My Computer Crashed This Morning! : (
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free skin care · Fri May 04, 2007 6:09 pm

This morning, out of the blue, my primary hard drive crashed. Crying or Very sad

I was horrified ... it began making a clicking noise ...

Now ... a few things were lucky ... none of which was a complete recent backup of information ... but at least all of my data was on a secondary hard drive. I had all my programs on C ... and all my data on D. Smile

So at least I haven't lost any data ... but I did lose my email! Crying or Very sad

Fortunately, for me, my computer guy knows me very well. He knows that (a) I have the patience of a gnat and (b) I would go crazy if left without a computer for, say, 24 hours. Laughing

So now I have a nice new computer ... complete with my data hard drive from my old computer ... but I have to load on all my programs [and I use a lot of programs! Sad

] ... but at least I'm back online ... Confused

Steve, my computer guy is going to see if he can grab anything from my old C drive ... but I'm not holding out much hope. Sad

Anyway ... thanks for letting me rant!

Mary

free skin care · Fri May 04, 2007 6:24 pm

Mary, so sorry to hear about your computer trouble. I hate...and cannot stand it when a computer doesn't work. I think our lives are too attached to computers Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Fri May 04, 2007 7:37 pm

Hi Wildcat,

I think you're right! Laughing

Not having my computer today threw me into a blind panic! Laughing

It was like my brain couldn't get around the fact that I really didn't have a computer for most of the day. Shock

The really funny thing is that I can ignore the computer ... providing it's here and working properly. It was the "life without an operating computer" that threw me! Laughing

Ah well ... once I have everything re-installed, I'll feel much better. Very Happy

Mary

Fri May 04, 2007 8:59 pm

Ahhhhh, Mary. That's rotten!.... although, personally, I would be clicking my heels with glee if it meant I could get a new computer out of the deal! Wink

Glad to hear you didn't lose too much....

free skin care · Fri May 04, 2007 9:05 pm

Well, technologically speaking, you are well on your way to recovery! Thank goodness that all is not lost - you can exhale!
pudoodles

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 12:17 am

same as me....I go crazy every time when my computer is broken (or work abnormally).

Mary, are you using outlook to send and receive email? If so, you can back them up and would not lose them anymore.

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 4:58 am

Hi jn1234,

No ... I use Eudora. It's dead easy to back up ... but whenever I thought of "backup" I focused on my data alone ... and completely forgot about my email program! Sad

Stupid of me I know ... and I'd be the first one to scold staff if they didn't back up all their important stuff! [Hubby has a screen print shop ... and I look after the computer end of the biz ...] Laughing

On the other hand, my computer guy may still be able to pull the Eudora from the old, crashed drive ... Smile

It's a case of "do as I say not as I do" I'm afraid!

On the other hand, I actually DO have a backup of my most important email addresses ... family, friends, etc.

It's really just the recent emails that I've lost.

So all in all ... it wasn't the catastrophe that it surely could have been ... but I AM going to get a different backup system in place. Very Happy

It's just a matter of recreating some stuff ... and reloading all my programs ... which can take an age! Laughing

Thanks for the empathy everyone! Nice to have a place to rant! Laughing

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 6:02 am

I know that feeling - except at least you were sensible enough to have made a backup, unlike stupid old me.

I'm glad to hear you're up and running again with a new PC. It's awful without one, isn't it!

Anyway, I've just ordered an external back-up drive and would advise anyone else to consider doing something similar. At least then we won't have the heartbreak of losing so much important info.

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 8:25 am

I just got some GREAT news! I just got off the phone with my "computer guy" Steve ... and he managed to get my email off of the old, crashed C drive! Very Happy

[This man is worth his weight in gold!]

Yes MajorB ... me too. I'm going to get an external hard drive ... the kind you can connect with a USB port ... and set it up to do a complete backup of my computer on a regular basis.

It used to be easy ... a few diskettes and you were off to the races. Now, however, the hard drives are so large ... and you can't just copy programs like you used to be able to do ... so you really need a program that will record an exact image of your hard drive(s) so that in the event on a crash, you just put the image onto a new hard drive ... and you're away!

I do so much work on my home computer ... it's absolutely necessary that my data is backed up ... or, at the very least, on a secondary hard drive. Of course, I don't always practise what I preach! Laughing

Mary

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 9:27 am

Glad you're back in action, Mary. I know I need to have a disaster recovery plan like you, but I don't because I'm too lazy. My bf has a backup drive, etc. I don't really have anything valuable saved in my PC at home, so I just keep my fingers crossed. It's the PC at work that will worry me, but then I let the IT guys deal with any problem that may come. This is one benefit for working for a company. I'd hate to be on my own b/c of this very problem. I know next to nothing about PCs other than to use it.

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 10:48 am

hpjrt wrote:

so you really need a program that will record an exact image of your hard drive(s) so that in the event on a crash, you just put the image onto a new hard drive ... and you're away!

Being a complete and utter idiot-fool, I never even knew such a wonderful programme existed! Are there any you can recommend, please?

BTW the external drive I've just ordered was what I consider to be an absolute bargain from amazon.co.uk. Here it is, and it'll probably be even cheaper for US people. Heard really good things about, just in case it might help in your search: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EXZB0M/202-0810348-5331860

I had a voucher to spend too, so got it for an even better price. It was the cheapest price for that particular hard drive I could find anywhere.

And FAB news about your emails! Bet you could kiss your data recovery chappy!

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 12:30 pm

Hi MajorB,

Yes I really could kiss Steve ... but he'd blush and blush and blush! Laughing

The program he recommended was CasperXP ... that's the one he uses ... so if it's good enough for Steve ... it's good enough for me! Laughing

The external hard drive you got is exactly the sort of thing he was describing to me ... and it's got lots and lots of storage too! Great price! Hmmm ... I wonder what that product retails for in Canada? Smile

It's lovely to know that my emails will be back "on board" on Monday when I pick up the CD he's burning! Laughing

It's great to have a really good tech guy. We began dealing with them about 18 years ago because our office was directly across the street from the computer store! I figured that if anything went wrong I could literally open the door and scream across the street!

Roger [the store owner] and Steve [the tech guy] have always been very good with us ... dealing with any problems quickly and ensuring that we are well looked after. Roger has sent rather a lot of freelance work my way as well ... always a plus! Very Happy

We may pay a little more for things from them ... but if anything goes wrong ... it's dead easy to get it fixed! Laughing

I've heard of too many horror stories about dealing with "big box" stores for computer stuff and then trying to get service ... so I have always believed in dealing locally.

Heck ... I picked up my new computer yesterday ... and they didn't even give me the bill! Laughing

Hi bkkgirl,

If you don't use your home computer for "important" stuff ... then you're probably OK not to have an "emergency plan" ... but I do quite a bit of freelance computer work [web work, designing databases/data entry programs etc.] ... as well as helping out with stuff for Hubby's office [I no longer go into the office unless I can't avoid doing so! Laughing

] ... so my "home" computer IS my work computer!

But even so ... had I lost everything, there would have been a ton of pictures that I'd lose ... there would be the recording of the songs I sang at my girlfriend's wedding last year [I haven't burned a CD for me yet ... Shock

]

Of course, I'm from the "old school" ... I began on PC's when the diskettes were 8" ... and there was no such thing as a "hard drive". Having a contingency plan has always been part of the scenario! Laughing

Mary

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 1:03 pm

omg you poor thing....did it really make a clicking noise?

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 1:27 pm

Hi MelissaMarie,

It really did make a "clicking" noise ... it was very "regular" ... like a record needle hitting a scratch ... Crying or Very sad

click ... click ... click ... click ... Crying or Very sad

When I phoned Steve ... I held the receiver up to my CPU ... and of course, he really couldn't hear it ... but he said "Mary ... when you hear a clicking noise ... it's never good." ... and then in perfect techie style he said "Can you boot up?" Of course, I couldn't. Crying or Very sad

I'd never actually had a computer crash on me before. I've had programs crash out ... but I've never had a hard drive crash before. Granted that's probably because I'd never kept one computer for as long as I'd kept this one ... I was always eager to get the next, bigger hard drive ... faster CPU ... more powerful chip.

However, given that I don't have high-speed available at my address [I think we're part of the 2% of the entire world who has no high speed access ... Sad

] I had delayed getting a new computer ... because I'd have had to reinstall all my programs again and that seemed like such a pain! Laughing

So what have I been doing since I got the new computer yesterday afternoon? I've been reinstalling all my programs! Confused

Obviously Fate stepped in when I failed to act! Laughing

But ... in truth ... there's really nothing quite so horrible as the death rattle of a hard drive! click ... click ... click ... click ...click ... click ... click ... click ...click ... click ... click ... click ...click ... click ... click ... click Laughing

Mary

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 7:09 pm

Wild Cat wrote:

Mary, so sorry to hear about your computer trouble. I hate...and cannot stand it when a computer doesn't work. I think our lives are too attached to computers Rolling Eyes

can't agree more, one month before my laptop had burnished itself!
it mash my life!

free skin care · Sat May 05, 2007 7:57 pm

i do agree clicking on anything mechanic is bad news...cars, planes, now we can add computers... Laughing

sry not making fun of ur delima...just funny that it really clicked...

free skin care · Sun May 06, 2007 9:39 am

Thanks for the info on CasperXP, hpjrt. I shall be looking into maybe buying it. Very Happy

free skin care · Mon May 07, 2007 9:56 am

Hi MelissaMarie,

Actually ... now that it's over ... it IS funny.

I nipped into town to get the CD of my emails this morning ... and Roger [the store owner] and I were laughing about it. I mean really ... the only downside was the having to reinstall some software ... which on this rocket of a machine is a snap!

Poor DH ... he said that simple phrase ... "Well if you need a new one ... you need a new one." Roger and I lept on that one pretty darned quick!

So ... sometimes ... hearing click ... click ...click ... click ... click ... click ... click ... click ... ... just may be a good thing ... [as long as your data isn't lost as well]! Laughing

Hi majorb,

I think you have to purchase it online. That's the only way the company does business. At least ... I think that's what Steve said.

Mary

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