On the plus side, now you'll be able to find new ones and some of those old ones were probably broken links anyway.
Ok, I know it's not a great plus side, but when you are disgusted by this, try to focus on the good. That's what I do whenever I lose all my links. It happens enough.
The external hard drive is an excellent investment. You can get one for $100 or less and it will definately save your sanity. DH backs up everything every month or so.