disk failure. Buy a computer from a smaller company, and you should still get a stack of stuff including the operating system, drivers for any special hardware, and any pre-installed applications such as Microsoft Office. What do you do with this stack?
What you should do is carefully store them away, out of sunlight and if possible out of the heat and humidity that we are experiencing in Vanuatu at the moment. CDROMs can get mouldy, although this can be wiped off gently with a soft tissue. Your stack of CDs are vital if you need to rebuild your system in the event of an emergency of some sort.
Many people might find that they in fact have not been provided with a copy at all. This is certainly something to check when you buy a computer, whether new or second-hand. If your hard-disk fails (it happens), if your computer gets infected with a virus (it happens more often), or if you just need to clear everything out and start over again to get rid of all the accumulated rubbish, you will need more than just your data backups. You will need to be able to re-install the operating system (and any service packs or updates), re-install all the special hardware drivers (eg. for your camera), and re-install all your applications (eg. DVD movie creation software).
Finding out after you've started the rebuild process that you don't have all that you need will be inconvenient at the least. You'll need to find (and likely strictly speaking, buy) another copy from somewhere. This is a fairly important element of disaster recovery – backing up your data is just one part of being prepared for digital mayhem on any scale. In particular, if you have old software, you could easily find that it is not available any more, and then you face the hassle of having to convert your data to a newer format so that you can once more get access to it.
So make sure you have copies of all the install files for the operating system, drivers, and applications that you use and need on your computer(s). Keep them all together along with any serial numbers or registration codes, and put them in an airtight box deep underground in a concrete bunker (or the closest equivalent that you have, anyway). Once in a while, put a backup copy of all your data in there too, and make sure nothing is making a nice little home in there.
That way, when the Big Event comes, you will minimise your panic and lost productivity, as you will have everything to hand that you need to rebuild our digital life, be it at home or in the office. If you find that your computer supplier will not provide copies of all this stuff, then buy from somewhere else. It will be you that loses out when it comes to the crunch.
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