Wayner -
Your situation is truly disheartening.

But as I'm sure you know better than I, given the many fine folks here someone will step forward to aid in your time of need, despair not.

Best wishes for a speedy resolution to your dilema. And don't forget that the 'back-up' slope is a slippery one. You get a backup for the backup, then that needs a backup (just in case), and so on. Before long your in competition with NASA for who's systems have the most redundency, and it's no longer 'just' a hobby.
JD