Quick Help Needed

1. I downloaded Mavericks OS for free on line a few days ago.

2. I lost access to all of my previous data.... docs, pics, settings.... everything.

3. Apple store guys confirmed that it was wiped clean and that info was lost forever.

4. I was playing around w. Mac this am and somehow stumbled back on the previous OS which contains all of the ... what I thought was forever lost..... data.

5. I need URGENTLY to save this stuff pronto.



Therefore: what is the simplest, least complicated way of saving this material?

Can I put a cd-rom in? If so.. then what do i do?

Should I run out and get a flash drive? Then what do I do?

The Apple dude was telling me something about an "external drive", the other day. ( He also told me that the material I'm looking at right now no longer existed.) Should I get one? Where?

Maverick ... which i don't seem to be using right now ( can you have two OSs coexisting on the same Macbook Pro?)... has something called ICloud. Somew-=one to,ld me that this was useful for "backup". That's what I need, right? Back-up.


Thanks for you help. remember... for me.... SIMPLE IS BETTER THAN COMPLICATED. So I fi can just save this stuff w. a flash drive or a CD... and doing that is relatively SIMPLE, I prefer that method to something that requires a lot of steps and/or tech savvy.

Thanks to all and Happy Holidays.