So after a few hours of backing stuff up to the external HD, I’m ready to go. No, really, I am. I’m going to take a whole-disk image as further precaution (in case I forgot anything), but other than that, I think I’m ready to go.

I’m going to reformat the disk and give this computer a nice clean start. With any luck, all my iPhoto and iTunes libraries can be restored in a flash, and then I can go about the boring process of patching the computer and reinstalling applications. My mail database seems up-to-date, even if the program itself is stuffed.

Erk. Nerves. Here we go…

Update: slowly, we’re getting somewhere. Just recovering Mail now…